Critical

Citing a high rate of unconfirmed transactions at Uinta Lateral delivery points, CIG said it has recently experienced a critical oversupply situation on that portion of its system, resulting in higher than appropriate mainline pressures that “have created problems receiving scheduled quantities of gas from the attached production areas.” In response, CIG declared a Strained Operating Condition for the Uinta and Parachute laterals that took effect Friday until further notice. See the bulletin board for SOC conditions.

Due to high linepack and in order to maintain operational integrity, Tennessee Gas issued a Critical Day 1 operational flow order on Friday for Saturday’s flow for all LMS-PA balancing parties and LMS-MA balancing parties with meters located in Zone 0. Shippers were required to maintain an actual daily flow rate not exceeding a tolerance of 2% of scheduled quantities or 1,000 Dths, whichever is greater. Violators were to be charged $5.00 plus the applicable regional daily spot price per dekatherm for overdeliveries and undertakes.

The Senate last Tuesday passed a sweeping, bipartisan energy bill, bringing the Congress to the critical, do-or-die point of trying to reconcile the widely divergent House and Senate versions of the energy measure. Congress has failed at this task twice in recent years.

The Senate on Tuesday passed a sweeping, bipartisan energy bill, bringing the Congress to the critical, do-or-die point of trying to reconcile the widely divergent House and Senate versions of the energy measure. Congress has failed at this task twice in recent years.

As part of its penance from a state regulatory proceeding that was critical of its storm-related response and reliability issues in recent years, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. this year will conduct a major customer survey on “value of service,” particularly how customers value reliability in their utility service. The work, which will be done by outside consultants, was mandated by the California Public Utilities Commission.

Columbia Gas has declared a Critical Day in several market areas until further notice (see the bulletin board for specific areas affected). Based on forecasted markets, available facilities and capacity utilization, the pipeline projects that all available capacity to those market areas will be required to meet firm service obligations, leaving zero capacity for non-firm service.

The states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have lined up as critics of FERC’s draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) on the proposed Weaver’s Cove LNG terminal near Fall River, MA, urging the Commission to consider alternatives (CP04-36).

The states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have lined up as critics of FERC’s draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) on the proposed Weaver’s Cove LNG terminal near Fall River, MA, urging the Commission to consider alternatives (CP04-36).

If FERC loses a jurisdictional battle over the siting of Sound Energy Solutions’ (SES) liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in Long Beach, CA, to the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC), that will spell serious trouble for all future LNG projects facing regulatory review, according to FERC Commissioner Joseph T. Kelliher. A bill was introduced in the House of Representatives last week to make sure that doesn’t happen (see related story).