Notes

After lifting Thursday a System Protection Warning (SPW) that had begun Monday (see Daily GPI, Dec. 14), MRT cited new forecasts of cold weather in saying it will implement another SPW Saturday. It is subject to these conditions: 1) MRT will not schedule any mainline IT or AOR (authorized overrun) volumes for delivery north of Glendale; 2) Firm volumes will be limited to their primary direction of flow; 3) MRT is not accepting short imbalance positions in the market zone; and 4) Shippers may not nominate supply from existing long imbalance positions in the market zone. Saying it has capacity available on the East Line, MRT encouraged shippers who were relying on mainline IT, AOR and/or imbalance volumes to re-source supply to the East Line or reduce applicable delivery volumes in order to avoid OFOs.

Columbia Gas has declared a Critical Day in several market areas until further notice (see the bulletin board for specific areas affected). Based on forecasted markets, available facilities and capacity utilization, the pipeline projects that all available capacity to those market areas will be required to meet firm service obligations, leaving zero capacity for non-firm service.

After cautioning shippers Monday that one might become necessary, Florida Gas Transmission went ahead and declared an Overage Alert Day notice Tuesday with 25% tolerance for negative daily imbalances. Forecasts indicate near-freezing temperatures in the northern half of Florida, FGT said.

Sonat is implementing an OFO Type 6 Tuesday. Tiered penalties ranging from $1/Dth to $15/Dth will apply to net short imbalances on its contiguous system exceeding a tolerance of 2% or 200 dekatherms, whichever is less. In addition, Sonat notified shippers in several system groups Sunday that it would be allocating/limiting interruptible capacity starting either Monday or Tuesday, depending on the group. See the bulletin board for details.

Sonat is implementing an OFO Type 6 Tuesday. Tiered penalties ranging from $1/Dth to $15/Dth will apply to net short imbalances on its contiguous system exceeding a tolerance of 2% or 200 dekatherms, whichever is less. In addition, Sonat notified shippers in several system groups Sunday that it would be allocating/limiting interruptible capacity starting either Monday or Tuesday, depending on the group. See the bulletin board for details.

Southern California Gas declared a high-linepack OFO for Saturday with 10% tolerance for positive daily imbalances.

Southern California Gas declared a high-linepack OFO for Saturday with 10% tolerance for positive daily imbalances.

East Tennessee Natural Gas issued a Balancing Alert OFO, effective with the start of Thursday’s gas day, late Wednesday afternoon after having warned that one might become necessary. In a bulletin board posting earlier Wednesday, the pipeline said it had been absorbing large due-shipper imbalances for several days, and “forecasted demand and scheduled deliveries indicate that parties will continue to leave excess supply on the system.” Saying it lacks the operational flexibility to continue to manage these imbalances, East Tennessee told shippers they must “take immediate action to balance receipts with expected deliveries and reduce their due-shipper imbalance positions.” The pipeline said that if it fails to see such immediate action, it will force balance parties not taking their scheduled volumes or issue a Balancing Alert OFO to those exceeding a 5% daily imbalance tolerance. In response to the announcement, Transco said current operational conditions will not allow it to accept nominations until further notice at Transco’s Cascade Creek interconnect with East Tennessee.

East Tennessee Natural Gas issued a Balancing Alert OFO, effective with the start of Thursday’s gas day, late Wednesday afternoon after having warned that one might become necessary. In a bulletin board posting earlier Wednesday, the pipeline said it had been absorbing large due-shipper imbalances for several days, and “forecasted demand and scheduled deliveries indicate that parties will continue to leave excess supply on the system.” Saying it lacks the operational flexibility to continue to manage these imbalances, East Tennessee told shippers they must “take immediate action to balance receipts with expected deliveries and reduce their due-shipper imbalance positions.” The pipeline said that if it fails to see such immediate action, it will force balance parties not taking their scheduled volumes or issue a Balancing Alert OFO to those exceeding a 5% daily imbalance tolerance. In response to the announcement, Transco said current operational conditions will not allow it to accept nominations until further notice at Transco’s Cascade Creek interconnect with East Tennessee.