Manage

Tennessee will implement Imbalance Warnings in downstream market-area Zones 5 and 6 Saturday, saying it has limited operational flexibility to manage imbalances there over what is predicted to be a cold long holiday weekend. All delivery point operators in the zones will be required to keep actual daily takes out of the system equal to or less than scheduled quantities regardless of their cumulative imbalance position. Receipt point operators must keep actual daily receipts into the system equal to or greater than scheduled quantities regardless of their cumulative imbalance position.

As has been rumored for weeks, French energy giant Total SA is paying $2.32 billion to acquire a one-quarter stake in Chesapeake Energy Corp.’s massive Utica Shale leasehold in Ohio in the second big partnership targeting unconventional oil and gas between the companies.

Saying it had limited operational flexibility to manage imbalances in upstream Zones 0, L, 1, 2, 3 and 4 over the long holiday weekend, Tennessee issued an Imbalance Warning for shippers in those zones effective Friday until further notice. Affected delivery point operators are required to keep actual daily takes out of the system equal to or greater than scheduled quantities regardless of their cumulative imbalance position. Receipt point operators must keep actual daily receipts into the system equal to or less than scheduled quantities regardless of their cumulative imbalance position.

Citing forecasts of cold weather in market-area Zones 5 and 6 limiting its operational flexibility to manage imbalances, Tennessee said it implemented an Imbalance Warning in those zones at the start of Friday’s gas day. All affected delivery point operators were required to keep actual daily takes out of the system equal to or less than scheduled quantities regardless of their cumulative imbalance positions, while receipt point operators had to keep actual daily receipts into the system equal to or greater than scheduled quantities regardless of their cumulative imbalance positions.

Due to forecasted lower demand this weekend and limited operational flexibility to manage imbalances, three Spectra Energy pipes — Texas Eastern, Algonquin and East Tennessee — are requiring operators of all receipt and delivery points to maintain flat or negative imbalances for the gas days of Saturday and Sunday.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that it is reorganizing to better manage a burgeoning workload from the state’s booming oil and gas industry in the Marcellus Shale.

Anticipating limited operational flexibility to manage positive imbalances in downstream Zones 4, 5 and 6 due to possible impacts of Hurricane Irene, Tennessee issued an Imbalance Warning to become effective Saturday in those zones. All delivery point operators are required to keep actual daily takes out of the system equal to or greater than scheduled quantities regardless of their cumulative imbalance position, while all zone receipt point operators must keep actual daily receipts into the system equal to or less than scheduled quantities regardless of their cumulative imbalance position.

Tennessee declared an Imbalance Warning Monday to enhance its operational flexibility to manage high imbalances in Zones 5 and 6. The warning requires delivery point operators in those zones to keep actual daily takes out of the system equal to or less than scheduled quantities regardless of their cumulative imbalance position, and receipt point operators to keep actual daily receipts into the system equal to or greater than scheduled quantities regardless of their cumulative imbalance position.

July futures recovered from an opening loss but still couldn’t manage to make it into positive territory Wednesday. Bulls and bears seem almost evenly divided, but short-term traders did note a return of commercial buying interest. At the close July had eased 0.4 cent to $4.577 and August fell 0.2 cent to $4.611. July crude oil tumbled $4.56 to $94.81/bbl.