corresp
June 29, 2011
VIA EDGAR
Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F. Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20549
CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp.
Registration Statement on Form S-4
Registration No. 333-174322
Ladies and Gentlemen:
In connection with the above referenced Registration Statement (the Registration Statement),
Amendment No. 1 of which is transmitted herewith, CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp. (the
Company) hereby confirms and represents as follows:
1. The Company is registering the exchange offer in reliance on the Staffs position set forth
in Exxon Capital Holdings Corporation, SEC No-Action Letter (available May 13, 1988), Morgan
Stanley & Co. Incorporated, SEC No-Action Letter (available June 5, 1991), and Shearman & Sterling,
SEC No-Action Letter (available July 2, 1993) (collectively, the SEC No-Action Letters).
2. The Company has not entered into any arrangement or understanding with any person to
distribute the Exchange Notes to be received in the exchange offer pursuant to the Registration
Statement and, to the best of the Companys information and belief, each person that will
participate in the exchange offer will acquire the Exchange Notes in its ordinary course of
business and will have no arrangement or understanding with any person to participate in the
distribution of the Exchange Notes to be received in the exchange offer. In this regard, the
Company will make each person participating in the exchange offer aware (through the prospectus and
the letter of transmittal) that if such person is tendering Original Notes in the exchange offer
with the intention of participating in any manner in a distribution of the Exchange Notes, such
person (a) cannot rely on the Staffs position enunciated in the SEC No-Action Letters or
interpretative letters to similar effect and (b) must comply with the registration and prospectus
delivery requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), in
connection with a secondary resale transaction. The Company acknowledges that such secondary
resale transaction by such person participating in the exchange offer for the purpose of
distributing the Exchange Notes should be covered by an effective registration statement containing
the selling security holder information required by Item 507 or Item 508, as applicable, of
Regulation S-K.
3. Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates has entered into any arrangement or
understanding with any broker-dealer to distribute the Exchange Notes.
4. The Company (i) will make each person participating in the exchange offer aware (through
the prospectus and the letter of transmittal) that any broker-dealer that will receive Exchange
Notes for its own account in exchange for Original Notes that were acquired as a result of
market-making activities or other trading activities may be a statutory underwriter and must
deliver a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act in connection with any resale
of such Exchange Notes; (ii) will include in the transmittal letter or similar documentation to be
executed by an exchange offeree in order to participate in the exchange offer provisions to the
effect that (x) the exchange offeree represents that it is not engaged in, and does not intend to
engage in, a distribution of the Exchange Notes and (y) if the exchange offeree is a broker-dealer
holding Original Notes acquired for its own account as a result of market-making activities or
other trading activities, such exchange offeree acknowledges that it will deliver a prospectus
meeting the requirements of the Securities Act in connection with any resale of Exchange Notes
received in respect of such Original Notes pursuant to the exchange offer; and (iii) will include a
statement in the transmittal letter to the effect that by so acknowledging and by delivering a
prospectus, a broker-dealer will not be deemed to admit that it is an underwriter within the
meaning of the Securities Act.
Terms used and not defined in this letter have the meanings given such terms in the prospectus
forming a part of the Registration Statement. Please contact Gerald M. Spedale at (713) 229-1734
or A.J. Ericksen at (713) 229-1393 of Baker Botts L.L.P. with any questions or comments regarding
the foregoing.
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Very truly yours,
CENTERPOINT ENERGY RESOURCES CORP.
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By: |
/s/ Christopher J. Arntzen
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Christopher J. Arntzen |
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Associate General Counsel |
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cc: |
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Gerald M. Spedale
A.J. Ericksen
Baker Botts L.L.P. |