Pipeline

Anticipated demand allowed Algonquin to accept “a limited amount” of due-shipper imbalance make-up nominations for Christmas Day. However, the pipeline said no due-shipper gas would be available Thursday.

As of Thursday afternoon Matagorda Offshore Pipeline System had not announced any shut-ins resulting from its pigging operation this week (see Daily GPI, Dec. 10). However, it has scheduled similar pig runs from the Mustang Island 758 platform to the onshore Tivoli (TX) Station for Jan. 6-10 and Jan. 21-24, and in each case advised shippers that shut-ins will be needed if liquids volumes are too great to be handled at Tivoli.

Consolidated Edison (Con Edison), which was awarded a $439,999 pipeline safety research contract by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), will work together with Witten Technologies and Electromagnetic Instruments to develop a 3-D digital mapping system for identifying steel and plastic underground equipment, and detecting leaks. Commissioned by Con Edison, Boston-based Witten produced underground images of lower Manhattan in August 2001 and January 2002 through a ground-penetrating technique called radar tomography. A piece of equipment similar to satellite radar is placed on the back of a truck, which drives directly over the site taking 3-D pictures of utility infrastructure six feet below the surface. Con Edison’s research contract is one of seven awarded by DOT, totaling $1.6 million. Additional DOT awards for a second phase of the program are pending.

Canadian pipeline builders and regulators are pointing to the way producers need to go to sustain natural gas reserves and productivity, but the direction is easier to give than follow.

Canadian pipeline builders and regulators are pointing to the way producers need to go to sustain natural gas reserves and productivity, but the direction is easier to give than follow.

The strength of the upstream sector holds the key to the performance of integrated oil and gas companies going forward, as poor quarterly earnings and lower forecasts going into 2003 require independents and majors to rethink their operating strategies.

El Paso has postponed until 2003 maintenance shutdowns of the Mojave Topock Station ( DMOJAVE), previously scheduled for Nov. 8-15, and the Mojave Pipeline at Daggett, previously scheduled for Nov. 8. The change was made to accommodate customer scheduling needs during November, El Paso said.

Richmond, VA-based Dominion announced strong third quarter earnings bolstered by higher returns in its pipeline and E&P units, and saying it was on track to continue the trend into the fourth quarter and come close to its stated earnings guidance of $4.90 to $4.95.

On a day of giving that included certificates for multiple pipeline expansions (see related stories), FERC also showed it can taketh away. The Commission said Wednesday it will let the price-cap waiver expire Sept. 30 in its pilot program on short-term capacity release transactions.