Underground

Gas from NW Natural’s underground storage facility began flowinginto the company’s new Mist III Pipeline in Mist, OR. The24-inch-diameter pipe allows the company to provide more gas to thegrowing Washington County area. The $35 million pipeline runsparallel a 16-inch line built in the late 1980s to connect the Mistgas storage field to the company’s distribution system.

Southern California Gas’ so far ill-fated attempt to sell asmall metropolitan-based underground storage field is catchingpotential flak from regulators and nearby residents fueled by a36-page report that accuses the nation’s largest natural gasutility of unethical, if not illegal, business practices. Aprehearing conference will be convened June 11 by an administrativelaw judge at the California Public Utilities Commission to begin aninvestigation into the alleged violation of the regulatory body’srules.

Southern California Gas’ so-far ill-fated attempt to sell asmall metropolitan-based underground storage field is catchingpotential flak from regulators and nearby residents fueled by a36-page report that accuses the nation’s largest natural gasutility of unethical, if not illegal, business practices. Aprehearing conference will be convened June 11 by an administrativelaw judge at the California Public Utilities Commission to begin aninvestigation into the alleged violation the regulatory body’srules.

Plentiful amounts of gas in underground storage and relativelywarm temperatures once again had bears licking their chopsyesterday. But after two attempts failed to push the market lower,short-covering activity propelled the market higher during the lasthour of trading. December posted a 5.2-cent gain to $2.149 Tuesday,and in doing so, became the first contract since March to post again on its last trading day.

California regulators have taken steps to smooth the way for thestate’s first merchant underground natural gas storage field, thefirst wells for which are being drilled beginning this week about50 miles north of Sacramento in a depleted dry gas field in ruralnorthern California.