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      HOME  | GAS NEWS  | EVENTS  | JOBS  | BUSINESS CENTERS  | DIRECTORIES  | DATA CENTER    WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2002  	


 	   THIS ISSUE BROUGHT TO YOU BY       Competitive Intelligence now available. Identify potential suitors, those who threaten your position across the value chain or those who demonstrate best practices with Company Profile Reports from Datamonitor. These reports are the definitive intelligence resource on 106 top companies in the energy industry. Reports include: specific business background, history, locations and subsidiaries, products, services and key employees. View the list of Datamonitor's Company Profiles. http://www.energycentral.com/sections/research/default.cfm?cpane=23003&rpublisher=11408&rtype=all         TOP STORIES     Raleigh, N.C.-Based Utility to Buy Texas Natural-Gas Company  By Dudley Price, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., Jan. 15 Progress Energy is buying a Texas natural-gas company for $153 million.     California Governor Won't Settle Lawsuit over Offshore Oil, Gas Leases  By Mark Van De Kamp, Santa Barbara News-Press, Calif., Jan. 15 Governor Gray Davis on Monday joined local environmentalists and anti-oil groups in rejecting efforts by the U.S. Department of the Interior to settle a lawsuit regarding California's right to review 36 undeveloped offshore oil and gas leases, most of them off Santa Barbara County's shores.     PetroChina in talks with partners on gas pipeline  SHANGHAI, Jan 15 (Reuters) PetroChina said on Tuesday it was still negotiating with potential partners including Exxon Mobil on stakes in a massive gas pipeline, despite market speculation Exxon might have been excluded from the project.      Press Release      Peter Swartz Joins EPIS as Vice President of Development  West Linn, Oregon, January 16, 2002 EPIS, Inc., developer of the AURORA(TM) Electric Market Model, announced that Peter J. Swartz has joined EPIS as Vice President of Development, with responsibility for the development of market modeling software as well as forecasting products and services.      California Crisis      Foul Windfall?; L.A. County Claims Sempra Part Of Price Conspiracy  Jan 15 - Daily News - Los Angeles Los Angeles County has filed suit against Sempra Energy, and its subsidiary, the Southern California Gas Co., claiming a massive conspiracy to drive up the cost of natural gas and electricity will cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.      Business Groups Propose New State Department of Energy  Jan 15, 2002 - E?Publishing The California Chamber of Commerce and California Business Roundtable seek to eliminate two state agencies and consolidate the duties of others by creating a new state Department of Energy.          ADVERTISEMENT    Gain the competitive intelligence you need to make informed business decisions. Energy Central's Operating Plant Experience Code (OPEC) is a must for all aspects of analyzing nuclear power plant performance. Identify causes of poor performance, compare lost generation trends, and set performance criteria! Free trial - visit http://www.energycentral.com/sections/databases/OPEC          National Energy Policy      Cheney Still Shielding Energy Task Force Documents from Gao, Congress  Jan 15, 2002 - E?Publishing The momentum behind a threatened General Accounting Office lawsuit against Vice President Cheney's energy task force appears to be building amid disclosures that Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay knew about his company's profit overstatements as early as last summer and possibly sooner.      Mergers, Acquisitions & Divestitures      Enron to Sell 3 Energy Assets   Mexico, Jan 15, 2002 (BNamericas.com via COMTEX) -- Bankrupt US-based energy company Enron could begin this week the sale of its assets in Mexico: a cogeneration electricity plant, a gas pipeline and permission to transport gas.      Cnooc to Reach Deal with Enron  Jan 15, 2002 - Asiaport Daily News Wei Liucheng, the President of the CNOOC, China's largest ocean petroleum and natural gas manufacturer, indicates that the company will reach a deal to purchase an oil field abroad at the cost of USD600 million.      Legislation/Regulation      US lawmaker seeks Enron pension, accounting probes  WASHINGTON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - The chairman of a powerful Senate committee probing Enron Corp.'s collapse on Tuesday requested investigations into financial reporting and employee retirement fund investments in company stock, matching a White House call last week for reviews in the same areas.      Given Washington's Ties to Enron, Impartial Investigation Will Be Difficult  By Stephen J. Hedges, Chicago Tribune, Jan. 15 The political and financial reach of Enron Corp. has exposed so many conflicts of interest among U.S. prosecutors, lawmakers and administration officials that the government is struggling to launch its investigation of the company whose spectacular collapse swept away the savings of thousands of employees and shareholders.      Enron Faces Congressional Tax Probe   By CURT ANDERSON AP Tax Writer, WASHINGTON, Jan 15, 2002 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- Enron Corp., which led a lobbying campaign to repeal a corporate tax as it neared collapse, will undergo scrutiny in Congress of its own tax returns to determine if shelters or other practices may have concealed its financial condition.      