The oil and gas industry has seen a fair number of spinoffs over the past few years. Last year's notable events included Encana's
Turning to the potential spinoff class of 2009, we learned this week that Questar
There's a lot to be said for a corporate structure that balances cyclical and steady cash flow streams under one roof, but this added complexity also tends to repel investors -- particularly of the institutional variety. It's possible that Questar's consideration of a spinoff might be a matter of bowing to pressure by large funds that want a "pure play" E&P. We saw this happen when Steel Partners pushed contract driller Rowan Companies
Pushy fund managers aside, there are some strong arguments in favor of separation. Williams