Is there any chance that the request to gather data on financial trades is implemented?  Our understanding was that the commission had no jurisdiction over financial markets.
 -----Original Message-----
From: 	Fulton, Donna  
Sent:	Tuesday, June 19, 2001 9:19 AM
To:	Steffes, James; Nicolay, Christi; Novosel, Sarah; Lawner, Leslie; Cantrell, Rebecca; Miller, Stephanie; Allen, Phillip K.
Cc:	Alvarez, Ray
Subject:	El Paso Merchant Comments on Reporting Requirements

El Paso Merchant filed comments yesterday in the Reporting Requirements docket.  They did not argue against the collection of the new proposed data, but rather argued that the Commission needed to add to the information to be gathered to include financial market data.  El Paso states that the financial market is believed to be ten times as large as the physical market.  El Paso suggests the following information be collected:
the name of the counter party to the financial trade
the quantitiy of gas underlying the financial trade
all the pricing terms of the trade stated in price per MMBtu
the time period of the trade, including starting and ending dates
the date on which the deal was entered into
the type of trade

El Paso Merchant also argues for confidential treatment and a sunset date for the collection of the data (tied to when EIA finds supply and demand in California in balance.)

I have a fax of the comments, but do not yet have them electronically.  Let me know if you want a copy faxed.