On July 12, 2021, Dominion Energy and Berkshire Hathaway Energy issued separate statements that the firm had put the intended sale of the Questar Pipeline Group on hold due to regulatory clearance issues.
The Questar Pipeline delivers natural gas and deposits it beneath the ground near substantial reserves in six major producing regions in the Rocky Mountains, including the Uinta, Greater Green River, and Piceance basins.
Berkshire Hathaway Energy, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.—the multinational guided by famed billionaire Warren Buffett—agreed to buy Questar Pipeline last year as part of its almost $10 billion Dominion's gas sector purchase.
According to Berkshire Hathaway and Dominion Energy, the postponed Questar Pipeline deal has no impact on the acquisition of storage assets and gas transmission to Berkshire Hathaway Energy, expected to complete in November 2020.
"The option is a result of continued uncertainty associated with gaining clearance from the Federal Trade Commission under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976," Dominion noted in a report.
Furthermore, the canceled deal has no impact on Berkshire Hathaway Energy's sale of gas distribution and storage assets in November 2020. The sale was about the initial transaction amount, according to the press releases of the corporation.
The transaction included the acquisition of 100% of Dominion Energy Transmission and Carolina Gas Transmission, 50% of Iroquois Gas Transmission System, and a stake in Maryland's Cove Point LNG facility, in addition to Questar Pipeline. The asset value of the financing transaction, which comprises the assumption of debt, is $9.7 billion.
On July 12, Dominion said that it continues to regard Questar Pipeline as a terminated company. Also, it would initiate a fair market sale by the end of 2021.
Dominion also said that it intends to take out a one-year term loan to pay Berkshire Hathaway Energy the $1.3 billion purchase price. The company plans to pay off the debt using revenues from a future sale of Questar Pipelines to a new client.
The Rationale Behind The Agreement
Dominion Energy's gas storage and transportation infrastructure, and $5.7 billion in debt, were purchased by Berkshire Hathaway. To complete the transaction, it will invest approximately $4 billion in cash. Employees at the impacted sites will soon be moved to Berkshire Hathaway Energy, at the same time, without job losses yet disclosed.
According to a statement, they utilized the profits from the deal to purchase back Dominion Energy shares. The decision is part of the company's strategic repositioning towards government and utility operations for sustainable development.
Later that day, the company announced that it no longer works with Duke Energy on the Atlantic Coast pipeline. Dominion Energy also said in a statement that the decision was made due to "ongoing delays and increasing cost uncertainty."
