Williams Partners Transco Pipeline delivered a system-record volume of natural gas on Jan. 22 of 10.4 million Dth as gas demand and prices in Eastern Seaboard markets spiked amid bitterly cold temperatures.

The new record surpassed the previous record of 9.7 million Dth set early last year. Transco also set a three-day delivery record Tuesday through Thursday, Jan. 22-24, averaging 9.9 million Dth/d,

The cold front that swept through the Northeast forced Transco to issue a system-wide imbalance operational flow order for gas day Jan. 24, which was lifted for the following gas day. The demand spike and constraints caused prices on the pipeline to shoot higher.

Gas bound for New York City at Transco Zone 6 NY shot $6.56 higher than the previous day, to $22.26, NGI reported on Jan. 23 (see Daily GPI, Jan. 23).

“Points serviced by Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line, or Transco, were especially hard hit following a system-wide operational flow order (OFO),” NGI reported the following day (see Daily GPI, Jan. 24).

Transco was not alone, however. The brutal burst of winter cold that locked down over much of the East for several days pushed a handful of other northeastern natural gas delivery points to record highs for several days, according to NGI data.

Four northeastern points erased all-time record highs set Tuesday with new marks on Wednesday for Thursday delivery. Iroquois Zone 1 in New England gained $13.06 to average $29.94, while Iroquois Waddington added $5.32 to average $25.05. Tennessee Zone 5 200 Line increased by $6.42 to a new high of $19.46 and Tennessee Zone 6 200 Line bumped higher by $10.95 to $31.73.

Transco’s Jan. 22 record volume represents enough gas to heat more than 45 million U.S. homes. The 10.4 Dth is about 106% of firm contract demand on the Transco pipeline. Transco’s storage services were instrumental in meeting demand and maintaining prescribed operating pressure, the pipeline said.

“The recent cold wave in the Northeast is another reminder of the importance of adequate infrastructure in meeting our country’s energy demand,” said Rory Miller, senior vice president of Williams Partners’ Atlantic-Gulf operating area. “With growing demand for natural gas to serve winter heating loads and cleaner-burning power generation, it is vital that we continue to develop pipeline and other infrastructure to reliably meet these needs.”

Williams Partners plans to expand Transco’s daily capacity by nearly 2 million Dth by 2015. This amount of new capacity is roughly equal to the amount of new daily capacity that Transco has placed into service over the past five years.

The 10,000-mile Transco system extends from South Texas to New York.

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