Begin

Storage companies in the Producing Region apparently started digging into base gas two weeks ago as their working storage levels ran dry, according to the American Gas Association’s report for the week ending March 2. The report confirmed the predictions of the Energy Information Administration, which said last week that storage levels will reach record lows this month and operators may have to dip into base gas to maintain deliveries (see related story this issue).

A hotly contested route alternative that calls for theCanada-to-New York Millennium Pipeline to be built within anelectric transmission system’s right-of-way (ROW) in WestchesterCounty, NY, is a “viable option” provided state regulators and thepipeline can work out the construction details, according to asupplemental draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) issued byFERC staff last week.

The Pascagoula (MS) Gas Plant has informed Destin Pipeline thattwo to three days of maintenance is tentatively planned to begin atthe plant on April 30 and it expected to require shutting in boththe plant and pipeline during that period. The two entities areworking together to minimize the duration of the shut-in, with theplant using last week’s downtime to initiate some of the workoriginally expected to occur during the April shut-in.

Storage companies in the Producing Region apparently starteddigging into base gas last week as their working storage levels randry, according to the American Gas Association’s report for theweek ending March 2. The report confirmed the predictions of theEnergy Information Administration, which said this week thatstorage levels will reach record lows this month and operators mayhave to dip into base gas to maintain deliveries (see Daily GPI,March 8).

Backed up with a C$1 billion investment to recover at least 1Tcf, PanCanadian Petroleum Ltd. said it would immediately begincommercial development on its Deep Panuke offshore natural gasfield. Located about 250 kilometers southeast of Halifax, plateausales production from the field is expected to be 400 MMcf/dfollowing startup in early 2005.

Backed up with a C$1 billion investment to recover at least 1Tcf, PanCanadian Petroleum Ltd. said it would immediately begincommercial development on its Deep Panuke offshore natural gasfield. Located about 250 kilometers southeast of Halifax, plateausales production from the field is expected to be 400 MMcf/dfollowing startup in early 2005.

A federal judge in Los Angeles yesterday denied debt-riddenSouthern California Edison’s plea to begin immediately passing onits mounting wholesale power debt load to retail customers.

Pipeline safety is expected to move to the forefront in theSenate this week, with the chamber due to begin consideration oflegislation on Thursday.

Northwest Natural has called on FERC to act swiftly on itsapplication so it can begin offering storage and transportationrelated services to the interstate market for the first time, amove that could help to relieve some of the constraints in thewestern natural gas and electricity markets.