Unable

Northwest said it was unable to do its OFO calculationsyesterday and noted that scheduled quantities of gas flowing norththrough the Kemmerer Compressor for gas day Nov. 9 did not exceedKemmerer capacity. As a result it said it would not call an OFO forgas day Nov. 9. However it warned that an OFO was still possiblefor gas day Nov. 10.

As expected, the cash market responded to what was considered amildly bearish storage report with mostly mild declines Thursday.Eastern points generally fell in the vicinity of a nickel exceptfor some Northeast citygate drops around a dime, while the Westranged from flat to down as much as a quarter (Stanfield).

Sonat was unable to begin repairs Thursday as anticipated (seeDaily GPI, July 27) on a July 5 rupturein its offshore 14-inch Romere Pass Line. However, the work likelywill begin today and last 10-15 calendar days, which means the lineshould be back in service around Aug. 12 at the latest, a spokeswomansaid. An estimated 50-100 MMcf/d at five platform receipt points isbeing shut in by the outage.

Unable to end a stalemate over two key issues, Republican and Democrat leaders of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee sent up a white flag last week, conceding defeat in their struggle to pass comprehensive electric restructuring legislation this year.

Unable to end a stalemate over two key issues, Republican andDemocrat leaders of the Senate Energy and Natural ResourcesCommittee sent up a white flag yesterday conceding defeat in theirstruggle to pass comprehensive electricity restructuringlegislation this year. But to show that their efforts weren’tentirely in vain, they voted out a stripped-down reliability bill,which supporters say will provide relief to the bulk power marketas early as this summer.

Northwest reported that because it has been unable to deliverspec quality gas off the south end due to increased hydrocarbondewpoint levels, starting today it will be required to shut in sixinterconnect points: Piceance Quick Cycle, Grand Valley, SandSprings, Grand Gas, Premier-Bar-X and Bar-X. The pipeline said itwould contact each affected interconnect operator to discuss gasquality details.

Cash prices were unable to sustain this week’s earlier upwardmomentum and were turning modestly softer Wednesday. Severalsources expected declines to grow greater today since most of thescreen’s dive of nearly a dime Wednesday followed release of AGA’sstorage report, well after cash trading had been completed.

Gas futures observers concluded Tuesday’s 6.7-cent slide was afalse breakout to the downside because May was unable to breakthrough support yesterday at $2.82 and rebounded a healthy 6.6cents on the day to $2.888. The high for the day was $2.900, whilethe low was $2.820. The three-month summer strip rose 5.7 cents to$2.918.

After watching the market tumble 7.1 cents lower Monday, naturalgas bulls at the New York Mercantile exchange dug in their heelsyesterday as prices careened off support in the low $2.70s andmoved higher throughout the session. By virtue of its 3.7-centadvance and $2.751 settlement, the April contract nudged its wayback up well within the $2.67-90 trading range that has limitedprice movement since March 1. The May contract followed suit,trading up 3.7 cents to finish at $2.781, in a session that sawmoderate activity of 57,862.