NGI The Weekly Gas Market Report

With at least 800 MMcf/d and potentially more than 1 Bcf/d of gas supply to sell, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) will be a major force in the gas market come October when its Gulf of Mexico Royalty In-Kind (RIK) pilot program begins. MMS’ total royalty share of Gulf production is about 2.5 Bcf/d, and by next spring it expects at least a third of that will be taken in kind in lieu of cash payments.

Against the backdrop of NiSource Inc.’s hostile takeover bid forColumbia Energy Group, a number of U.S. and foreign electriccompanies were emerging last week as potential third-party suitorsfor the diversified energy concern.

Gathering and storage assets of Oklahoma Natural Gas (ONG) andKansas Gas Service (KGS) are headed for deregulation, much to thechagrin of the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office. The move evengives pause to one of the three commissioners on the OklahomaCorporation Commission (OCC).

Just as McDonald’s ambition when it first started out was toserve one million customers, Eastern Enterprises – which last weekannounced plans to acquire its third gas distribution company inless than a year – says its immediate goal is to serve one millionnatural gas customers in New England.

There have been 26 natural gas utility mergers announced since1995, with 15 of them occurring in the past year and seven in themonth of June alone. And there are “many more” to come, accordingto a Merrill Lynch report released last week.

Schlumberger Ltd, one of the largest oil services companies inthe world, decided last week to spin off Sedco Forex Offshore, itsoffshore drilling company, and allow it to enter into a mergeragreement with Transocean Offshore Inc. for $3.2 billion in theresultant company’s stock. If approved by regulators, thecombination will form Transocean Sedco Forex, the largest offshoredrilling company in the world.

Semco Energy Inc. of Port Huron, MI, agreed to buy EnstarNatural Gas and the Alaska Pipeline Co. (together known as Enstar)for $290 million in cash. The Anchorage, AK-based gas distributionsystem and transmission company are currently owned by Ocean EnergyInc.

BP Amoco CEO Sir John Browne put the company on a crash dietlast week, with a worldwide three-year plan to cut $4 billion incosts and surgically remove $10 billion in non-core asset fat,including the sale of its 64% share in U.S. gas and oil producerAltura Energy. BP Amoco also intends to boost capital expenditures$26 billion.

Coral Energy jumped head first into a new arena last Friday withits purchase of 2.8 Bcf of liquefied natural gas (LNG) fromMalaysia LNG Sdn. Bhd. The shipment will be delivered to CMS’ LakeCharles, LA, LNG import facility later this month. Terms of thetransaction were not released.