After ending a previous Overage Alert Day Wednesday, Florida Gas Transmission declared a new one for market-area customers Thursday, citing forecasts of Florida highs in the 90s and heavy utilitization of pipeline capacity. The tolerance for negative daily imbalances was set at 15%.

Due to limited operational flexibility, high storage levels and mild weather, Tennessee said a systemwide OFO Action Alert will take effect Sunday “for all Balancing Parties (including LMS-PA, SA contracts acting as balancing parties, LMS-MA and LMS-PL balancing parties).” It will penalize positive daily imbalances exceeding 5% of scheduled quantities or 500 Dth, whichever is greater, for overdeliveries into the system and undertakes from the system. “In the event the OFO Action Alert is not sufficient to maintain the operational integrity of the system, Tennessee may issue a Critical Day or an OFO Balancing Alert,” the pipeline said, adding that also effective Sunday it will not accept nominations for Park services or Loan paybacks.

Northwest said its balancing flexibility is very limited leading up to the Jackson Prairie annual bottom hole test, which is scheduled for Oct. 1-5 and will require a shut-in of the storage facility. Northwest asked shippers “to stay on rate over the next couple of weeks,” and said that to the extent excessive banking or drafting occurs, it may need to cut alternate gas flowing northward or implement customer-specific entitlements.

Noting that it had issued Type 6 OFOs on Sept. 2 and Sept. 11 to be effective Sept. 4-6 and Sept. 12-13, respectively, Southern Natural Gas said its system test process provides that in the event that the actual overall system imbalance “is opposite the direction of the notice,” shippers/pooler will not be penalized. Preliminary data indicates that the system test was met on all of the OFO days, Southern said, and therefore it does not expect to bill any OFO penalties, although a final determination will not be made until after the Oct. 6 measurement close.

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