Gas production onshore and offshore Louisiana and Texas is beginning to rise slowly, Golden, CO-based consulting firm Bentek Energy reported Wednesday. Total Gulf production, judging from scheduled gas pipeline nominations, as of Wednesday morning rose to 4,785 MMcf/d compared to a revised total for Tuesday of 4,529 MMcf/d and pre-Katrina levels of 13,820 MMcf/d, Bentek said in a Hurricane 2005 update.

Total Gulf of Mexico and Gulf Coast production shut-ins fell to 9,039 MMcf/d Wednesday from 9,291 MMcf/d on Tuesday and 9,932 MMcf/d on Monday, according to gas production scheduled to flow on the region’s major pipeline systems (scheduled flows during hurricane disruptions are often different than actual flows). Bentek gathers the scheduled flow data directly from pipeline bulletin boards. Although subject to revision, the data provide a more comprehensive overview than the figures reported by the Minerals Management Service that are only for offshore facilities.

Bentek reported that cumulative deferred production since Katrina forced shut-ins at the end of August now totals 192.2 Bcf. The Natural Gas Supply Association said Wednesday in a winter outlook that by the time the winter is over next year, projections indicate a total of 402 Bcf may have been shut in compared to 174 Bcf last year because of Hurricane Ivan (see related story).

Gas production has started to rise upstream of a few pipelines in Louisiana, but no gas production was nominated to flow Wednesday on the Louisiana systems of Southern Natural, Sea Robin, Mississippi Canyon, Garden Banks, High Island, Stingray, Nautilus, Sabine and Texas Eastern’s Venice Lateral. Meanwhile, less than 10 MMcf/d of gas production was scheduled on Chandeleur and Gulfstream. High Island and Sabine also were not expected to receive any production onshore or offshore Texas, Bentek reported.

The largest amount of shut in production remains onshore and offshore Louisiana upstream of Tennessee Gas (1,922 MMcf/d), Transco (952), Southern (884), Destin (687) and Mississippi Canyon (511). Substantial shut-ins remain upstream of most other major pipeline systems.

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