Enron Goes from White House Friend to Foe  The Dallas Morning News, Jan. 14 Once one of the Bush campaign's biggest financial assets, Ken Lay and Enron Corp. have suddenly become the Bush presidency's biggest political liability.      Wisconsin Energy Regulators' Heightened Secrecy Sparks Furor  By Lee Hawkins Jr., Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jan. 13 Mark Penaherrera never claimed to be Perry Mason.      Business group wary of new regs from Enron case  By Peter Kaplan, WASHINGTON, Jan 15 (Reuters) The head of corporate America's biggest lobbying group on Tuesday said the government should not rush to impose new business regulations in the wake of Enron Corp.'s collapse.      Gas Pricing/Hubs      U.S. spot natural gas moves up on temps, NYMEX  SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 15 (Reuters) U.S. day-ahead natural gas prices extended gains on Tuesday, rising on forecasts calling for cooler late-week weather and firmer NYMEX trade.      NYMEX Hub gas ends mixed, short cover lifts fronts  NEW YORK, Jan 15 (Reuters) NYMEX Hub gas ended mixed Tuesday in moderate trade, with front months again lifted by a firmer physical market and a steady stream of short covering ahead of Wednesday's weekly inventory report, sources said.      Production      Gazprom Reports Plans On Gas Production In 2002   Moscow, Russia, Jan 15, 2002 (RosBusinessConsulting via COMTEX) -- The Russian gas giant Gazprom is going to produce no less than 530 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2002, Gazprom's head Alexey Miller announced at the opening of the exhibition      Shell UK says Shearwater gas platform to resume ops in Feb   LONDON, Jan 15, 2002 (AFX-UK via COMTEX) -- Shell UK Exploration and Production's 1.2 bln usd Shearwater natural gas platform will resume production next month after the group decided to close down the facility in December due to damage in one of the condensate pipes, a company spokeswoman said.      Drilling/Exploration      Report on Canada Pacific drilling ban to be studied  VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan 15 (Reuters) It will be "a couple of weeks" before the results of a review of Canada's moratorium on energy exploration off its Pacific Coast will be made public, a provincial government official said on Tuesday.      Futures      Natural gas higher on short covering support   Jan 15, 2002 (TradeSignals via COMTEX) -- Natural gas futures ended Monday's session higher but off the days high as late long liquidation curbs early rise.      Gas Processing      Westcoast reduces output at British Columbia plant  CALGARY, Alberta, Jan 15 (Reuters) Westcoast Energy Inc. has reduced capacity by 33 percent at a major processing plant on its natural gas system in British Columbia.      Leases/Acreage      Feds are getting ready to fence in eastern gulf drilling  Jan 14 - New Orleans CityBusiness FEDERAL OFFICIALS PLAN to lock in restrictions on oil and gas leasing in the eastern Gulf of Mexico for the next five years, easing Florida's environmental concerns but angering the energy industry, which wants more access to federal offshore areas.      Pipelines      U.S. group plans to file details for Arctic gas line  CALGARY, Alberta, Jan 14 (Reuters) The proponents of a multibillion-dollar gas pipeline to Alberta from Alaska's Prudhoe Bay via the Beaufort Sea, one of three plans in the works to ship Arctic gas to southern markets, said on Monday they planned to file an outline of the project this week.      Boyer Gas Line Spur Deferred  Jan 14, 2002 - Australasian Business Intelligence Construction of the section of Tasmania's $A400m natural gas pipeline terminating at Bridgewater can commence in February 2002.      Poland Supports Gas Transportation Across Its Territory  Jan 15, 2002 - Itar-Tass News Agency Warsaw fully supports the idea of building a pipeline for the transportation of Russian gas to Western Europe across the territory of Poland, by-passing Ukraine, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Marek Belka told Tass on the eve of the Russian-Polish summit.      India-Iran gas pipeline to reduce tension in region, says oil minister  Jan 15 - BBC Monitoring Middle East Iranian Petroleum Minister Bizhan Namdar- Zanganeh said on Tuesday [15 January] that India-Iran gas pipeline would reduce the tension in the region.      Rates    For more information on rate tariffs visit Gas Rate Tariffs   [IMAGE]    Meriden, Conn.-Based Yankee Gas Service Burned in Bid for Gas-Rate Hike  By Dana Ambrosini, Connecticut Post, Bridgeport, Jan. 12 Sometimes it does hurt to ask.      MPC's bills for natural gas to drop by 18% for many  Jan 14 - The Billings Gazette Montana Power Co.'s typical residential natural gas customers will see their total monthly bills drop by 18 percent or $12.38 a month, beginning Jan. 1, 2002, the company said Friday in its annual gas tracking filing.      General      Employee's Note Warned Enron Chairman of Financial Implosion  By Julie Mason, Houston Chronicle, Jan. 15 An Enron Corp. employee warned Chairman Kenneth Lay in August about the company's practice of hiding financial losses in various partnerships -- the same methods now blamed for the one-time energy giant's historic collapse.      Enron Collapse Won't Take Down Houston  By Flynn McRoberts, Chicago Tribune, Jan. 15 Enron's two skyscrapers tower over this city's downtown.      Enron Fallout May Extend to Accounting Firm  By Tim Lemke, The Washington Times, Jan. 15 Arthur Andersen is in the middle of a nightmare.      Enron Collapse Felt at Garfield, N.J., Paper Mill  By Monsy Alvarado, The Record, Hackensack, N.J., Jan. 13 Every time Mendo Anevski hears more news about Enron's financial downfall, he grows more angry.      