Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.energy,americast.usa-today.energy From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: energy Fri, Oct 30 1992 Date: Fri, 30 Oct 92 09:37:04 EST Message-ID: 10-30 0000 DECISIONLINE: Energy USA TODAY Update Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network HEATING OIL TAKES MARKET DOWN: Heating oil prices led the energy market lower Thursday amid growing doubts that winter supplies of crude and refined products would tighten. Home heating oil for delivery in November settled at 59.51 cents a gallon, down 1.89 cents on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Light sweet crude oil for delivery in December settled at $20.71 per barrel, down 41 cents. RESEARCH CONTRACT IS SIGNED: The U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium Thursday signed contracts for more than $53 million worth of electric vehicle battery research. It awarded deals totaling $41.2 million to W.R. Grace and Co. and Saft America Inc., firms involved in advanced battery research. Sandia and Argonne National Laboratories and the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory got deals that total $12.2 million. CLEAN FUEL TO DEBUT: Beginning Sunday, the quest for clean air means costlier, more frequent trips to the gas pump for motorists in 39 cities. The intent: Reduce unhealthy wintertime levels of carbon monoxide by using cleaner-burning fuel - a blend of gasoline and ethanol or a methanol-based chemical. Nineteen other cities began using blended fuel in September and October. EMISSIONS TEST IS `UNRELIABLE': Maryland's new auto emissions testing program is "so unreliable and costly that it may undermine the public's support for cleaner air," the General Accounting Office says. Cited: 25% of the autos checked by the new system failed a first inspection but passed a second exam even though no repairs were made. About 1.5 million vehicles will undergo the test every 2 years beginning in 1995. ENERGY DEPT. WANTS TO KEEP LABS: The Department of Energy Thursday released a comprehensive statement for continued operation, including near term proposed projects, at the DOE-funded Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratory:Livermore, both in Alameda County, Calif. The proposal is to continue operation of the involved laboratories, instead of eliminating new projects or shutting down. CLEAN AIR CAMPAIGN IS READY: Clean Air Colorado will kick off its winter anti-pollution campaign Sunday as manufacturers offer rebates on clean-burning stoves, fireplaces and other devices. The campaign will include quality advisories daily through April 30 to alert users of the devices about air quality. GUAM RATIONS POWER: Power was off in Guam for most of the day Thursday. Guam Power Authority is rationing electricity due to generator problems. One fixed unit won't produce enough power and a boiler tube leak is likely the problem with the other. Rationing probably will continue two more days, officials say. PLANT GUARD WON'T PRESS CHARGES: A guard who was found beaten and unconscious at the Comanche Peak nuclear power plant in Glen Rose, Texas, has told police she won't press charges. But plant owner Texas Utilities Co. and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are keeping on with their investigations, Bloomberg Business News reported Thursday. The company said it plans to press charges if the attacker is found. UNDERLYING MARKET IS WEAK: Traders in London said Thursday that weakness in the underlying physical market is responsible for futures prices falling on the International Petroleum Exchange. Demand isn't likely to improve before mid-November, which means some traders could sell their November contracts and buy contracts for delivery in December instead. The contract expires Nov. 12. MARATHON NAMES NEW EXECUTIVE: Marathon Oil Co. said Thursday that William F. Schwind Jr. has been named general counsel and secretary, effective Dec. 1. Schwind is senior vice president, administration, secretary and general counsel of Delhi Gas Pipeline Corp. Marathon and Delhi are units of USX Corp. Schwind will succeed Dan D. Sandman, who has been elected secretary and assistant general counsel of USX. PHILLIPS TO CONTRIBUTE TO UNIT: Phillips Petroleum Co. Thursday agreed to contribute up to $150 million in capital to its gas gathering unit as part of a sale of preferred stock announced Wednesday. Phillips said it would sell $200 million of preferred stock in its Houston gas gathering and production unit. Proceeds will be used to repay debt. Energy Editor: Beth Mann. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution purposes violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM