Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
(Operator Instructions). And our first question will come from the line of Neil Stein from [Latin Capital]. Please go ahead.
Neil Stein - Latin Capital
Yes, hi, good morning.
David Emery
Good morning, Neil, how are you today?
Neil Stein - Latin Capital
Good, thanks. Few questions, first, in your '08 guidance, could you say how much lower the trading and marketing contribution is relative to '07 [off] quarter?
David Emery
Yes, we had not specifically identified that, Neil, and I am sure you would like to know, that we have not specifically identified that number.
Neil Stein - Latin Capital
Is it possible or you could say whether, roughly what the percentage contribution is or range or maybe even so generally speaking about how you go about forecasting earnings from that segment, because it's very difficult to analyze the various moving parts and come-up with a precise estimate.
David Emery
Yeah. It's very difficult to forecast in general, and that's why we don't give the segment disclosures because, as you know, that unit depends tremendously on gas price volatility, seasonal spreads for our storage, and basis differentials between Rockies and other parts of the county. And those are very, very difficult to forecast. And so for that reason we don't give the specific disclosures there. And I understand the frustration with that, but it is very, very difficult forecast for us, as well as you.
Sympathetic there but it is a challenge. Those are the three parts of our business and we have talked about that a lot, related to our dependencies on, in addition to our producer services, which is a fee-based business. And we depend on our storage, which is the seasonal spreads and certainly just the overall volatility and gas prices for our proprietary trading and then, the basis differentials for our transport. And so, relatively speaking, it's hard to predict what those are going to do next year.
Neil Stein - Latin Capital
Moving on to the Aquila acquisition, from the various public filings we have come up with a rate-based total of about $450 million to $500 million. Is it possible, if you could comment, are we in the right range there?
David Emery
I don't specifically, off the top of my head, know what that number is Neil. I mean, I think you are in the ballpark, but I would hate to say definitively. All of that information though is available and I know we have referred people before to Aquila's FERC Form 1 on some of those properties.
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