Reminded

Northwest reminded shippers that during the Jan. 4-6 period its market area experienced extreme cold that caused heavy drafting on the system, and the pipeline’s Jackson Prairie storage account dropped from 1.8 Bcf to 1.4 Bcf in those three days “even with the assistance of a few customers realigning their supplies.” Several weather sources have indicated that similar weather would again reach the market area beginning Sunday (Jan. 25), Northwest said. In addition, it will be conducting maintenance on the Columbia Gorge section of the pipe during the first week in February. To ensure system integrity and maintain adequate storage levels for the upcoming maintenance, Northwest declared a Stage III entitlement (with 13% tolerance for overruns for receiving parties north of the Kemmerer Compressor Station) effective Monday until further notice.

What a difference a year makes. As if anyone wanted to be reminded, it was Oct. 16, 2001 when Enron Corp. released its third-quarter earnings, boasting of continued growth, despite a billion-dollar write-off. Within weeks, that incidental write-off that was barely discussed during a conference call with analysts by then-CEO Ken Lay, eventually would erase the entire company (see NGI, Oct. 22, 2001). Fast forward to one year later, and despite its disappearance, Enron’s once mighty shadow continues to darken the marketplace.

What a difference a year makes. As if anyone wanted to be reminded, it was Oct. 16, 2001 when Enron Corp. released its third-quarter earnings, boasting of continued growth, despite a billion-dollar write-off. Within weeks, that incidental write-off that was barely discussed during a conference call with analysts by then-CEO Ken Lay, eventually would erase the entire company (see Daily GPI, Oct. 17, 2001). Fast forward to one year later, and despite its disappearance, Enron’s once mighty shadow continues to darken the marketplace.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission reminded El Paso Natural Gas and its shippers last Wednesday that the clock was winding down very quickly for them to submit an agreement identifying the specific capacity amounts that full-requirements (FR) shippers will be entitled to when the FERC-ordered conversion to system-wide contract demand (CD) service goes into effect on the pipeline later this year. If a pact isn’t filed by Aug. 1, the Commission vowed to take matters into its own hands.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission reminded El Paso Natural Gas and its shippers Wednesday that the clock was winding down very quickly for them to submit an agreement identifying the specific capacity amounts that full-requirements (FR) shippers will be entitled to when the FERC-ordered conversion to system-wide contract demand (CD) service goes into effect on the pipeline later this year. If a pact isn’t filed by Aug. 1, the Commission has threatened to take matters into its own hands.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission reminded El Paso Natural Gas and its shippers Wednesday that the clock was winding down very quickly for them to submit an agreement identifying the specific capacity amounts that full-requirements (FR) shippers will be entitled to when the FERC-ordered conversion to system-wide contract demand (CD) service goes into effect on the pipeline later this year. If a pact isn’t filed by Aug. 1, the Commission has threatened to take matters into its own hands.

Northwest reminded shippers that as the end of its storage injection season (Sept. 30) nears, the pipeline’s flexibility “regarding banking or drafting is very restricted.” Both the Jackson Prairie storage facility and the Plymouth LNG facility are almost at full capacity, Northwest said. It noted that although it maintains storage space at Questar’s Clay Basin facility, Questar is allocating injections on a daily basis, “which limits Northwest’s ability to inject there as well.” Shippers were asked to “make every effort to keep nominated volumes in line with scheduled volumes in order to avoid banking or drafting.”

To curb growing linepack, NOVA changed its daily imbalancetolerance range to +2%/-18% at noon Tuesday.

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.