Regulators ask AEP for data about bogus trade reports

<br>(Columbus, Ohio-AP) -- Federal regulators are asking American Electric Power for information about five natural gas traders who gave false information to an industry publication. <br><br>Ohio-based

Wednesday, October 30th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Columbus, Ohio-AP) -- Federal regulators are asking American Electric Power for information about five natural gas traders who gave false information to an industry publication.

Ohio-based A-E-P operates in Oklahoma and ten other states. The company fired the gas traders on October ninth.

Authorities say the five traders provided false information to Platt's, an energy-industry trade publication. Platt's has a price index that's sometimes used as a benchmark to set prices in natural gas contracts.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is also asking other large energy companies to provide similar data.

Two other companies, Tulsa-based Williams Companies and Houston-based Dynegy, also have reported false reporting by their traders.