Without actually issuing a Type 6 OFO, Southern Natural Gas said Friday that based on current receipts and projected deliveries, one was “too close to call” for long imbalances Saturday and Sunday. It noted that its tariff “provides that a Type 6 OFO can be implemented on four hours notice or less depending on the situation.”

Northwest said Friday it would be installing new bearings in Unit #1 at Vernal (UT) Compressor Station over the weekend and planned to test the unit Monday. If the vibration issues are resolved, the unit will be placed back into service Tuesday. Vernal capacity will remain at 319,000 Dth/d until the unit is back online and full design capacity is restored, Northwest said, adding this is unlikely to occur before Timely nominations for Tuesday’s gas day. Due to unavailability of parts, Vernal’s Unit #2 is expected to be out of service for an additional two weeks, the pipeline said, but it can support the station’s full design capacity of 333,000 Dth/d with one unit and the mobile compression that has been installed at the site.

Northwest also reminded customers that the liquefaction period (the seven months from April 1 through Oct. 31) at Plymouth LNG Facility would begin Saturday (April 1). Northwest noted that under its tariff, it may permit a shipper to nominate gas out of the shipper’s Storage Capacity Balance during the liquefaction period if vaporization and delivery do not adversely affect Northwest operations or that of other shippers. “In an effort to keep customer nominations whole, Northwest has incurred a slight positive imbalance at Plymouth,” the pipeline said. As of April 1 it was not allowing shippers to withdraw during the liquefaction period until the imbalance is eliminated. Once the imbalance is eliminated, Northwest said, it will once again work with shippers who request a withdrawal during the injection period.

Citing weather conditions and dive boat availability, Northern Natural Gas said it anticipated having a dive boat arrive on-site Monday to close the subsea valve at Matagorda Block 758 on the Matagorda Offshore Pipeline System, which Northern operates. A force majeure was declared for MOPS as March began when a leak was detected upstream of the Matagorda 686 platform (see Daily GPI, March 2). Thirteen receipt point meters have been shut in since then; three must remain shut in following the valve closure until repairs are completed.

Gulf South will begin six days of scheduled maintenance Tuesday on the Davison 12-inch diameter line (Index 196) in the Lake Charles, LA area. Gulf South will have a force majeure in effect during this time and said the work will affect its ability to provide service at nine locations in the area.

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