Stability

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services last Friday affirmed the “BB+” corporate credit rating of Spokane, WA-based Avista Corp, citing the stability of the company’s utility operations as the primary reason. The outlook is stable, and both the rating and outlook also take into account Avista’s higher-risk energy trading and other nonutility operations, S&P said.

Reps. Sam Graves (R-MO) and John Barrow (D-GA) have introduced legislation to “bring some stability, predictability and reliability” back into the natural gas market by, among other things, imposing tighter daily gas futures trading limits and setting new futures position reporting requirements. The congressmen claim that recent gas price spikes are a result of increased speculative trading that must be reined in.

Reps. Sam Graves (R-MO) and John Barrow (D-GA) have introduced legislation to “bring some stability, predictability and reliability” back into the natural gas market by, among other things, imposing tighter daily gas futures trading limits and setting new futures position reporting requirements. The congressmen claim that recent gas price spikes are a result of increased speculative trading that must be reined in.

In the end, the relative stability and autonomy of Portland General Electric (PGE), despite being owned by bankrupt Enron Corp., defeated the proposed $2.35 billion purchase by private investors headed by Texas Pacific Group (TPG), according to background provided by the Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) in the wake of its unanimous rejection Thursday of the TPG offer because of its perceived excessive debt and risk.

Strong cash this year will give the U.S. upstream oil and natural gas sector more wiggle room to increase their capital budgets, to strengthen the bottom line and to give shareholders bigger dividends, Fitch Ratings analysts said in a new report.

Strong cash this year will give the U.S. upstream oil and natural gas sector more wiggle room to increase their capital budgets, to strengthen the bottom line and to give shareholders bigger dividends, Fitch Ratings analysts said in a new report.

TransCanada Corp. CEO Hal Kvisle stressed the stability of existing Western Canadian gas production and the promise of new supply from the Mackenzie Delta and Alaska in announcing the completion of its purchase of Gas Transmission Northwest Corp. (GTNC) from National Energy & Gas Transmission Inc. (NEGT) for US$1.7 billion, including US$500 million of assumed debt.

TransCanada Corp. CEO Hal Kvisle stressed the stability of existing Western Canadian gas production and the promise of new supply from the Mackenzie Delta and Alaska in announcing the completion of its purchase of Gas Transmission Northwest Corp. (GTNC) from National Energy & Gas Transmission Inc. for US$1.7 billion, including US$500 million of assumed debt.

TransCanada Corp. CEO Hal Kvisle stressed the stability of existing Western Canadian gas production and the promise of new supply from the Mackenzie Delta and Alaska in announcing the completion of its purchase of Gas Transmission Northwest Corp. (GTNC) from National Energy & Gas Transmission Inc. for US$1.7 billion, including US$500 million of assumed debt.