Restricting

The “relentless, aggressive and malicious” environmental public relations machine is succeeding in delaying and restricting natural gas development in the Rocky Mountains “with no regard for the impact on the national gas supply” — and the situation is getting worse, not better.

Inconsistent federal policies of encouraging natural gas use for environmental purposes and then restricting access to gas reserves are part of today’s disconnect in supply and demand, which has led to the shut-down of manufacturing plants that can’t pay the high prices, Lee Gooch, head of the Process Gas Consumers (PGC), said last week.

Inconsistent federal policies of encouraging natural gas use for environmental purposes and then restricting access to gas reserves are part of today’s disconnect in supply and demand, which has led to the shut-down of manufacturing plants that can’t pay the high prices, Lee Gooch, head of the Process Gas Consumers (PGC), said earlier this week.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week voted out a final rule restricting the general public’s easy access to sensitive information about critical energy infrastructure information (CEII). At the same time, however, the agency established an optional process for the public and other participants in FERC proceedings to request the data that might otherwise be unavailable on FERC’s web site and under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday issued a final rule restricting the general public’s easy access to sensitive information about critical energy infrastructure information (CEII) over the Internet. At the same time, however, it established an optional process for the public and other participants in FERC proceedings to request data that might otherwise be unavailable on FERC’s web site and under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

As it had said might be necessary due to processing cutbacks (see Daily GPI, Oct. 29), ANR declared an OFO Monday restricting receipts on its Southeast system to heating value of no more than 1,050 Btus per cubic foot. The OFO becomes effective Nov. 1 until further notice.

Tennessee delayed the start of a maintenance outage on its 500 Line, previously set for today (see Daily GPI, July 27), until Monday. Tennessee anticipates restricting and sealing 40-65% of Secondary services through the end of the month at meters upstream of Station 530, and will not accept any nominations at the Lake Borgne meter Aug. 11-23.

As it had warned earlier (see Daily GPI, Dec. 12), ANR saidFriday it will issue an OFO restricting receipts into its Southeastsystem with Btu content exceeding 1,050 per cubic foot. The OFOstarts Jan. 1, 2001 and will remain in effect until further notice.It was caused by “the current and scheduled shutdown of numerousprocessing plants on ANR’s system,” the pipeline said. Therestriction will not apply to receipts that are dedicated andconfirmed by a known processing plant that is in operation and/orwhere the heat content of the receipts exceeds 1,050 Btus per cubicfoot but the pentanes (C5+) and heavier components do not exceed0.05 gallons per Mcf, ANR said.

ANR said horsepower problems at its Grand Chenier (LA)Compressor Station, which are restricting combined capacity fromHIOS and near-shore West Cameron production to about 600 MMcf/d,should be repaired by Dec. 15. That will restore capacity to 750MMcf/d, ANR said.