Crews were already starting to leave platforms Thursday in theMobile Bay area, but it was hard to tell from cash priceperformances, which ranged from flat to down about a nickel.Perhaps that was because virtually no shut-ins are occurring yet, aTexas trader suggested.

The platforms being evacuated are continuing to produce onautomation, he said. Only when sensors detect that winds and seasare getting too rough will the wellhead machinery shut off.

Conoco and Shell have started evacuations and Amoco is “thinkingabout it,” he said. They don’t have any choice because helicopterswill be in the area only so long “so it’s not a case of ‘if’ butrather how many workers get taken” on each trip.

One source reported hearing that Dauphin Island GatheringSystem, which had maintenance scheduled to start Oct. 1, decided togo ahead and shut down the system early due to approachingHurricane Georges. DIGS, which serves production in the Main Passarea south of Mississippi and east of Louisiana’s Mississippi Riverdelta, was carrying about 200 MMcf/d, she said.

The hurricane season has been giving the alphabet a real workoutthis month, and that shows no signs of abating. Tropical Storm Karlis the latest addition to the list, and it was about 1,650 mileswest-southwest of the Azores Islands Thursday, the National WeatherService said. Karl joins Hurricanes Ivan and Jeanne in making thewestward trans-Atlantic trek.

Of course, Georges is the one commanding the attention of gasmarkets currently (although one source said it was only of casualconcern to western traders). The center of Georges was partiallyover water just north of Cuba early Thursday afternoon, NWS said,and that should allow the reintensification process to begin. Ahurricane warning was in effect for South Florida, including theKeys, and could be extended to the state’s west coast late Thursdaynight or early today, it added.

But even a futures rise of about a nickel and the latest stormthreat to production were unable to coax a rise in cash trading.Despite chilly nights in major Northern market areas, demandremains subdued-little if any load for either cooling or heating,sources said. One said a period of Indian summer is expected in theChicago area this weekend, with temperatures rising into the low80s.

As predicted earlier in the week (see Daily GPI, Sept. 22), theapproach of Hurricane Georges made traders tentative about plunginginto bidweek business, especially on a fixed-price basis.

A marketer expected to do most if not all of his South Texasdeals on a Houston Ship Channel index-minus basis. However, theOctober quotes being reported Thursday included Chicago at$2.18-25, Permian at $1.98-99, San Juan-Blanco at $1.78-79, Sumasat $1.66-69 and Malin at $1.88-90. A buyer said he was hearing thesame range for Malin but would wait for the price to fall beforemaking any purchases. Another trader said intra-Alberta appeared tobe firming a little to the C$2.26-28 range due to maintenancecausing field receipts to be down.

Also, there is uncertainty about Northern Border being able tofill up its Chicago Expansion when it comes on-line in December, hesaid, but that might just be a producer ploy to push prices up.

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