Downed

One of the main Southern California wildfires blackening parts of northern Los Angeles County is suspected of being caused by a downed electric transmission line serving the Southern California Gas Co.’s (SoCalGas) largest underground storage facility in the area. The storage operations were shut down Oct. 13 and 50 employees and contract workers evacuated.

One of the main Southern California wildfires blackening parts of northern Los Angeles County is suspected of being caused by a downed electric transmission line serving the Southern California Gas Co.’s largest underground storage facility in the area. The storage operations were shut down last Monday and 50 employees and contract workers evacuated (see Daily GPI, Oct. 16).

Warm weather and continued strong demand from gas-fired generators filling in for downed nukes and coal units took most of the blame for cash price increases of 5 to 10 cents at most locations and stronger Northeast and Midwest basis on Tuesday. Sable Offshore Energy Project supply remained constrained due to ongoing repairs on a compressor at the Goldboro Plant in Nova Scotia, which held back about 23% (up to 105 MMcf/d) of Maritimes & Northeast volumes.

A former “wild card” in the outlook for Canada’s biggest energymarket is starting to look like an ace for natural gas that willpay off for American as well as Canadian suppliers, according tonew evidence before the National Energy Board. The NEB has beentold a healthy growth market for gas is developing fast as a resultof Ontario Hydro’s shutdowns of nuclear power generators andelectricity deregulation. According to the evidence, aC$1.7-billion (US$1.2-billion) chain of gas-fired power projects isrising from the ashes of the Crown Corp.’s crumbling monopoly andtroubled nuclear facilities.

A former “wild card” in the outlook for Canada’s biggest energymarket is starting to look like an ace for natural gas that willpay off for American as well as Canadian suppliers, according tonew evidence before the National Energy Board. The NEB has beentold a healthy growth market for gas is developing fast as a resultof Ontario Hydro’s shutdowns of nuclear power generators andelectricity deregulation. According to the evidence a C$1.7-billion(US$1.2-billion) chain of gas-fired power projects is rising fromthe ashes of the Crown Corp.’s crumbling monopoly and troublednuclear facilities.