Pipeline

Due to the current interdependency of the U.S. economy, an attack at a key point along a pipeline could actually disrupt communications, information technology and power, as well as the petroleum and natural gas supplies that run through the pipes, according to Bobby R. Gillham, manager of global security for Conoco Inc. Environmental concerns over the past 20 years have forced interstate pipelines to not only carry natural gas and liquid petroleum products, but also fiber optic cable for communications, and power lines, which are run in the same rights of way, he said.

Due to the current interdependency of the U.S. economy, an attack at a key point along a pipeline could actually disrupt communications, information technology and power as well as the petroleum and natural gas supplies that run through the pipes, according to Bobby R. Gillham, manager of global security for Conoco Inc. Environmental concerns over the past 20 years have forced interstate pipelines to not only carry natural gas and liquid petroleum products, but also fiber optic cable for communications, and power lines are run in the same rights of way, he said.

A feasibility study on a Mackenzie Delta pipeline won’t be ready before the middle of 2003, and a completed project’s timing now falls between 2007-2010, said a Shell Canada Ltd. executive last week. Shell Canada is one of the partners in a consortium to move natural gas from the prolific region, but despite the delay, the company has begun buying more land and developing the frontier basin in anticipation of laying a pipe.

A feasibility study on a Mackenzie Delta pipeline won’t be ready before the middle of 2003, and a completed project’s timing now falls between 2007-2010, said a Shell Canada Ltd. executive Monday. Shell Canada is one of the partners in a consortium to move natural gas from the prolific region, but despite the delay, the company has begun buying more land and developing the frontier basin in anticipation of laying a pipe.

Repairs on a Matagorda Offshore Pipeline System leak near Matagorda Block 758 (see Daily GPI, Feb. 11) were not completed over the weekend due to bad weather. A spokesman for MOPS operator Northern Natural Gas said there was still no prognosis as of Monday afternoon on when the work will be finished. MOPS has been flowing no scheduled volumes since Saturday, affecting about 100 MMcf/d, he said.

Matagorda Offshore Pipeline System (MOPS) was shut down for unplanned maintenance after a leak was detected on the 24-inch mainline near Matagorda Block 758, MOPS operator Northern Natural Gas reported Friday afternoon. All production needed to be shut in as soon as possible, NNG said. It took 24 receipt points and nine delivery points to zero flow for downtime that was expected to last about 48 hours. About half of MOPS’ 100 MMcf/d in nominations for Friday’s gas day was affected, a spokesman said, with approximately 100 MMcf/d in impact expected effective Saturday until leak repairs are completed.

The BP-operated Pascagoula (MS) Plant has informed Destin Pipeline that a full plant shutdown will be required Tuesday to replace a leaking upstream valve. The processing outage will begin at 9 a.m. CST and is expected to last no more than 12 hours. The Destin gas stream is rich enough that it must be processed to meet quality specs of downstream pipes, a spokesman said, so Destin operators will have to shut in during the plant work. Current throughput is down to about 500 MMcf/d because of some producer maintenance, so the plant outage will affect about 250 MMcf that day. An earlier Destin bulletin board posting had said the plant work was set for Monday, but it was decided early Thursday afternoon to wait until Tuesday in an effort to accommodate producer interests, the spokesman said.

FERC Chief Administrative Law Judge Curtis Wagner Jr. has extended by two weeks the deadline for an initial decision in the case in which Transwestern Pipeline is alleged to have arranged more lucrative negotiated-rate deals last winter prior to posting available firm transportation capacity to its web site — a move that extracted higher rates and limited the capacity availability for recourse-rate shippers for service to California.

FERC Chief Administrative Law Judge Curtis Wagner Jr. has extended by two weeks the deadline for an initial decision in the case in which Transwestern Pipeline is alleged to have arranged more lucrative negotiated-rate deals last winter prior to posting available firm transportation capacity to its web site — a move that extracted higher rates and limited the capacity availability for recourse-rate shippers for service to California.