When mega-marketers exited the natural gas wholesale market, it created a void for producers. Major producers and large independents responded by getting back into the marketing business. But, with counterparty creditworthiness concerns and economies of scale working against them, the small-to-mid-sized producers were left in a lurch. There was a huge unmet need in the capital-intensive midstream market, linking production from small producers to end-users. While most capital flowing into the energy industry went into oil and gas production or electric power production, or in taking financial positions in the gas or electricity commodity markets, virtually ignored was the link in the middle, getting production -particularly from small producers - to market. Ariel Corp., a manufacturer of gas compressors, in conjunction with The Chart Group, an investment banking firm, managing assets in excess of $1.5 billion, teamed in 2001 to form Optigas, Inc., a Denver-based midstream company to provide gathering, processing and marketing services to producers requiring the most creative and reli-able delivery and price options available.
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