Southern Natural Gas reported experiencing receipts in excess of scheduled quantities and pipeline capacity west of the Onward Compressor Station in North Louisiana since station capacity was reduced Oct. 1. The capacity cut resulted from an operational change required to ensure that Southern is able to provide firm storage withdrawals during the upcoming winter, the pipeline said. Because receipts in excess of capacity can threaten system integrity, Southern said it was implementing a Type 5 OFO effective with the start of Saturday’s gas day until further notice. The OFO applies to all receipt points upstream of Onward and affects only shippers with long imbalances. Any receipts that exceed nominations above a 4% tolerance will be subject to penalties of $15/Dth.

Southern also said it would complete a shut-in test of the Muldon (MS) Storage Facility on Saturday — three days earlier than originally scheduled, as it had hoped when the test began (see Daily GPI, Oct. 4). The related force majeure was to be canceled effective with the start of Saturday’s gas day and constraints on daily injection/withdrawal quantities would cease, Southern said. A similar test of the Bear Creek Storage Facility in North Louisiana is set for Oct. 18-24.

Northwest planned to reduce available capacity at the Vernal (UT) Compressor Station from 360,000 Dth/d to 340,000 Dth/d Saturday (Oct. 8). “As we head into the winter heating season, Northwest will continue to adjust its system throughputs in reaction to changing customer demands,” the pipeline said. “For example, as Clay Basin [storage] nominations change from injections to withdrawals, the Green River North constraint point will most likely be the constraint point for northbound nominations on the south end of the system.” Northwest said that in an effort to reduce the possibility of an OFO on its south end, it will cut alternate north-flow nominations at the Rangely and Vernal Compressor Stations along with the Green River South and North constraint points. The pipeline also reminded customers of scheduled pipe replacements on Oct. 13, during which no mainline flow will be possible just south of the Sand Springs receipt point. It expects this to increase nominations through the aforementioned constraint points, so Northwest suggested that customers realign supply to points north of Green River to avoid impacts.

NGPL reported completion of repairs to hurricane-damaged facilities and said all compressor stations were available for operation Friday, including Station 343, where the electric units had been down earlier in the week (see Daily GPI, Oct. 7). “All points are currently available up to their normal capacity, subject to confirmations,” the pipeline added. Effective with Friday’s Intraday I cycle, it was scheduling 100% (previously 85%) of the aggregate Segment 25 contract primary Maximum Daily Quantity for gas nominated through Station 302 for delivery on the Louisiana Line.

Due to a pipeline cleaning project, Texas Eastern restricted receipt points to zero through Monday (Oct. 10) on its 20-inch diameter line between the Joaquin and Longview stations in East Texas.

Saying it had completed inspections on several portions of its system affected by Hurricane Rita, Transco resumed allowing nominations Friday from onshore and offshore locations on its Central Louisiana Lateral. This affects the following offshore blocks, Transco said: East Cameron 38, 57, 89 and 109; and Vermilion 16, 22, 39/23, 67/76, 77/84, 78, 83, 87, 102A, 129 and 131. However, the pipeline urged shippers to check with producers before nominating supplies from these locations because although its facilities are operational, “individual locations may be unable to produce because of damage to the production platforms.” Transco added that it has updated the list of facilities that are allowed to nominate supplies from the Southeast Louisiana Lateral, and customers should refer to the nominations system for those locations where flows are still barred. Transco said it has no estimate at this time of when production facilities on the North High Island and West Cameron laterals will be allowed to flow again.

Dominion restricted its Tetco [Texas Eastern] Leidy and Transco Leidy meters to primary-only receipts Saturday to enable Dominion to perform fall storage tests on the Leidy, PA storage complex. Dominion expects the restriction to remain in effect through next Friday.

Columbia Gulf said Friday it was not accepting delivery nominations to the ANR-Patterson meter station in South Louisiana until further notice.

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