Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
(Operator Instructions) Your first question comes from Carl Kirst - BMO Capital.
Carl Kirst - BMO Capital
If I could first ask on the pipeline side, from what I recall, park and loan was about $30 to $40 million in 2008. I’m not sure what processing added, but I was hoping that second quarter ?09 versus second quarter ?08 you could breakout perhaps what some of the specific ancillary services were versus last year, park and loan, straddle plans, balancing, etc., I’m just looking for the Deltas.
David McClanahan
Let me see if I can put my hands on that. The Delta on purely the ancillary part of the business is right at $20 million. A big part of that is our straddle plants and our processing, probably a little bit more than half. Then the others are really scattered around balancing, system management, PALS. It’s spread through there, but that’s the order of magnitude that we’re talking about.
Carl Kirst - BMO Capital
So, primarily a processing pit from quarter-over-quarter.
David McClanahan
That’s correct.
Carl Kirst - BMO Capital
I know you going typically have not given segment guidance. Considering, though that we’re pointing to 90% of pipes being fee-based, as far as this year is that a number, given that there shouldn’t be that much variability around that, is that a number you can share?
David McClanahan
Well, we haven’t given any guidance around that, but our base margin, so far this year is almost $250 million and this business is pretty consistent quarter-to-quarter. There are some seasonal changes, primarily around ancillary revenues, but I would say that total margin this year will be between $450 million and $500 million, in that range and is going to depend on some of the ancillary services and where they end up the remaining half of the year.
Carl Kirst - BMO Capital
Just a quick follow up on the LDC side. There may not be much to add here, but with respect to the potential pilot of decoupling in Minnesota, has there been any color to kind of glean from the staffs’ position over the last three months?
David McClanahan
I was looking at Joe McGoldrick; he heads up that business for us. Joe is there any kind of light you can shed on that?
Joe McGoldrick
We have a settlement with one party in the case, but it remains to be seen whether the other parties to the case will join that or not. So, we’re cautiously optimistic. We might be able to make some progress, but we know that the staff and others have generally opposed decoupling the way we think of decoupling. So, remains to be seen where we are going to end up in this case.
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