Page 17 - Intelligence Press News Today

California regulators Thursday approved modifications that Southern California Edison Co. (SCE) sought in its projected fuel costs for 2009 and specifically regarding the handling of tolling rights under the Sempra Energy utilities' firm access rights (FAR) to its natural gas transmission pipeline system in the southern half of the state.

Williams Partners LP on Thursday notified Oneok Partners LP that it would take the option to increase its ownership to 50% from 1% in their jointly owned Overland Pass Pipeline Co. LLC.

Citing the recent "success" of the Dominion East Ohio rate auction in August, the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC) said it has recommended that the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) implement a wholesale auction in spring 2007 to achieve lower natural gas rates for customers of Columbia Gas of Ohio. However, Columbia said it is nowhere near sold on the idea.

Recent market research indicates that the there will be an easing of the tight global liquefied natural gas (LNG) market and capacity could reach 45.95 Bcf/d for LNG production by 2014, according to an executive with Oregon LNG, which is seeking FERC approval to build a 1.5 Bcf/d LNG tolling facility at the mouth of the Columbia River near Warrenton, OR.

Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal wants the U.S. Forest Service to redo portions of a draft supplemental environmental impact study (EIS) on possible oil and gas drilling impacts in the Wyoming Range after claiming that a producer was allowed to "guide and fund" the study and privately participate in agency meetings.

Bellevue, WA-based Puget Sound Energy (PSE) Thursday asked the state of Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) for an 11.1% retail natural gas utility rate increase to cover higher wholesale costs for gas. PSE requested the hike be effective Oct. 1 under the state's purchased gas adjustment process.

Physical natural gas prices overall traded down an average of about a dime Thursday as most traders elected to get deals done prior to the release of Energy Information Administration (EIA) storage data.

The first of what is expected to be up to 50 shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar arrived at the end of November at Sempra Energy's Cameron, LA, receiving terminal, according to a report from a unit of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The initial shipment equated to 4.1 Bcf.

Sharply lower natural gas prices in 2012 from 2011, used under required 12-month average price tests, resulted in significant negative revisions for many domestic gas- and liquids-weighted producers, rendering some current projects uneconomic and pushing a boat load of proved undeveloped reserves (PUD) out of the five-year development window, according to an analysis by Fitch Ratings.

A blueprint for a climate change and energy bill that sponsors hope will gain the 60 votes necessary to pass the Senate in 2010 was released Thursday by the three lawmakers who have been leading the charge for legislation: Sens. John Kerry (D-MA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT). Separately, Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) on Friday unveiled a competing proposal to create a "cap and dividend" structure that would give dividends to U.S. taxpayers.