MDN previously told you that the 176 year-old Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) natural gas utility company went on the auction block in July with the aim of privatizing it (see Phila. Gas Works Goes on Auction Block – Marcellus Key in Sale?). At the time, it seemed like one of the keys to a sale would be converting an existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility owned and operated by PGW into an export facility for exporting Marcellus Shale gas.
However, according to a confidential report issued earlier this year by a PGW consultant, such a scenario would not be all that attractive for a potential buyer. The cost to convert the facility would be far more than the existing value of the entire company, plus there are real estate issues to contend with…