Sufficient

After conducting its own research, the New York State Public Service Commission (NYPSC) said gas supplies are “sufficient” to meet forecasted demands of New York State customers this winter and prices are expected to be lower than last winter.

El Paso Natural Gas “is willing to expand its system” to the California border if “sufficient support” for such a project can be demonstrated through long-term capacity contracts, the pipeline told FERC last week.

El Paso Natural Gas “is willing to expand its system” to theCalifornia border if “sufficient support” for such a project can bedemonstrated through long-term capacity contracts, the pipelinetold FERC.

Ohio and Pennsylvania landowners aren’t convinced the precedentagreements submitted by the sponsors of the proposed IndependencePipeline last month provide “sufficient evidence” of marketsupport, and have asked FERC to deny the greenfield pipelineproject a certificate when it takes up the case this week.

Announcements of new pipeline projects are booming despiterecently voiced concerns by pipeline executives that return onequity is not sufficient to justify new construction (see NGI, Feb.2). A recent NGI survey of projects announced over the last threeyears indicates more than 7 Bcf/d of new capacity has already beenconstructed in the U.S. and Canada, with nearly 21 Bcf/d ofcombined capacity additions approved or under consideration. Thisis in addition to projects canceled or put on hold indefinitely.

Viking Gas Transmission, a partner in the Viking Voyageurpipeline expansion project, formally confirmed it has been unableto secure sufficient shipper support for the proposed expansion andis “reviewing its alternatives” on the project with its partners,TransCanada PipeLines and Nicor.