Alabama

The U.S. Coast Guard and Maritime Administration have published a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) on a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal offshore Alabama in the Gulf of Mexico proposed by the Norwegian-based firm TORP Technology. The agencies have scheduled a public hearing on the measure for July 25 in Mobile.

FERC on Thursday issued a certificate clearing the way for Freeport-McMoRan Energy LLC to build a 5.1-mile, 36-inch diameter onshore pipeline in Alabama that would interconnect with a much longer offshore pipeline extending from a proposed offshore Louisiana liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and gas storage project.

Southern Natural Gas said Tuesday it had completed repairs for the unscheduled outage experienced over the weekend on its north mainline system in Alabama near the Calhoun Power delivery point (see Daily GPI, April 11). Nominations to Calhoun Power are being accepted again.

Six Gulf Coast senators have introduced a bipartisan measure that calls for the federal government and the coastal states of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi to equally share the oil and natural gas revenues generated from additional leasing in the gas-rich area known as Lease Sale 181 in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

Southern Natural Gas reported experiencing an unscheduled outage on its 14-inch diameter Chattanooga Branch Line near the Alabama/Georgia border Monday. Personnel were isolating the line so that repairs can be made Wednesday. To prepare for the outage, Southern said Tuesday it was making system adjustments to support the current level of scheduled firm and no-notice service. See the bulletin board for details.

As the energy industry and the states of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi continue to sort through the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, recently upgraded Tropical Storm Ophelia off the coast of Florida has some forecasters wondering whether they might be suffering from Deja vu. The forecasting gurus aren’t sure of the storm’s path yet, but agree it’s one to watch.

A federal jury has ordered ProLiance Energy LLC, an Indianapolis-based gas marketing affiliate of Vectren and Citizens Gas and Coke, to pay Alabama-based Huntsville Utilities $33.5 million in damages for breach of a gas contract, fraud, conspiracy and other charges. The jury found that ProLiance violated a natural gas supply agreement with Huntsville by charging higher prices than were promised and then attempting to cover it up.

A federal jury has ordered ProLiance Energy LLC, an Indianapolis-based gas marketing affiliate of Vectren and Citizens Gas and Coke, to pay Alabama-based Huntsville Utilities $33.5 million in damages for breach of a gas contract, fraud, conspiracy and other charges. The jury found that ProLiance violated a natural gas supply agreement with Huntsville by charging higher prices than were promised and then attempting to cover it up.

Bay Gas Storage is holding a non-binding open season through July 9 to test market interest in adding a third salt cavern to its McIntosh storage field forty miles north of Mobile, AL.