Utilization

Columbia Gas Transmission said based on forecasts, available facilities and capacity utilization, it projects that all available capacity to most of its market areas will be required to meet firm service obligations, leaving no excess capacity. Therefore, zero non-firm capacity is available to the those areas.

Columbia Gas said Wednesday’s gas day will be deemed a “Critical Day” in Market Areas 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33 and 34. Based on forecasted markets, available facilities and capacity utilization, Columbia projected that all available capacity in those areas will be required to meet firm service obligations, and thus zero nonfirm capacity will be available. Shippers with primary firm or secondary priority rights will not be impacted.

Based on forecasted markets, available facilities and capacity utilization, Columbia Gas designated Tuesday as a “Critical Day” in Market Areas 21 (southeast New York), 33 and 34 (both southeast Virginia). The pipeline projects that all available capacity to those market areas will be required to meet firm service obligations, leaving zero nonfirm capacity available. Shippers with primary firm rights or secondary priority rights to the affected market areas will not be impacted.

CenterPoint declared a Critical Period Thursday, saying its system is fully subscribed and operating at or near full utilization, and thus it “is requiring customers systemwide, particularly those whose swings can cause operational difficulties…to take deliveries as close to ratably as possible throughout the day during the period that this alert is in effect.” CenterPoint said it will not allow shipper’ takes to exceed hourly ratable entitlements (based on nominated and scheduled quantities) by more than 5% in any hour at the Perryville Hub, 20% in any hour for the North Louisiana and East Texas Core and Secondary systems, and 50% per hour for the remainder of the system.

Terra Industries Inc. a leading world producer of nitrogen products, has lowered the utilization of each of its North American plants by 10% in response to the run-up in natural gas prices following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, said company President Michael Bennett Monday.

Florida Gas Transmission declared an overage alert day Friday with a 10% tolerance. FGT said capacity utilization was at maximum. Market area temperatures were expected to be about 90 degrees, and linepack is low.