NiSource agreement with Hilcorp Energy

NiSource agreement with Hilcorp Energy

houston

NiSource Gas Transmission and Storage’s Midstream and Minerals Group LLC have entered into an agreement with Hilcorp Energy Co. to develop the oil and gas potential in the Utica/Point Pleasant Shale formation in Northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

The agreement also includes the two companies working together to construct new gathering pipeline infrastructure and natural-gas liquids processing facilities to support natural-gas production in the same region.

NiSource is the corporate owners of Columbia Gas. Hilcorp Energy Co. is a privately owned oil and gas exploration and development company based in Houston.

As part of the upstream joint venture, NiSource will combine its leasehold acreage in Northeast Ohio with Hilcorp’s current leased property in the Utica/Point Pleasant Shale formation in Northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

Hilcorp will serve as the operator and manage the development of the combined acreage. NiSource will be a nonoperating working interest owner in the project.

Expect Windows 8 computers in Oct.

san francisco

Computers running on the next version of Microsoft’s Windows operating system will go on sale in October.

Microsoft Corp. announced the time frame for Windows 8’s mass-market release Monday in Toronto. A specific sales date in October wasn’t provided.

New versions of Windows typically come out every three years, but this update is the most widely anticipated overhaul of the software since 1995.

‘Poise’ expands line

new york

Most moms have “the talk” with their daughters about their periods. Now the Poise feminine hygiene brand is initiating a “second talk” with women — this time, about menopause.

Poise on July 23 is rolling out a line of products that target 50 million American women who are or will soon go through menopause.

It’s a move by consumer-products maker Kimberly-Clark, which owns Poise, to expand the brand beyond its line of pads for incontinence.

Euro finance officials agree on bailout

brussels

Euro area finance ministers agreed early today on the terms of a bailout for Spain’s troubled banks, saying that $36.88 billion can be ready by end of this month.

The finance ministers for the 17 countries that use the euro as their official currency will return to Brussels on July 20 to finalize the agreement, having first obtained the approval of their governments or parliaments, eurozone chief Jean-Claude Juncker said early this morning.

As part of the agreement with Spain, finance ministers from all 27 European Union countries are expected today to approve a one-year extension, until 2014, of Spain’s deadline for achieving a budget deficit of 3 percent.

Vindicator staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Aqua America, .66, 25.93 .06

Avalon Holdings,3.7020.00

Clear Channel, .73 64.29 .04

Cortland Bancorp, 10.00.00

Farmers Nat., .126.41 —.01

First Energy, 2.20, 48.95—.23

FirstMerit Corp., .64,16.37 —.20

First Niles Financial, .32,8.10.00

First Place Fin., .65.00

FNB Corp., .48,11.05—.04

General Motors,20.22—.09

General Electric, .68,20.04.04

Motors Liquidation, .0422.00

Huntington Bank, .16, 6.40.02

JP Morgan Chase, 1.20,33.96.06

Key Corp, .20,7.64—.06

LaFarge, 10.32 —.08

Macy’s, .80, 34.20.17

Parker Hannifin, 1.64, 74.60—1.14

PNC, 1.60,60.24—.46

RTI Intl. Metals,22.55—.35

Simon Prop. Grp.,4.00,158.561.16

Stoneridge 6.80 —.04

United Community Fin. 2.94—.05

Selected prices at 4 p.m. Monday. Provided by Stifel Nicolaus. Not to be construed as an offer or recommendation to buy or sell any security.