Started

Just as McDonald’s ambition when it first started out was toserve one million customers, Eastern Enterprises – which last weekannounced plans to acquire its third gas distribution company inless than a year – says its immediate goal is to serve one millionnatural gas customers in New England.

Just as McDonald’s ambition when it first started out was toserve one million customers, Eastern Enterprises-which yesterdayannounced plans to acquire its third gas distribution company inless than a year-says its immediate goal is to serve one millionnatural gas customers in New England.

Just one week after the break-up of the KN/Sempra merger overpoor financials, KN Energy has started action on an intense assetdivestment strategy. The Colorado-based company sold $51 millionworth of various Gulf of Mexico (GOM) assets last week, includinginterests in HIOS, U-TOS and Stingray, to Leviathan Gas Pipelinewhich is controlled by El Paso Energy. The transaction closed June30.

Just one week after the break-up of the KN/Sempra merger overpoor financials, KN Energy has started action on an intense assetdivestment strategy. The Colorado-based company sold $51 millionworth of various Gulf of Mexico (GOM) assets last week, includinginterests in HIOS, U-TOS and Stingray, to Leviathan Gas Pipelinewhich is controlled by El Paso Energy. The transaction closed June30.

When things just started to look like they were getting better,all of a sudden they just got worse for MCN Energy Group. After atough year in 1998 and the planned divestiture of its entireexploration and production division, MCN Energy Group said lastweek it discovered serious financial accounting manipulation withinits gas marketing subsidiary, CoEnergy Trading, and will have torecalculate its earnings going back to 1997.

NOVA estimated that repairs to a flange assembly leak on its NorthLateral (see Daily GPI, May 17), whichstarted Wednesday, would take 24-36 hours to complete. Some receiptsupstream of Dusty Lake Compressor Station are being curtailed by thework.

When things just started to look like they were getting better,all of a sudden they just got worse for MCN Energy Group. After atough year in 1998 and the planned divestiture of its entireexploration and production division, MCN Energy Group saidyesterday it has discovered serious financial accountingmanipulation within its gas marketing subsidiary, CoEnergy Trading,and will have to recalculate its earnings going back to 1997.

Shrinking demand due to warmer weather throughout the countryconspired with a 6.1-cent drop on the Nymex futures contractThursday to put an end to a small and short-lived boost from arelatively bullish storage report. Friday’s cash prices retreatedan average of 3-4 cents in most areas, erasing the small gains fromThursday’s trading, and bringing cash back to the level it hoveredaround most of the week.

Completing an asset sell-off started last month, ConsolidatedEdison Co. announced Baltimore, MD-based Orion Power Holdings asthe winning bidder in the auction for three New York citygenerating facilities. Orion’s winning bid was $550 million. MorganStanley Dean Witter advised Con Edison on the sale. Orion officialssaid the deal will close by mid-1999.