Juan

Saying maintenance on Belen (NM) Station’s #1 turbine had been completed ahead of schedule, El Paso increased capacity of the San Juan Crossover to 650 MMcf/d Friday.

U.S. natural gas production results for the first quarter have been mixed so far, with some companies reporting tremendous growth compared to the first quarter of last year while others have shown sharp declines. According to company figures compiled by NGI, the net result of majors and independents reporting results so far is a 1% decrease in domestic natural gas supply for the first quarter compared with last year.

Because the Gallup Electric Compressor Station will not be available for the April 11 gas day, Transwestern will allocate the San Juan Lateral to about 700,000 MMBtu/d. The Blanco-Thoreau segment of the lateral had been expected to be up to 800,000 MMBtu/d of capacity by now following a five-day total outage earlier this month (see Daily GPI, March 28), but compressor problems have been causing daily allocations. Northwest cautioned shippers that Transwestern’s allocations “could still cause back-ups on Northwest.”

Transwestern said Wednesday it was experiencing problems with the control valve and meter at the TransColorado interconnect on Transwestern’s San Juan Lateral. Transwestern allocated the point for Wednesday’s Intraday Cycles 1-3 and said shippers should monitor its Internet site for updates.

Transwestern is conducting turbine meter cleaning and inspections on its San Juan Lateral. The work will limit New Mexico measurement points PNM/Blanco and TransColorado to maximum flows of 100,000 MMBtu/d each Thursday and WFS Kutz to 54,000 MMBtu/d Friday. Flow at Colorado measurement points will be limited to 200,000 MMBtu/d each at Northwest Pipeline Monday and at WFS Ignacio Tuesday.

Oversupplied Rockies/San Juan gas failed to share in mostly substantial price gains throughout the rest of the market Friday. Virtually all of the upticks were measured in double digits, ranging up to about 40 cents higher in the Pacific Northwest.

El Paso’s San Juan Basin capacity is reduced by 100 MMcf/d through Friday due to the installation of pigging facilities on Line 1200 between Gallup and Window Rock Stations. The work also cuts North Mainline capacity by 135 MMcf/d.

El Paso began emergency maintenance Wednesday on Line 1201 downstream of Valve City Station, reducing San Juan Basin capacity by 100 MMcf/d through Friday. Capacity of the North Mainline will also be reduced by 60 MMcf/d during the same period. El Paso extended the duration for unscheduled repairs of Bondad Station’s 2A turbine, causing a Bondad capacity cut of 100 MMcf/d, through Aug. 8. The pipeline previously had expected to complete the work Aug. 2 (see Daily GPI, Aug. 1).

El Paso extended Lincoln Station compressor maintenance and water leak repairs on Belen Station’s Unit #1. San Juan Crossover capacity will continue to be reduced by 100 MMcf/d through Monday. The pipeline also said internal inspection pigging scheduled Friday (July 19) on Line 1208 will require a larger flow cut than previously announced. North Mainline capacity will be reduced by 160 MMcf/d.