Talks

It’s not a perfect world yet, but sponsors of the major projectsto tap reserves in the far north are working to avoid mistakes ofthe past by coming up with a joint plan to pipe supplies fromAlaska and the Northwest Territories to market areas in the south.

It’s not a perfect world yet, but sponsors of the major projectsto tap reserves in the far north are working to avoid mistakes ofthe past by coming up with a joint plan to pipe supplies fromAlaska and the Northwest Territories to market areas in the south.

Mark Twain once said that while everybody talks about theweather, nobody does anything about it. And although that may haveheld true on a 19th century Mississippi Riverboat, it was not thecase in the natural trading pit Tuesday as traders bid up pricesthroughout the session on the news two new tropical systems hadformed in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.

New Orleans-based Entergy confirmed last week that it has beeninvolved in talks regarding a possible joint venture between itswholesale electricity trading unit, Entergy Wholesale Operations(EWO), and another undisclosed company. Entergy said it hopes tomake an announcement within five weeks. No other details about apossible deal were given.

California’s continuing uphill struggle for a market-basedsolution to its proposed restructuring of the wholesale natural gastransmission and storage business will be extended through Januaryin hopes that upwards of 75 market participants can attain anegotiated all-party settlement. A California Public UtilitiesCommission administrative law judge overseeing the statewide gascase and the CPUC President Richard Bilas indicated Wednesday (Oct.27) they were willing to allow more time.

While Oklahoma Natural Gas’ (ONG) appeal of the OklahomaCorporation Commission’s interim order unbundling its upstreamsystem winds its way through court, the OCC has turned to Arkla andthe unbundling of its downstream system. Arkla will have its fourthopen meeting with the commission and other interested parties Nov.17. OCC Commissioner Bob Anthony is enthusiastic about how thingshave gone so far. “They [Arkla] have not just claimedconfidentiality on everything. It’s been very open and detailed. Idon’t normally go around bragging about utilities. I’ve asked somestaff people if everything’s operating in good faith and they’vegiven me some encouragement.”

While Oklahoma Natural Gas’ (ONG) appeal of the OklahomaCorporation Commission’s interim order unbundling its upstreamsystem winds its way through court, the OCC has turned to Arkla andthe unbundling of its downstream system. Arkla will have its fourthopen meeting with the commission and other interested parties Nov.17. OCC Commissioner Bob Anthony is enthusiastic about how thingshave gone so far. “They [Arkla] have not just claimedconfidentiality on everything. It’s been very open and detailed. Idon’t normally go around bragging about utilities. I’ve asked somestaff people if everything’s operating in good faith and they’vegiven me some encouragement.”