Flow

Apache Corp. intends to spend its free cash flow on exploration rather than what’s now used by many of its peers: share buybacks.

The operator at the Lost Creek receipt points on CIG and WIC has reported operational problems that will preclude gas flow at those locations for the next two to three days, according to a CIG bulletin board posting late Tuesday afternoon. “Therefore, no gas will be scheduled at these locations until the operator has recommenced service to CIG and WIC,” the posting said. “Shippers should not use these locations for their gas supply requirements during this period.”

Southern Natural called a Type 6 operational flow order for short imbalances for Friday’s gas day, with $1/Dth penalties for shippers that are 2-5% out of balance, $5 penalties for shippers 5-8% out of balance and $15 penalties for shippers 8% or more out of balance.

Dominion declared an operational flow order on its PL-1 system for deliveries to Virginia and Maryland.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s California Gas Transmission declared a high inventory systemwide operational flow order for Thursday’s gas day. The OFO has a 5% tolerance and $1/Dth penalties for noncompliance.

PG&E kept in place a high-inventory operational flow order with a 5% tolerance on Wednesday. The tolerance is scheduled to be 10% on Thursday with inventories expected to exceed the 4.5 Bcf normal operating limit. The composite temperature in PG&E’s territory has been around 59 degrees compared to a historical average of 66 degrees.

Penn Virginia Resource Partners LP said Friday its subsidiary PVR Midstream LLC has acquired pipeline and compression facilities in Texas and Oklahoma from Transwestern Pipeline Co. LLC for $15 million in cash. The acquisition consists of 115 miles of 12- and 16-inch pipelines and 4,400 horsepower of compression and related facilities located in Hemphill and Lipscomb counties in Texas and Beaver, Ellis, and Roger Mills counties in Oklahoma.

The four-month-old Conservative government in Canada sees the long-awaited time for arctic gas to flow as arriving, according to Indian Affairs and Northern Development Minister Jim Prentice, a close associate of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

A major natural gas pipeline group last Wednesday expressed concern that pending House legislation could restrict the free flow of gas between the U.S. and its “traditional trading partners,” as well as block capital investment in U.S. pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure by allies, such as Canada, Mexico, Great Britain and France.