Let's consider it another positive sign for the market. From where I sit, I'm specifically watching the energy initial public offering calendar with lots of optimism.

This week will feature a financial coming-out for Kinder Morgan. The offering is expected to raise about $2.2 billion, making it the biggest energy IPO in some time and the largest IPO ever to be born of private equity owners. In this case, that means the private-equity arm of Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), Highstar Capital, Carlyle Group, and Riverstone Holdings, along with Chairman and CEO Richard D. Kinder.

Highly regarded Kinder Morgan Inc. counts stakes in three energy pipeline companies among its holdings, with Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (NYSE: KMP), producing approximately 95% of its total cash flow. Once its offering has been completed, Kinder Morgan Inc. is expected to produce a dividend yield for its shareholders of about 4%.

Richard Kinder will retain all of his shares in Kinder Morgan, while the other proceeds from the offering will go to the private equity holders. Nevertheless, all of the current owners will remain meaningful ownership in the company, which will be New York Stock Exchange-listed, trading under the KMI symbol.

Then there's Dallas-based Kosmos Energy, which last month filed to offer an IPO of up to $500 million of its shares, although the timing is uncertain. While that offering will be dwarfed by Kinder's, don't be surprised if Kosmos is simply sticking a proverbial finger in the air, prior to launching a larger offering.

Kosmos is also owned primarily by private equity firms, in this case Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) and Warburg Pincus. The company's sole significant asset is a 23% stake in the giant Jubilee oilfield, which lies offshore Ghana. The first phase of the big field began producing in December.

Kosmos's Jubilee interest has been shopped liked a 1957 Chevrolet. A couple of years ago, ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) appeared to have a $4 billion deal for the stake. But when Ghana's powers that be opposed the transaction, China's Cnooc (NYSE: CEO) and Ghana's national oil company stepped in with a joint $5 billion offer, only to be rejected by Kosmos, which is remaining in the game.

Anadarko's (NYSE: APC) stake in Jubilee, which is identical to the Kosmos holding, has been valued at $6.75 billion. And possibly adding even more to its value, the oil offshore Ghana may indicate the eastern edge of a massive structure that could extend a whopping 700 miles to the west, where a group that includes Anadarko and Spain's Repsol (NYSE: REP) has had exploratory success.

So keep abreast of both offerings. Each is intriguing in its own way, and each offers a fresh new opportunity for Fools who cotton to energy.