Operated

FERC on rehearing has affirmed its earlier determination that the offshore natural gas pipeline facilities owned and operated by Unocal’s Jupiter Energy Corp. are transmission in nature, not gathering, and thus are subject to agency jurisdiction.

Looking to open up a new corridor for stranded natural gas supply in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Williams-operated Discovery Gas Transmission LLC announced Monday it is holding its second expedited open season this month for limited-term firm transportation service on the Discovery pipeline system.

Texas Eastern said Friday afternoon its Main Pass pipeline system had become operational again, with the exception of the Apache-operated Main Pass 7 meter. “At this time wellhead and platform communications are still out for most of the system. Therefore, as production is being restored and before communication links are reestablished, TE requires point operators to notify their operations account manager or Texas Eastern Gas Control (800-231-7794) that their meters are flowing so nominations can be confirmed.” Along with Main Pass 7, South Pass system platforms and the onshore Venice (LA) Plant will remain shut in until further notice, Texas Eastern said.

Forest Oil Corp. announced last Monday it has agreed to acquire a private company whose primary asset is an operated average working interest of 83% in the Buffalo Wallow Field and approximately 33,300 gross acres primarily in Hemphill and Wheeler Counties, TX, including estimated proved reserves of 120 Bcfe with estimated production of 25-30 MMcfe/d.

Forest Oil Corp. announced Monday it has agreed to acquire a private company whose primary asset is an operated average working interest of 83% in the Buffalo Wallow Field and approximately 33,300 gross acres primarily in Hemphill and Wheeler Counties, TX, including estimated proved reserves of 120 Bcfe with estimated production of 25-30 MMcfe/d.

Sea Robin Pipeline noted that around 10:30 a.m. CDT Wednesday the Sea Robin Processing Plant operated by Amerada Hess was back online and processing again. Shippers were asked to adjust gas flows and nominations as needed.

The Enterprise-operated Toca I Processing Plant work has been completed and the southeast Louisiana plant is back online, Sonat reported Sunday. As a result, the hydrocarbon dew point limitation and the Type 5 OFO implemented Aug. 1 in conjunction with the Toca outage (see Daily GPI, Aug. 3) were lifted immediately.

Fortuna Energy Inc. has drilled two successful Black River gas wells in the Appalachia, the first two operated wells of its recently acquired New York properties. The Talisman Energy Inc. subsidiary said the first well, Fortuna Ganung Hz, tested a non-producing structure in Schuyler County. Despite some operational problems, the well still tested at rates up to 2.4 MMcf/d, and plans are under way to tie the well into a local gathering system. The second well, Fortuna Konstantinedes Hz, was drilled in Chemung County. After completion, the well flowed at rates up to 10.4 MMcf/d and is currently shut-in for a pressure buildup test. Work is under way to have the well tied into the Columbia high-pressure transmission system by the end of the year. The third well, Hepfner, is currently drilling. Two additional rigs also are being mobilized, and a fourth well is expected to spud in September and another in mid-October. Additional projects under way include the installation of three compressors, all expected to be on stream by year’s end and the tie-in of the Fortuna Pace well, which should be on stream in early 2004 at a rate of 5 MMcf/d. Fortuna’s production in July was 67 MMcf/d, and it plans to spend US$46 million in the area in 2003, drilling eight wells.

Discovery Gas Transmission LLC, a 150-mile pipeline operated by Williams’ Discovery system, has started an open season that will run through May 2 for shippers interested in additional market outlet connections near the Larose processing plant in southeastern Louisiana.