Result

ANR said that as a result of normal pigging operations from offshore Louisiana to its Patterson Compressor Station, it “has encountered an abnormally large quantity of liquids in the line,” which has shut down the station. Until the liquids issue has been resolved and Patterson is back online, ANR will not be scheduling any interruptible deliveries between Patterson and Eunice, LA until further notice.

Burlington Resources Inc. reported an 8.2% increase in third quarter earnings to $79 million, or $0.39 per diluted share, including a net after-tax gain of $0.12 per diluted share from asset sales and accompanying tax benefits. Higher production, including a 10% increase in gas production to 1.8 Bcf/d, and lower cash operating costs, along with higher oil prices and the asset sale and tax benefits, more than offset lower prices for natural gas and higher interest expenses and production taxes. Realized natural gas prices fell to $2.65/Mcf (Henry Hub) from $2.89 in 3Q2001.

Bellevue, WA-based Puget Energy’s utility said Friday it reached a natural gas general rate settlement for an increase in retail rates, but reduced wholesale supply costs will offset the increase, resulting in small, but still-undetermined retail rate decrease Sept. 1, according to a company announcement on the settlement with the state of Washington regulatory commission staff, state attorney general’s office and large industrial customers.

Northwest said it has determined that pipeline anomaly digs in the Vernal district will be completed Friday (July 26). As a result, it will end the Notice of Deficiency Period effective with Saturday’s gas day and will reset the Moab (UT) Compressor Station to its southbound design capacity of 358,000 Dth /d. Northwest previously had expected the Vernal work and related flow restrictions to last through Aug. 8 (see Daily GPI, June 25).

Northwest said it has determined that pipeline anomaly digs in the Vernal district will be completed Friday (July 26). As a result, it will end the Notice of Deficiency Period effective with Saturday’s gas day and will reset the Moab (UT) Compressor Station to its southbound design capacity of 358,000 Dth /d. Northwest previously had expected the Vernal work and related flow restrictions to last through Aug. 8 (see Daily GPI, June 25).

Citing “significant demand” in its Florida market area as a result of freezing temperatures, Florida Gas Transmission declared an Overage Alert Day with 5% tolerance for negative daily imbalances Thursday.

A judge in Roswell, NM, has consolidated five lawsuits that are pending against El Paso Natural Gas as a result of the August 2000 fiery explosion on the pipeline’s South Mainline in New Mexico that killed 12 members of two extended families (see NGI, June 25; Aug. 28, 2000).

Natural gas rates in the Carolinas are headed down again, according to Piedmont Natural Gas Co.. As a result, Piedmont said it has filed for a gas service rate decrease that should make its customers in the Carolinas see their gas bills decline by 15-20% this winter compared to last winter, assuming normal weather.

Explaining that its results display a new seasonality as a result of its acquisition of Columbia Energy Group, NiSource Inc reported a second quarter net loss of $8 million or 4 cents per basic share, compared to net income of $23.4 million or 19 cents per basic share in the second quarter last year.