Shuts

Unclear on the exact path of Hurricane Frances late Friday, some major Gulf of Mexico (GOM) producers began removing personnel and shutting in eastern Gulf production as a precaution.

Unclear on the exact path of Hurricane Frances late Friday, some major Gulf of Mexico (GOM) producers began removing personnel and shutting in eastern Gulf production as a precaution.

After emerging from what might be called the winter of discontent because of record high gas prices and demand, Bay State Gas Co. said it has decided to protect itself and its firm customers from any unexpected gas use next winter by cutting off service to interruptible (IT) customers from December 2004 through March 2005. However, some IT customers say it’s a ploy to get them to sign up for more expensive firm delivery service.

After emerging from what might be called the winter of discontent because of record high gas prices and demand, Bay State Gas Co. said it has decided to protect itself and its firm customers from any unexpected gas use by interruptible (IT) customers in the coming winter. However, some IT customers say it’s a ploy to get them to sign up for more expensive firm delivery service.

Shell’s Mars platform in the Gulf of Mexico was shut down Saturday after a “sheen [of oil] was observed on the water,” a Shell spokeswoman said. At the time of the shut-in, Mars was producing 150,000 b/d of oil and 170 MMcf/d of gas.

A fire broke out around 8 a.m. Wednesday at Spinnaker Exploration Co.’s High Island Block 47 “A” platform facility offshore during a routine maintenance operation. Damage was limited to an area immediately adjacent to and including the natural gas metering shack. Company personnel have re-boarded the facility to assess the extent of the damage and investigate the fire’s cause, the company said.

As with every other non-expiration day at Nymex, Thursday’s daily natural gas settlement prices were calculated using a weighted average of the final two minutes of trading. What sets Thursday apart from every other day in the commodity’s 13-year history is that this decisive two-minute trading window took place from 11:28 to 11:30 a.m. EST.

Burlington Resources said late Thursday that it has shut in about 310 MMcf/d of gas production behind the Lost Cabin Gas Plant in the Madden Field in Fremont County, WY after discovering “localized pipe deformations” in the field’s high pressure gathering system. No pipeline ruptures or leaks prompted the action, the company said.

Burlington Resources said late Thursday that it has shut in about 310 MMcf/d of gas production behind the Lost Cabin Gas Plant in the Madden Field in Fremont County, WY after discovering “localized pipe deformations” in the field’s high pressure gathering system. No pipeline ruptures or leaks prompted the action, the company said.