Article on Enron and Leaf River mill

G-P Leaf River pulp mill sale deal with Enron falls through
10/24/2001 17:43:03, Forestweb
By Diane Keaton San Francisco, Oct. 24, 2001 (Forestweb) -- The tentative deal for Georgia-Pacific Corp. (G-P) to sell its Leaf River market pulp mill to Enron Corp. has collapsed, according to a knowledgeable industry source. Neither company is speaking publicly about the latest development, citing policies against commenting on rumors. However, the pending arrangement, subject to final approval, was no secret to some pulp and paper industry players (see Forestweb, Oct.19). Top Enron officials were said to have nixed the agreement this week. Last week in its third quarter earnings statement, the company reported a net loss of $618 million, including a write-off of $1.01 billion. The source said the deal might still be salvageable at a later date. The Leaf River mill, in New Augusta, Miss., has the capacity to produce 600,000 tonnes per year. Since February it has produced exclusively softwood kraft pulp.