Solicitation

While the two partners stayed mum, active solicitation of potential buyers by investment bank Lazard Ltd. has stirred speculation that an announcement is coming soon on the European Commission-mandated sale of the Royal Bank of Scotland’s (RBS) 51% stake in a joint venture commodities trading operation with San Diego-based Sempra Energy. The U.S. energy holding company has made clear that it wants to remain in the highly lucrative trading space.

While the two partners are staying mum, active solicitation of potential buyers by an investment bank has stirred speculation that an announcement is coming soon on the European Commission-mandated sale of the Royal Bank of Scotland’s (RBS) 51% stake in a joint venture commodities trading operation with San Diego-based Sempra Energy. The U.S. energy holding company has made clear that it wants to remain in the highly lucrative trading space.

Two Mississippi gas storage projects announced open seasons last week. One is a binding open season ending next week, and the other is a nonbinding solicitation ending Friday.