Transmission

PG&E Gas Transmission-Northwest discovered contaminated oilin the lubrication system of its Stanfield (OR) Compressor Stationlate last week. The unit is out of service until the oil can bereplace; the pipeline estimates it will return on-line Thursday.Because the work has the potential for limiting Stanfield receiptsfrom Northwest Pipeline, PG&E GT-NW is offering a blanket ITdiscount of 1 cent plus fuel on the Starr Road-to-Stanfield paththrough Thursday.

Compressor damage is causing unscheduled maintenance on Unit Cat Station 5 (Athol, ID), PG&E Gas Transmission-Northwest saidMonday. At first a Kingsgate capacity limitation of 2,050 MMcf/dwas expected to begin today and last through Thursday, but lateMonday afternoon the pipeline said it was able to raise theKingsgate ceiling to 2,200 MMcf/d “due to unseasonably cool ambienttemperatures.”

Viking Gas Transmission got some good news last week when FERCapproved a looping expansion of its system that will make itpossible for existing customers between the northern Minnesotaborder and West-Central Wisconsin to receive up to 28,000 Dth/d ofadditional gas supplies by the end of the year.

Viking Gas Transmission got some good news Wednesday as FERCapproved a looping expansion of its system that will make itpossible for existing customers between the northern Minnesotaborder and West-Central Wisconsin to receive up to 28,000 Dth/d ofadditional gas supplies by the end of the year.

Columbia Gas Transmission said it opened a data room to provideinformation on 545 miles of small-diameter gas gathering pipelines,called the CHEWP system, and the Holbrook Storage Field, which has1.5 Bcf of total capacity in northern West Virginia andsouthwestern Pennsylvania. Anyone interested in the assets shouldmake an appointment to visit the data room in Charleston, WVA, bycalling (304) 357-2282.

PG&E Gas Transmission-Northwest reported completing hydrotesting of its A-Line ahead of schedule. The project’s end restoredcapacity to best-efforts levels of 2,620 MMcf/d at Kingsgate and1,930 MMcf/d at Station 14 Friday.

Florida Gas Transmission reminded shippers that Zone 1 will becompletely shut in April 13-15 as it does several maintenanceprojects (see the HotTap bulletin board for details). Zone 1extends from the pipeline’s upstream terminus in South Texas toEunice, LA.

TransCanada PipeLines subsidiary NOVA Gas Transmission (NGTL)filed its new pricing structure proposal with the Alberta Energyand Utilities Board (AEUB) yesterday. The gas transportation tollson TransCanada’s Alberta system are consistent with the memorandumof understanding (MOU) reached recently with the CanadianAssociation of Petroleum Producers. Announced March 24, the MOUdetails a new distance- and quantity-based pricing structure toreplace the current postage-stamp pricing regime for tolls on theAlberta system. The application also reflects input gathered duringan extensive stakeholder consultation process that began in late1996. The filing replaces an application NGTL put forth to the AEUBin April 1998.

In a rare move that eliminates huge legal costs, Kern River GasTransmission has submitted to FERC a negotiated settlementagreement on its rate design prior to the start of a general ratecase (RP99-274). The agreement has the approval of all of itsshippers. Kern’s general rate case was scheduled to begin thismonth.