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The natural gas futures market made it a ‘perfect ten’ yesterdayby trading within a tight 14-cent range for the tenth consecutivetrading session. The August contract showed promise early, racingout to a strong start and posting a $2.239 high. That, however,would be the best the market could do Tuesday. It then wilted underselling pressure in the afternoon. The prompt month finished at$2.198, down 0.9 on the day.

Although the Department of the Interior’s Minerals ManagementService (MMS) is about to embark on another gas royalty in kind(RIK) pilot in the Gulf of Mexico, it doesn’t mean producers therewill be completely relieved of gas sales price reportingrequirements.

Texas Eastern Transmission (Tetco) has asked FERC to schedule aconference to take a “hard look” at “viable alternatives” – notablythose using turned-back capacity – to the controversialIndependence-MarketLink pipeline projects and perhaps the proposedMillennium Pipeline.

Southern Energy Inc. (SEI), one of Southern Co.’s mainsubsidiaries, named S. Marce Fuller its new CEO Tuesday. Under theleadership of the former CEO, Tom Boren, SEI reported $69 millionin second-quarter 1999 earnings, compared with $25 million for thesame period last year. Now it is up to Fuller to continue hissuccess.

Consolidated Natural Gas paid a hefty price during the secondquarter for its proposed merger with Dominion Resources. Thecompany took a one-time $165.3 million, $1.12/share, charge relatedprimarily to cash-out of stock options and awards to about 700employees and took another $6.3 million charge, $0.04/share, for aworkforce reduction related to the merger. CNG reported a secondquarter loss from continuing operations of $80 million, or 83 centsa diluted share, compared with income of $46.8 million, or 49 centsa diluted share, a year earlier. The comparison was made worse by a$13.9 million, or $0.15/share, gain in 2Q98 related to a favorableregulatory decision. Excluding special items for both periods,income from continuing operations was 33 cents a diluted share in2Q99, compared to 34 cents in 2Q98. Wall Street consensus had CNGpegged quite a bit higher at $0.39/share.

Setting itself up to enter the deregulating European energymarket, Altra Energy Technologies Inc. announced that Sema Group,an international information technology (IT) and business servicescompany, has agreed to be Altra’s exclusive European distributor.

NiSource said it filed the necessary information under theHart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 with theFederal Trade Commission and Department of Justice regarding itstender offer for all of Columbia Energy Group’s common shares. CEOGary Neale said it “sends a serious message to Columbia that we arecommitted to completing this transaction and that we are confidentin our ability to secure the necessary regulatory approvals. Wehave said throughout that we believe the regulatory approvalprocess can be completed within six to nine months if we worktogether. HSR clearance is an important first step, and one thatconfirms our commitment to move forward on all fronts of thistransaction.” NiSource is offering $68/share for Columbia stock.Columbia’s board has said the company is not for sale and isfighting the hostile takeover attempt (See Daily GPI July 16, July15, June 25, June 11 and June 8).

El Paso will take the Gallup (NM) Station’s B turbine down forsix hours today to calibrate fuel controls. Capacity out of SanJuan Basin will be reduced by 80 MMcf/d for today’s gas day only.

Paris-based Elf Aquitaine submitted a counteroffer forTotalFina. Elf’s proposal would create two separate pure-play oiland gas and chemicals groups and annual pre-tax synergies of 2.5billion euros within three years of the combination. The dealoffers three Elf shares and 190 euros in cash for every five sharesin TotalFina, representing a premium of 10% to TotalFina’s closingprice on Friday July 16 (ex dividend). The transaction will beaccounted for under US GAAP using purchase accounting.