Entering

Entering the third week after the devastating transmission pipeline explosion in San Bruno, CA, (see NGI, Sept. 13), it appears that additional investigations are likely to come from state regulators and lawmakers, along with various industry assessments.

It has access to 17 pipelines, multiple and growing Midcontinent gas shale plays, and flexible storage capacity with more to come. Some say Perryville Hub in North Louisiana is the “hub of the future” and will someday overshadow Henry Hub, the South Louisiana home of the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) futures contract.

It has access to 17 pipelines, multiple and growing Midcontinent gas shale plays, and flexible storage capacity with more to come. Some say Perryville Hub in North Louisiana is the “hub of the future” and will someday overshadow Henry Hub, the South Louisiana home of the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) futures contract.

It has access to 17 pipelines, multiple and growing Midcontinent gas shale plays, and flexible storage capacity with more to come. Some say Perryville Hub in North Louisiana is the “hub of the future” and will someday overshadow Henry Hub, the South Louisiana home of the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) futures contract.

Undeterred by the potential threat of two powerful storm systems entering the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) over the weekend, natural gas futures traders on Friday hammered the December futures contract lower for much of the regular trading session. The prompt-month contract reached a low of $4.555 on the day before closing at $4.595, down 18.7 cents from Thursday’s close and 45 cents below the previous week’s finish.

Prices continued to fall by greater amounts Monday than they had entering the weekend, with forecasts of low temperatures in much of the East falling short of what was expected and the previous Friday’s 15-cent drop by November futures being an extra depressant on cash numbers. The return of industrial load from its usual weekend hiatus apparently had no impact on the physical market.

After officially entering service on Jan. 1 (see Daily GPI, Jan. 6), Dominion’s Cove Point liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion project went into full commercial service Thursday after the Maryland segment of the project — 48 miles of 36-inch diameter pipeline loop — was completed.

After officially entering service on Jan. 1 (see NGI, Jan. 12), Dominion’s Cove Point liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion project went into full commercial service last Thursday after the Maryland segment of the project — 48 miles of 36-inch diameter pipeline loop — was completed.

Less than three months after entering service, Southeast Supply Header LLC (SESH) is conducting a nonbinding open season for a proposed expansion along its existing 274-mile route. The pipeline is a venture of affiliates of Spectra Energy Corp. and CenterPoint Energy Inc. and currently extends from CenterPoint’s Perryville Hub near Delhi, LA, to the Gulfstream Natural Gas System LLC interconnection near Coden, AL. SESH will accept nonbinding nominations for service from any existing or proposed receipt points to any existing or proposed delivery points on its system. The specific scope of the expansion will be finalized following the results of the open season. The target in-service date would be as early as mid-2011. Nominations will be accepted through 5 p.m. EST Jan. 16. For information, contact Randy Riha at rjriha@spectraenergy.com, or (713) 627-4746, or visit www.southeastsupplyheader.com.