Stipulating

Competition has arrived in Canadian gas transportation, but onlya case that is escalating into a big one before the National EnergyBoard will tell who gets what out of the changed pipeline grid.The battle — now heating up on paper, to be followed by hearingsbeginning Jan. 18 — is over a proposal to establish minimum,”reserve” or floor prices for excess deliveries by TransCanadaPipeLines Ltd.Round one has already been won by the pipeline’scustomers. After receiving strongly-worded protests, the NEBrejected an appeal by TransCanada to adopt floor prices effectiveNov. 1 or the start of the new gas contract year and heatingseason.