Union

Union Pacific Resources Group Inc. said it will take a whopping$760 million after-tax, non-cash charge to fourth quarter earningsfor asset impairment under Financial Accounting Standard 121. UPRalso said its 1999 plans include continuing its cost-reductionprogram and a preliminary capital budget of about $500 million.Excess cash flow of more than $250 million will be used to furthercut debt to keep the company’s $2 billion de-leveraging program ontarget.

Following the lead of numerous other oil and gas companies whoare trimming staff this year because of low commodity prices, UnionPacific Resources Group announced it will reduce headquarters staffby 14%, or about 140 positions. Combined with attrition, UPR’sheadquarters staff will have been reduced by about 20% since thebeginning of the year.

The majority of Brooklyn Union Gas’ (BU) residential gascustomers in New York City and Long Island said they want to keeptheir existing utility as a provider in a competitive retail marketor at least have it offered as an option, according to the resultsof market research conducted for parent KeySpan Energy. Thefindings, which reveal a continuing customer connection to LDCs,fly in the face of the New York Public Service Commission’sdirective ordering all utilities to exit the merchant gas role.

Remington Oil and Gas Corp. acquired interests in 10 Gulf ofMexico offshore blocks from Union Pacific Resources (UPR). Seven ofthe blocks are producing, one is anticipated to come on productionbefore year-end, and two are undeveloped. The blocks are on theoffshore Louisiana and Texas shelf in water depths less than 400feet. Interests vary from 5% to 100%, with all of the producingproperties being non-operated. The effective date of thetransaction is Sept. 1 with an anticipated closing prior toyear-end. Unaudited reserves for the blocks are about 7 BCFe with apurchase price of $7.65 million.

Results of Burlington Resources, Apache Corp., Vastar Resources,and Union Pacific Resources began the tale of woe that independentproducers’ will be telling with their third quarter earnings. Thecompanies cited a common cause for their malaise – depressed gasand oil prices and liquids margins that are at historic lows.

CalEnergy Co. and MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. filed anapplication for review of proposal for reorganization with the IowaUtilities Board (IUB) in conjunction with their proposed merger.The merger agreement is also subject to approval by theshareholders of both companies, for which special meetings will becalled later this year. Completion of the merger is expected tooccur by the end of the first quarter of 1999.

The Australian-owned oil and gas company, Chancellor Group, saysit has signed a letter of intent to acquire from Union PacificResources a half-interest in the Deadwood Field in East Texas for$35 million. The announcement comes on the heels of one made alittle more than a week ago by UPR that it had agreed to sell itsinterests in certain South Texas oil and gas properties to Collins&amp Ware Inc. for $148 million.

The Australian-owned oil and gas company, Chancellor Group, saysit has signed a letter of intent to acquire from Union PacificResources a half-interest in the Deadwood Field in East Texas for$35 million. The announcement comes on the heels of one made lastFriday by UPR that it had agreed to sell its interests in certainSouth Texas oil and gas properties to Collins & Ware Inc. for$148 million.

The Australian-owned oil and gas company, Chancellor Group, saysit has signed a letter of intent to acquire from Union PacificResources a half-interest in the Deadwood Field in East Texas for$35 million. The announcement comes on the heels of one made lastFriday by UPR that it had agreed to sell its interests in certainSouth Texas oil and gas properties to Collins & Ware Inc. for$148 million.