In Feb. 2017 Canadian pipeline operator Enbridge Inc. completed an all-stock deal to buy out pipeline operator Spectra Energy (based in Houston) for $28 billion (see Spectra Energy is No More – $28B Merger with Enbridge Complete). Spectra has a number of critical pipeline infrastructure projects in the Marcellus/Utica region, including the still-on-life-support Access Northeast pipeline to New England, the mighty NEXUS pipeline that spans Ohio, and the now completed Algonquin Incremental Marketing (AIM) pipeline project. Spectra also built the Access South, Adair Southwest and Lebanon Express projects to expand one of the largest natural gas pipelines in the U.S. (and in the northeast)–the Texas Eastern Transmission (Tetco) pipeline. Even though Spectra is a wholly-owned subsidiary and essentially an arm of Enbridge, some of Spectra’s ownership still belongs to outside investors via a master limited partnership (MLP). We’ve previously written about MLPs disappearing following the Trump tax cut (see our MLP/Trump stories here). Enbridge says its time to chase in all of the outstanding shares owned by others and has just struck a deal to buy out Spectra’s MLP common units for $3.3 billion…
