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In a bid to complete what others have failed to accomplish, BlueDolphin Gas Storage LLC announced its plans to purchase the AvocaGas Storage facility from Northeastern Gas Caverns LLC yesterday.With the purchase, Blue Dolphin will become the third owner of thefacility this year. No financial terms of the transaction weredisclosed.

In what is possibly the largest business process outsourcing(BPO) contract to date, PricewaterhouseCoopers and BP Amoco agreedto expand their existing BPO relationship to the United States. Thedeal is valued at $1.1 billion.

Technical factors can, and often do, send prices hurling in adirection contradictory to what underlying supply and demanddictate. While this confounds dyed-in-the-wool fundamentalists anddelights technicians, it can also backfire. Yesterday was one ofthose days.

In what is possibly the largest business process outsourcing(BPO) contract to date, PricewaterhouseCoopers and BP Amoco agreedto expand their existing BPO relationship to the United States. Thedeal is valued at $1.1 billion.

After Alaska’s governor balked at a move by BP Amoco to pushconsideration of its ARCO acquisition through the Federal TradeCommission, the company has backed off and pledged to address thestate’s anti-competitive concerns. Discussions between the companyand Alaska were ongoing last week.

What are the chances that the U.S. would experience yet anotherwarmer-than-normal winter after just having two in a row?Apparently they’re pretty good right now, according to a new winterweather forecast released last week by the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration. One thing is certain: the La Ninatropical Pacific sea temperature event, which is expected toinfluence this winter’s weather, will throw a monkey wrench inregional weather forecasting models.

What are the chances that the U.S. would experience yet anotherwarmer-than-normal winter after just having two in a row?Apparently they’re pretty good right now, according to a new winterweather forecast released last week by the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration. One thing is certain: the La Ninatropical Pacific sea temperature event, which is expected toinfluence this winter’s weather, will throw a monkey wrench intoregional weather forecasting models.

Natural gas futures exploded higher yesterday as traders weredealt a royal flush of bullish factors that included much belownormal temperatures on the horizon for much of the country and anew storm brewing in the Caribbean Sea. After opening at $2.98, theNovember contract moved higher, piercing resistance at $3.03 beforerelaxing to finish at $3.007, up 8.7 cents for the session.

Seeking greater operating flexibility in what is expected to bea more fluid California natural gas market following industryrestructuring, Occidental Petroleum has started work on a $9million, 12-mile, 16-inch gas pipeline out of Elk Hills to the eastof the massive reserve. It will interconnect with Pacific Gas andElectric’s transmission line swinging north from the Arizonaborder, providing the first interconnection between Four Cornerssupplies and PG&E when combined with earlier Elk Hillsconnection work done by Oxy.