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While hasn’t there been a slow-down in the frenzy of exploration and production activity in the Rockies since gas prices in the region have plummeted in the last few months while prices in other areas of the country have experienced much softer declines? The answer, according to Raymond James & Associates analyst Wayne Andrews, is that significant new pipeline infrastructure is on its way to help relieve continuing constraints.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) issued for comment on Tuesday staff-proposed rules for competitive retail natural gas service and for providers of the service. In accordance with amended Ohio Substitute House Bill 9, which was signed by Gov. Bob Taft in March, the commission has been given new ruling power over natural gas providers in the state (see Daily GPI, May 17).

The Energy Information Agency (EIA) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) both agree there is a bottleneck where the interstate and intrastate grids meet in California. However, the two agencies are miles apart on the size of that difference.

The Energy Information Agency (EIA) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) both agree there is a bottleneck where the interstate and intrastate grids meet in California. However, the two agencies are miles apart on the size of that bottleneck.

El Paso is conducting a series of maintenance operations in the San Juan Basin this month. Through Thursday, there will be a 450 MMcf/d reduction in San Juan supply availability due to producer maintenance. During those dates, EPNG will perform maintenance at downstream locations, to minimize the additional impacts. White Rock Station was down for annual DOT inspections June 4 and 5, reducing the capacity of the San Juan Basin by 230 MMcf/d (no added impact). Line 1300 on the San Juan Crossover is being shut in for piping modifications Monday through today with no flow from San Juan east for delivery to the South Mainline, Waha or Anadarko. Line 1212 between Valve 4 and Gallup Station is having pigging facilities installed today and tomorrow, reducing the capacity of the San Juan Basin by an additional 210 MMcf/d. On June 9, Line 1600 from Waha to Gresham Station will be smart pigged, reducing the capacity from Waha west by 500 MMcf/d (total flow of 250 MMcf/d). For the remainder of June, and continuing into July, a program of pigging facility installations, pipeline cleaning and smart pig inspections will occur on four sections of Line 1212 between Blanco and Gallup. The reduction of San Juan Basin capacity will vary, depending on the pipeline section and the phase of the work being performed. During these reductions, downstream maintenance will be done at Gallup, Window Rock and Williams Stations to minimize the overall impact on throughput. For more details see El Paso’s bulletin board.

If there was any question remaining that the California crisis would have a negative impact on the electric deregulation progress around the rest of the nation, it has been answered, and the response is ‘yes.’ Three quarters of the utility regulators across the nation polled said that the financial, reliability and political consequences of the California snafu will slow, or even halt, the spread of deregulation to their states, according to a recent national survey created by Standard & Poor’s and conducted by RKS Research & Consulting.

If there was any question remaining that the California crisis would have a negative impact on the electric deregulation progress around the rest of the nation, it has been answered, and the response is ‘yes.’ Three quarters of the utility regulators across the nation polled said that the financial, reliability and political consequences of the California snafu will slow, or even halt, the spread of deregulation to their states, according to a recent national survey created by Standard & Poor’s and conducted by RKS Research & Consulting.

A two-month-long investigation into Illinois’ high gas prices has concluded that there was no market manipulation, with most of the increases “due largely to factors that affected supply and demand.” The Illinois Commerce Commission released its findings last week, and found that utilities had provided price hike warnings, but consumers did not comprehend their magnitude until winter heating bills arrived.

Where’s that scorecard? It’s never around when you need it. By our count there are now three new proposals on the Canadian side to upgrade service through southern British Columbia and into the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Westcoast Energy entered the Northwest expansion lists last week with an announcement of an open season to run through the end of May for more capacity on its Southern Mainline and Westcoast Alberta line to accommodate additional volumes from supply areas in British Columbia, Alberta and the Northwest Territories.