Pepco Energy Services Inc. has called on FERC to conduct an investigation into the “serious problems” that allegedly occurred during a November capacity auction by Columbia Gas Transmission, which it said ultimately led to the rejection of valid bids made by Pepco and capacity being awarded to another shipper.
Occurred
Articles from Occurred
Transportation Notes
Wyoming Interstate Co. reported completion of repairs late Thursday afternoon to a segment west of Cheyenne Station where a rupture had occurred on the previous Saturday (see Daily GPI, Nov. 14) and said it was fully available for service again.
Transportation Notes
Columbia Gulf said Wednesday it is continuing repairs on the 26-inch diameter Eugene Island System in the Gulf of Mexico following a leak that occurred Sunday (see Daily GPI, Oct. 31). Total production associated with the shut-in is about 10,000 Dth/d at three platforms, the pipeline said. It expects to complete the repair work on or before Saturday, pending line pressure reduction, liquids removal and weather conditions that permit divers to enter the water.
Kempthorne Approved for Interior; Hearings Slated for FERC Nominees
The U.S. Senate Friday confirmed by voice vote the nomination of former Idaho governor, Dirk Kempthorne, to be Secretary of the Interior. The voice vote occurred immediately following an 85-8 vote to invoke cloture, overriding a hold on the nomination.
Softness Prevalent in Mixed Post-Holiday Market
With the worst of the latest blast of arctic cold having occurred over the holiday weekend and a modest warm-up under way, the cash market turned in a mixed performance Tuesday that was dominated by softening.
Transportation Notes
There were no injuries or fire when a rupture occurred early Thursday morning on Tennessee’s 30-inch diameter line near the town of Halfway in Allen County, KY, about 70 miles north of Nashville, TN. Up to 200 residents in the area were evacuated temporarily but had returned to their homes shortly after daybreak Thursday, a pipeline spokesman said. The affected section was closed off quickly, and no services were interrupted, he added.
Stingray Gets Waiver to Deal with Mounting Shipper Imbalances since Altering System Flow
Stingray Pipeline Co. LLC on Thursday was given a temporary waiver of its tariff to address the “unusually high” shipper imbalances that have occurred since the pipeline entered into an emergency arrangement last month to allow shut-in Gulf of Mexico natural gas production to flow on its system in the wake of Hurricane Rita.
Transportation Notes
Dominion experienced a rupture Saturday on a 20-inch supply line to one of its storage facilities in Harrison County, WV. The blast occurred in a remote area and didn’t cause a fire or injuries, a spokesman said. The line was isolated shortly afterwards, and because it wasn’t a residential line, no one lost service, he said. The pipeline was continuing an investigation into the cause of the incident Monday.
Industry Briefs
Due to certain charges that occurred in the fourth quarter, Southern Union Co. said Wednesday that it now expects net earnings available for common shareholders for the year ended Dec. 31, 2004 to be between $0.90 and $1.00 per share. Earnings guidance previously provided by the company was $1.00 to $1.10 per share. The charges are associated with the integration of its investment in CCE Holdings LLC, and non-recurring charges associated with an environmental site remediation and a cost-based investment in a technology enterprise. Excluding these charges, Southern Union’s net earnings available for common shareholders are expected to be between $1.10 and $1.20 per share. The company also announced that it has changed from a June 30 fiscal year end to a Dec. 31 calendar year end, effective Dec. 31, 2004. As a result, Southern Union expects to announce earnings for the period ended Dec. 31, 2004 on March 16. The Wilkes-Barre, PA-based company reconfirmed its calendar 2005 earnings guidance of $1.45 to $1.55 per share. Through its Panhandle Energy subsidiary, the company owns and operates Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Co., Trunkline Gas Co., Sea Robin Pipeline Co., Southwest Gas Storage Co. and Trunkline LNG Co. — one of North America’s largest liquefied natural gas import terminals.
OPS: Mishaps Rose on Gas Transmission Lines in 2004, Dipped on Distribution Pipes
More mishaps occurred on natural gas transmission pipelines in 2004 than in the prior year, but the total dollar amount of the damage was lower, according to statistics from the Department of Transportation’s Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS). The reverse was true for distribution gas pipelines, where the number of incidents dipped slightly in 2004, while the dollar amount of the damage more than doubled.