Petal Gas Storage, a subsidiary of Crystal Oil Co. ofShreveport, LA, is holding an open season for 3.2 Bcf of storagecapacity it plans to add at its high deliverability salt cavernstorage facility near Hattiesburg, MS. The open season began lastweek and continues through Oct. 30.

The expansion project could include additional receipt/deliverypoints on Tennessee Gas Pipeline, Koch Gateway (low-pressure andhigh-pressure systems), Transco, Sonat, Destin, and Florida GasTransmission.

“We’re looking at new receipt and delivery points at or nearTransco,” said David Hayden, Crystal vice president. “It would benear the Heidelberg [MS] Station on Transco. The Sonat point wouldbe near Rose Hill [MS]. Destin [interconnect] is near Enterprise,MS. And that’s it right now. We’re still working on an option forgas to move south through Florida Gas Transmission and Koch’shigh-pressure system, and it’s going to depend upon response fromthe open season.”

Petal announced its expansion plans in July (See Daily GPI July8, 1998), including leaching an additional salt cavern with a totalstorage capacity of 5.2 Bcf, of which 3.2 Bcf would be working gas.The new cavern, when combined with the existing cavern, wouldresult in a facility with 5.8 Bcf of working gas capacity and atotal withdrawal capacity of 600 MMcf/d.

Petal will offer traditional 10-day withdrawal service as wellas balancing, forwarding, parking and emergency backup servicesfrom all the facility’s pipeline interconnections. Petal plans todistribute an open season package outlining details of theexpansion and services to be offered in the near future and willalso seek FERC authorization for the expansion.

Petal is located east of supply area bottlenecks. Information isavailable at Petal’s Web site, www.crystaloil.com/petal and bycalling Hayden, (318)677-5511; or Jeff Ballew, (318) 677-5512.

In January, Crystal became the largest independent salt cavernstorage operator in the United States with the acquisition of Petalfrom CMS Gas Transmission and Storage for $29.5 million. Theacquisition gave Crystal’s subsidiaries more than 6.7 Bcf ofworking storage capacity in the area with the ability to deliver inexcess of 670 MMcf/d. Including the potential expansion and currentstorage capacity at Petal Gas Storage and Hattiesburg Gas Storage,Crystal would own, through subsidiaries, 15.8 Bcf ofhigh-deliverability salt cavern storage.

Joe Fisher, Houston

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