	utilicorp ucu sees higher first quarter utilicorp united corp said it expects to report first quarter ings of about mln dlrs or about dlrs a share and revenues of about mln dlrs in the comparable quarter a year ago utilicorp ed mln dlrs or cts on revenues of mln dlrs there are mln shares outstanding this year up from the mln shares in utilicorp s president richard green told financial analysts here first quarter results include one month contribution of west virginia power which became a division on march green said in remarks prepared for delivery to analysts higher ings for the period reflected reduced operating and maintenenace expenses and about mln dlrs in rate increases in iowa minnesota kansas and colorado he said however utilicorp s missouri public service division is experiencing the effect of a pct rate reduction authorized in september he noted of utilicorp s total revenues expected for the first quarter about mln dlrs will be derived from electric operations and about mln dlrs will come from gas operations he said operating income derived from electric operations in the first three months of is estimated to be eight mln dlrs while the contribution from gas operations will be about mln dlrs green said green told analysts that utilicorp received regulatory approval from various states and the federal energy regulatory commission to reincorporate in delaware effective april one utilicorp signed an agreement with cominco ltd of vancouver to extend the deadline to may for completion of the company s purchase of west kootenay power and light of british columbia due to a longer than expected regulatory approval process he said hearings were completed in february and a decision by the british columbia utilities commission on the mln dlrs purchase by utilicorp is pending he said reuter 
