Reduce

In an effort to improve access and reduce connectivity costs to its electronic energy trading platform, Atlanta, GA-based IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) reported Wednesday it has opened a new telecommunications hub for the New York City metropolitan area. The company also reported that the exchange posted record Gas Oil (heating oil) volumes on Monday.

Citing unplanned maintenance projects at various storage locations, ANR said Friday it would reduce injection capacity into those facilities by 575 MMcf/d from May 20 through June 30, leaving 925 MMcf/d available. Based on current nominations, ANR said it anticipated that the reduction will result in the curtailment of Firm Secondary and IT nominations.

Southern California Gas has scheduled April 10-14 and April 18-20 work on Line 225 that is expected to reduce total available border delivery capacity at Wheeler Ridge. During the April 10-14 period Wheeler Ridge capacity will be reduced by 200 MMcf/d, while storage capabilities will be cut by 75 MMcf/d (injection) and 250 MMcf/d (withdrawal). The April 18-20 maintenance will cause a loss of 740 MMcf/d at Wheeler Ridge, leaving an estimated shared capacity of 140 MMcf/d to be allocated among upstream pipelines Kern River/Mojave, Pacific Gas & Electric and Occidental, based on their respective scheduled quantities from two days prior to the start of the work. “Shippers will need to consider how they wish to serve their markets on the SoCalGas system,” the giant LDC said. The Kramer Junction delivery point will still be available, but shippers should understand that it may also become constrained if nominations from other upstream pipelines into the North Desert Transmission Zone (NDTZ), of which Kramer Junction is part, increase in response to SoCalGas’ maintenance, it added.

A software glitch led Oneok to reduce its 2005 net income by $8.1 million (8 cents/share) and its energy services operating income by $13.2 million and raise its 1Q2006 earnings by similar amounts.

President Bush on Tuesday called for a cutback in the use of natural gas for power generation in order to reduce the “huge pressure” on domestic gas supply and prices.

Maryland LDC Elkton Gas’ latest rate filing, which took effect Feb. 1, will reduce purchased gas costs by 8%, saving average consumers a projected $17 in February.

Transwestern will reduce WT-2 Station capacity by 120,000 MMBtu/d Thursday due to unplanned maintenance involving repair of a cooling tube. Ten points will be affected by the cut. WT-2 will return to normal capacity of 600,000 MMBut/d Friday.

Although linepack remains high in all four segments, Kern River said the corrective action it took Wednesday to reduce linepack (see Daily GPI, June 30), in conjunction with other drafting, meant that no additional cuts were necessary for Thursday’s gas day. The pipeline will continue to monitor daily banking and take corrective action again if necessary throughout the holiday weekend. It also will not accept any banking arrangements through the weekend. “Kern River reminds its shippers that it will be in their best interest to rank their supply nominations in the event that additional delivery point cuts are necessary,” a bulletin board posting said.

An independent study released Wednesday shows that replacing Ontario’s coal-fired electricity generation will reduce health and environmental costs for the province, Ontario Energy Minister Dwight Duncan said.