Rumored

With the U.S. Senate in a holding pattern until after the election, a rumored recess appointment by the White House to extend Chairman James J. Hoecker’s tour-of-duty at FERC by another year also has been drawn into the no-fly zone, awaiting Tuesday’s election results.

In a move rumored for the past few months, Occidental Petroleum(Oxy) took Altura Energy off the hands of Shell Exploration &Production Co. and BP Amoco last week. The $3.6 billion transactionis expected to close within the next few weeks, the companies said.

In a move rumored for the past few months, Occidental Petroleum(Oxy) took Altura Energy off the hands of Shell Exploration &Production Co. and BP Amoco yesterday. The $3.6 billion transactionis expected to close within the next few weeks, the companies said.

With the disclosure that Commissioner Vicky A. Bailey will beleaving the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission effective Feb. 1,rumors have been flying fast and furious as to who will be hersuccessor. So far, only one name has surfaced – that of McLaneLayton, staff counsel for Sen. Don Nickles (R-OK).

With the formal announcement last week that Commissioner VickyA. Bailey will leave the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioneffective Feb. 1, rumors have been flying fast and furious as towho will be her successor. So far, only one name has surfaced —that of McLane Layton, staff counsel for Sen. Don Nickles (R-OK).

In a rumor that first broke late last week, Consolidated Edison(ConEd), a combination utility serving over three million electricand one million gas customers in New York, is reported to be inmerger talks with West Springfield, MA-based Northeast Utilities(NU), the largest electric utility in New England. Neither companywould comment on the subject. The reported stock and cash dealwould value NU at $2.8 billion.

An April 2 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission suggests the rumored sale of Enron’s controlling interest in Enron Oil &Gas (EOG) could be in the offing. In the filing, Enron confirmed it is pondering a potential sale of its exploration and production arm among other possibilities.

An April 2 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commissionsuggests the rumored sale of Enron’s controlling interest in EnronOil & Gas (EOG) could be in the offing. In the filing, Enronsaid it is pondering EOG’s potential sale among other possibilitiesfor the exploration and production arm of the energy giant.

Tensions between Commissioner Curt Hebert Jr. and some fellowcommissioners, which have been rumored to be running high over thepast months, boiled over in the public meeting last week when thecombative regulator publicly labeled as “disingenu[ous] andintellectually dishonest” the majority’s decision in ahydroelectric dam decommissioning case.