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By Steve James

Although Enterprise Products Partners CEO Michael Creel could not join a conference call with analysts to dicuss his company’s planned $3.3 billion acquisition Teppco Partners, the energy pipeline company was quick to reassure investors all was well.

“He is not hiking the Appalachian Trail, he is not in Argentina and his wife IS with him,” Randy Burkhalter, Enterprise’s executive in charge of investor relations, told the call.

It was a joking reference to South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, who last week admitted cheating on his wife with a woman in Argentina, where he had disappared for several days. His office had told reporters during his absence that Sanford was hiking the Appalachian Trail.

A spokesman for Houston-based Enterprise said Creel was “out of town” and was unable to take part in the analyst call.