TRANSCO PARTNERSHIP <TXP> GAS RESERVES RISE Transco Exploration Partners Ltd said participation in 14 new discoveries increased its proved gas reserves to 558.1 billion cubic feet in 1986, up from 541.5 billion cubic feet in the previous year. Proved reserves of liquids remained about the same at 25.1 mln barrels, the company said in the 1986 annual just released by Transco Energy Co <E>, the majority owner of the Transco Exploration partnership. Transco said that anticipated oil and gas prices during 1987 would continue to exert pressure on the profitability of most energy companies. The Transco pipeline system reached permanent take-or-pay settlements on about half its committed gas deliverability and interim agreements for another 38 pct of its deliverability, the annual report said. The company said it paid a total of about 363 mln dlrs to producers through Februry one out of its 550 mln dlr reserve to settle the take-or-pay disputes. Transco said its gas pipeline delivered more than 1.2 trillion cubic feet last year and its marketing affiliate sold an average of 1.6 billion cubic feet of gas per day. The company's exploration partnership received an average price of 1.84 dlrs per mln cubic feet for gas sales during 1986, down from 3.04 dlrs in 1985. Sales of oil and condensate averaged 15.86 dlrs per barrel last year, down from 27.41 dlrs per barrel in 1985.