Spread

As the tentacles of the Enron Corp. financial calamity spread into all corners of the federal government last week, FERC Chairman Pat Wood and Commission Nora M. Brownell disputed reports that Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay played a major role in getting them appointed to the Commission last year.

With a winter season peak demand of less than 30,000 MW,California nonetheless Monday instituted rolling blackouts of 1,000MW across nearly the entire state shortly after Noon PST. TheCal-ISO said the system was down 14,000 MW of capacity due toplanned maintenance, a generator accident, lower imports and somepower loss from qualifying facility (QF) cogeneration plants.

Reflecting the spread of East Coast chill further south, FloridaGas Transmission became the latest pipe to issue an OFO Friday.Citing significant market-area demand, FGT declared an OverageAlert Day notice for the system east of Station 12 in the FloridaPanhandle. It carried a 6% tolerance for negative daily imbalances.The pipeline also said it began maintenance Friday at Station 13.Until further notice the work will limit market-area deliveries to1.43 Bcf/d. Due to customer sourcing patterns having its SouthTexas, East Texas and M-1 (24-inch line) zones scheduled close tocapacity, Texas Eastern said Friday it is allowing due-shipperimbalance gas to be taken in those segments. All other servicepoints remain closed for taking due-shipper imbalances, Tetco said.

Looking to spread its presence in the Gulf of Mexico, OceanEnergy Inc. (OEI) entered into a drilling agreement with DukeEnergy Hydrocarbons, LLC to jointly develop 13 OEI drillingprospects in the outer continental shelf. The Duke subsidiaryagreed to participate with up to 50% non-operating working interestin the program. The two companies anticipate drilling costs willexceed $40 million for the rest of 1999.

The cash market shrugged off Tuesday’s modest weakening toresume an upward climb Wednesday. Yesterday’s gains weren’t aslarge as those on Monday (mostly 5-10 cents compared with 10-20cents, respectively). Also unlike Monday’s trading, there was nogeographical divergence with Western increases being significantlyless than the East’s; the Wednesday upticks were mixed relativelyequally in both areas.