Transmission

Viking Gas Transmission last week proposed plans for a 45-mile,28 MMcf/d looping of its existing system in northwestern andcentral Minnesota in 1999. This is “a smaller project matched tomeet incremental market demand,” said Viking Gas President GregoryH. Palmer, but he noted it’s the first of a series of expansionsthe pipeline plans to carry out over the next couple of years.

FERC has approved a $6 million expansion of Pacific GasTransmission Northwest’s (PG&E GT-NW) system that will increasecapacity between Kingsgate, BC, and Stanfield, OR, by 56,000 Dth/dand provide additional systemwide winter capacity of 20,000 Dth/d.

FERC has given the go-ahead to a major settlement that attemptsto resolve the looming decontracting problem on Texas EasternTransmission’s (Tetco) system while offering a significant ratereduction to its customers.

Unless an extra contractor is hired, the joint Maritimes &Northeast (M&NE) and Portland Natural Gas Transmission (PNGTS)pipeline will not be able to start service to Maine this winter asplanned.

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals remanded an order in whichFERC denied Iroquois Gas Transmission System L.P the recovery oflegal costs stemming from the criminal and civil investigationsinto environmental violations associated with the construction ofpipeline facilities in the early 1990s.

Mid Louisiana Gas Transmission, a subsidiary of Midcoast EnergyResources, announced last week that it purchased all of the stockin the Creole Gas Pipeline in southern Louisiana from El PasoEnergy for an undisclosed amount.

PG&E Gas Transmission-Northwest reported Tuesday it hadcompleted unscheduled maintenance on Unit C at Station 7 (see DailyGPI, June 24-26). Throughput capabilities returned to 2,500 MMcf/dat Kingsgate, 2,375 MMcf/d at Station 8 and 1,900 MMcf/d at Station14.

FERC yesterday ordered a settlement judge to convene aconference on Texas Eastern Transmission’s settlement proposal thatprofesses to save the pipeline’s customers more than $260 millionby the end of 2003.

FERC last week denied a complaint in which KN WattenbergTransmission LLC accused a western LDC and pipeline affiliates ofimproperly bifurcating their pipeline projects to sidestepCommission jurisdiction.