Due to forecasts of colder weather, a System Protection Warningtakes effect today until further notice for MRT’s mainline north ofthe Glendale (AR) Station. MRT recommended that customers withinterruptible and Authorized Overrun gas on the mainline re-sourcethose volumes to the East Line. The East Line is a lateral about 90miles long from Trunkline in central Illinois east to the St. Louisarea, connecting with NGPL along the way. If excess volumescontinue on the mainline, MRT said, it will issue an OFOrestricting that line to FT only.

Pacific Gas & Electric issued a low-inventory Stage 1 OFOfor today; it carries penalties of $1/dth for negative dailyimbalances exceeding a 3% tolerance. The utility projected linepackat least 150 MMcf less than its target through Thursday.

El Paso is holding an open season through Jan. 7 to solicitinterest in capacity on a proposed new pipeline between NewMexico’s Raton Basin and connections with El Paso and NorthernNatural Gas in Moore County, TX. A name for the line has not beenchosen yet, but it is being referred to as the Dumas GasTransmission Project. El Paso proposes to build 185 miles of24-inch pipe from a point in Van Bremmer Canyon (Colfax County, NM)to interconnects with El Paso and NNG near Dumas, TX. Based on FTcontracts resulting from the open season, El Paso expects to file aconstruction application with FERC in the first quarter of 2000 andcomplete the facilities as early as July 1, 2001. Call JerryStrange at (915) 496-3139 or Harvey Rodman at -5055 for moreinformation.

The wholesale marketing and sales department of New CenturyEnergies (Public Service Co. of Colorado, Cheyenne Light Fuel &Power and Southwest Public Service) will relocate its operations inDenver Friday. Due to estimated computer downtime, Dec. 17-21nominations for those systems are due by 10:30 a.m. MST today (viafax) or Thursday (via Pronto III). Friday and Monday will beconsidered company holidays for scheduling purposes, so nonomination changes can be made on those days. Barring unforeseencircumstances, the normal schedule will resume Tuesday.

El Paso will take Guadalupe Station down for scrubbermaintenance Dec. 18-19, reducing South Mainline capacity by 200MMcf/d at the Pecos River node and limiting withdrawals fromWashington Ranch Storage Facility. The pipeline rescheduledmaintenance on Roswell Station’s #1 compressor from Dec. 29 to Dec.21; that work will cut San Juan Crossover capacity by 30 MMcf/d.

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