Calls

Following up on a series of public workshops, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) has issued a proposal for rules refinements governing the valuation for royalty purposes of gas produced from federal leases and is calling for comments on the proposed amendments affecting future valuation, transportation allowances and definitions and tariffs.

Following up on a series of public workshops, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) has issued a proposal for rules refinements governing the valuation for royalty purposes of gas produced from federal leases and is calling for comments on the proposed amendments affecting future valuation, transportation allowances and definitions and tariffs.

The Energy Information Administration, as promised, has called for comments on its policy for announcing revisions to its weekly storage report, and has offered two alternatives to current practice: (1) setting an alternate time for announcing revisions on Mondays, or (2) announcing revisions at any time after first sending out two-hour advance warnings. Both of these would apply only for large revisions — 15 Bcf or more.

The Energy Information Administration, as promised, has called for comments on its policy for announcing revisions to its weekly storage report, and has offered two alternatives to current practice: (1) setting an alternate time for announcing revisions on Mondays, or (2) announcing revisions at any time after first sending out two-hour advance warnings. Both of these would apply only for large revisions — 15 Bcf or more.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) revised its pre-Thanksgiving storage report last week from the unexpectedly large 49 Bcf withdrawal to 17 Bcf, but consumers will pay throughout the month of December for the futures price spike engendered by the erroneous report — up to a billion dollars by some accounts — and industrial, chemical and municipal customers are calling for changes in storage reporting.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) last Tuesday essentially scrapped the quarterly rate revision for the winter because of declining gas costs, ordering Columbia Gas of Ohio and Dominion East Ohio to file new rates for December by Nov. 24 to reflect the actual cost of natural gas for December and to file new rates for January seven days before the expiration of December rates.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) Tuesday essentially scrapped the quarterly rate revision for the winter because of declining gas costs, ordering Columbia Gas of Ohio and Dominion East Ohio to file new rates for December by Nov. 24 to reflect the actual cost of natural gas for December and new rates for January seven days before the expiration of December rates.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) Tuesday essentially scrapped the quarterly rate revision for the winter because of declining gas costs, ordering Columbia Gas of Ohio and Dominion East Ohio to file new rates for December by Nov. 24 to reflect the actual cost of natural gas for December and new rates for January seven days before the expiration of December rates.

Noting that the United States is facing a natural gas crisis very much like the current flu vaccine shortage, the chairman of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) called on Congress last week to take up “narrowly focused” natural gas legislation when it returns for a new legislative session in January.