Projects

Gas supply this year is expected to fall below last year’slevels and will struggle to meet projected demand, the IndependentPetroleum Association of America indicated in a report released toinvestors in New York yesterday. With the gas rig count down abouta third compared to 1998 levels, U.S. production is expected to bedown 1.2% this year to 18.75 Tcf, while gas imports are expected torise 2.7% to about 3.22 Tcf, and gas demand is expected to shoot up3.2% to 21.97 Tcf.

Florida Gas Transmission reminded shippers that Zone 1 will becompletely shut in April 13-15 as it does several maintenanceprojects (see the HotTap bulletin board for details). Zone 1extends from the pipeline’s upstream terminus in South Texas toEunice, LA.

Bold plans by Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas andElectric Co. to transfer $2 billion in hydroelectric powergeneration assets to non-utility affiliates could threaten thecompetitiveness and profitability of the state’s emerging merchantpower business if allowed by state regulators. The proposals havesparked calls for a statewide investigation by the CaliforniaPublic Utilities Commission. Potential violations of market powerand utility affiliate transaction rules are being loudly raised bya growing number of opponents.

Florida Power Corp. has joined in the flurry of new energyprojects spurred by this summer’s record-setting heat wave, filingplans with the Florida Public Service Commission to accelerate thebuilding of a second generation unit at its Hines Energy Complex inPolk County. The unit will provide additional capability to meetgrowing demand for electricity well into the next century. Thecompany has offered to absorb construction costs for the plant inits current customer rates.

Millennium Pipeline yesterday joined a growing crowd of pipelineexpansions and projects that are being delayed until 2000. Thecompany informed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission of therevised project schedule, which calls for some portions of the442-mile pipeline to be constructed in 1999, the balance beingbuilt the following year and service by November 2000. IndependencePipeline, a Millennium competitor, announced a similar delayearlier this year, and Alliance Pipeline said it too was forced toput off transportation services until winter 2000.

A major independent producer group has painted a rosy outlookfor short- and long-term growth of domestic gas demand and supply.U.S. gas demand is expected to rise by one percent to 22.23 Tcf in1998, eclipsing the previous consumption peak achieved in 1972, andlikely will hit 23 Tcf in 2000, according to forecasts issued atthe Independent Petroleum Association of America’s (IPAA) Oil andGas Investment Symposium in New York Tuesday.

Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN) has introduced legislation that wouldrequire pipelines seeking to seize private property for projects topersonally notify affected landowners by certified mail of theirintention at the outset of FERC proceedings, giving them theopportunity to “participate meaningfully” in the process.

The number of proposed major pipeline projects on schedule forservice in winter 1999 continues to dwindle, with IndependencePipeline telling FERC yesterday it plans to delay service by a yearuntil November 2000. The pipeline’s sponsors said the $678 millionproject will be delayed because of the lengthy construction timerequired. FERC still has not approved the project. Markets for the400-mile pipeline system also have been slow to develop, butsponsors said they recently executed an additional precedentagreement with Eastern Energy Marketing for 99,000 Dth/d of firmtransportation capacity, bringing subscriptions to nearly 70% ofthe pipeline’s 916 MMcf/d capacity.

Marking the start of construction related to projects thatultimately will increase pipeline capacity into New England by morethan 20%, Portland Natural Gas Transmission System (PNGTS) andMaritimes & Northeast Pipeline began a crossing of thePiscataqua River between Newington, NH, and Eliot, ME. The crossingis the first stage in the construction of the PNGTS/Maritimes JointFacilities Project, which represents the southernmost portion ofeach pipeline.