Joint Ventures & Alliances      Kansas City, Mo., Energy Marketer Forms Alliance with Utility Holding Firm  By Steve Everly, The Kansas City Star, Mo., Jan. 15 Aquila announced Monday an alliance with NiSource Inc., a holding company with assets that include power plants, natural gas storage facilities and 16,500 miles of interstate pipelines.      Trading/Marketing      Details of Enron deal released; Swiss investment bank to share one-third of trading profits  By ALAN CLENDENNING AP Business Writer, NEW YORK, Jan 15, 2002 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- A Swiss investment bank won't pay anything to acquire Enron Corp.'s energy trading business, won't assume any of the troubled company's debts and will share a third of its profits with Enron and its creditors, under terms of a deal made public Tuesday.      Enron trading shop ready to go - but can it?  By C. Bryson Hull, HOUSTON, Jan 14 (Reuters) Enron Corp. has the financial backing, top talent and computer systems it needs to restart its dormant trading operations, but its success remains a challenging all-or-nothing proposition, analysts said on Monday.      Legal      Judge Inexplicably Withdraws from Hearing Any Enron Cases  By Rosanna Ruiz, Houston Chronicle, Jan. 15 Three days after she denied a motion to freeze the assets held by Enron executives and board members, U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has inexplicably recused herself from all Enron cases.      People      Fired Andersen partner did no wrong, says attorney  HOUSTON, Jan 15 (Reuters) The partner accused by accounting firm Andersen of ordering the destruction of documents relating to its audit of collapsed energy trader Enron Corp. followed the instructions of an Andersen lawyer and did nothing wrong, his attorney said on Tuesday.      Texas Senate Candidate Plans to Keep $180,000 from Enron Executives  By Gromer Jeffers Jr., The Dallas Morning News, Jan. 15 Republican Senate candidate John Cornyn said Monday he would not return $180,000 in past political contributions from Enron Corp. executives.      Avista CFO Eliassen to retire  SPOKANE, Wash., Jan 15 (Reuters) Avista Corp., an electrical and gas utility, said Tuesday that Chief Financial Officer Jon Eliassen will retire in April 2003.      Labor/Human Resources      Enron Management Put on Upbeat Stock Front for Workers  By Jeff Manning, The Oregonian, Portland, Ore. , Jan. 13 In August 2001, Enron was just weeks away from one of the biggest business collapses of all time.      Financial      Husky Energy focuses on Western Canada in $1.4B spending plan for 2002   CALGARY, Jan 15, 2002 (The Canadian Press via COMTEX) -- Husky Energy Inc. has announced plans for $1.4 billion in capital spending during 2002.      Enron shares to be delisted from NYSE   NEW YORK, Jan 15, 2002 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Trading of Enron shares was suspended Tuesday by the New York Stock Exchange, which announced formal plans to delist the greatly devalued stock of the financially troubled former energy giant.      Andersen Fires Lead Enron Auditor   By MARCY GORDON AP Business Writer, WASHINGTON, Jan 15, 2002 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- Arthur Andersen LLP said Tuesday that auditors destroyed Enron Corp. documents after federal securities regulators requested information on the collapsed energy company.      Enron Disaster Might Spur Call for 401(k) Insurance  By Pamela Yip, The Dallas Morning News, Jan. 14 In the wake of a recently announced effort by the federal government to review rules regulating company pensions and 401(k) plans, a logical question is expected to surface: Would it be possible to institute some type of insurance that would protect employees from seeing their 401(k) money wiped out?      Houston Oil Company Shares Take Wild Ride after Profit Warning  By Michael Davis, Houston Chronicle, Jan. 15 Anadarko Petroleum Corp.'s stock was off almost $1 per share in early trading Monday but closed with a small gain after the Houston oil company warned investors that it would not meet analysts' profit expectations.      Teco Energy Completes Sale of $400 Million of Securities  Jan 15, 2002 - PR Newswire TECO Energy, Inc. today reported that it has completed the previously announced sale of $400 million of mandatorily convertible securities.      International      Lattice, RWE Gas to launch gas logistics services jv in March   LONDON, Jan 15, 2002 (AFX-UK via COMTEX) -- Lattice Group PLC said it has reached an agreement with RWE AG's gas operations arm to launch a gas logistics services joint venture in March.      Gas, Electricity Tariffs to Go Up Over 30% in 2002 - Chubais  Jan 15, 2002 - Itar-Tass News Agency The total rise of gas tariffs will make 35 percent, while electricity tariffs will be up 32 percent in 2002, top manager of the Unified Energy Systems of Russia grid Anatoly Chubais said Tuesday.      Energy Commission assumes responsibility  Jan 15 - New Straits Times The Energy Commission, formed under the Energy Commission Act 2001, became fully operational since Jan 2 and has assumed all the responsibilities of the Department of Electricity and Gas Supply.      Jordan looks to increase and diversify energy sources  Jan 15, 2002 - Agence France-Presse Jordan is seeking to increase and diversify its energy sources with oil, gas, and electricity projects, including windfarms, to make up for its lack of natural resources, its energy minister told AFP in an interview.        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