Original

Keeping to the original plan of rolling out physical clearing services at specific delivery points over time, Atlanta-based IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) and Calgary-based Natural Gas Exchange Inc. (NGX) said Monday that through their alliance, they will offer clearing and settlement services for physical over-the-counter (OTC) natural gas contracts at the Henry Hub delivery point beginning April 7.

Canada’s arctic gas production and pipeline consortium won a battle last week to stay on schedule by limiting environmental reviews of the C$5-billion (US$3.7-billion) pipeline project. Authorities in Ottawa and the Northwest Territories turned down demands by conservationists to include an analysis of broad environmental effects of the project’s development.

Within days of its decision earlier this month to drop a preliminary proposal for a coastal liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal in northern California, a Calpine Corp. official indicated the company continues to talk with all of the major LNG proponents in North America.

Shell Canada Ltd. has revised its estimate of original sales gas reserves for the Sable Offshore Energy Project (SOEP) fields downward by approximately 90 Bcf, to 700 Bcf, and has reclassified approximately 200 Bcf of sales gas reserves from the proven developed category to proven undeveloped.

Columbia Gas Transmission and Crossroads Pipeline said Friday that after evaluating the MidWest project’s original open season concluded early this year, they have decided to revise and expand the proposed project to accommodate the completion of power plants in Ohio and western Pennsylvania. As a result, the two NiSource affiliates announced a new open season to begin Friday and run through 4:30 p.m. Dec. 6.

With its original natural gas customer choice program winding down after three years, SEMCO ENERGY Gas Co. said it has applied to the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) for approval to extend its current customer choice program from April 1, 2002 through March 31, 2005, at an estimated fixed cost of $4.99/Mcf.

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham took the not-so-original position of blaming pollsters and the media last Wednesday for unfairly criticizing the administration’s energy plan. He said they’re simply using the wrong measuring stick by singling out issues that are obviously disliked the most, such as drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), while many of the other important issues are never even mentioned, let alone subjected to public opinion polls.

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham took the not-so-original position of blaming pollsters and the media Wednesday for unfairly criticizing the administration’s energy plan. He said they’re simply using the wrong measuring stick by singling out issues that are obviously disliked the most, such as drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, while many of the other important issues are never even mentioned, let alone subjected to public opinion polls.

Florida Gas Transmission extended an Overage Alert Day notice (seeDaily GPI, Aug. 25) until furthernotice, but tightened the original 8% tolerance for negative dailyimbalances to a more stringent 2% Friday.