Saying it was “experiencing significant linepack loss in the middle of the system while withdrawing at maximum rates from all storage fields,” Tennessee issued an OFO Balancing Alert Friday for all LMS-MA Balancing Parties with meters located in Zones 1 through 4 or in Zone 5 upstream of the Checks (Main Line Valves 245 and 321). Penalties of $15/Dth plus the applicable regional daily spot price will be assessed on shippers whose takes exceed the greater of 500 dekatherms or 102% over scheduled quantities. Penalties will not apply to customers who overdeliver into the system or undertake out of the system, Tennessee said.

East Tennessee Natural Gas, citing a supply shortfall from Tennessee that was “degrading linepack and pressures on the ETNG system,” asked Friday for “voluntary assistance from all customers to restrict takes and/or switch to alternate supplies to the maximum extent possible.”

As it had anticipated the day before, Florida Gas Transmission tightened the tolerance for negative daily imbalances under an Overage Alert Day notice from 15% to 2% Friday.

MRT lifted Saturday the System Protection Warning it had placed into effect Jan. 10.

Sonat said Friday that chances of an OFO Type 3 remaining in effect for eight system groups through Monday were “highly likely,” although its “confidence factor” in the forecast was falling to medium and low for Sunday’s and Monday’s gas days respectively.

Due to adverse operating conditions in Wisconsin, ANR issued an OFO late Thursday in which it curtailed Interruptible and Firm Secondary deliveries for the remainder of that gas day and Friday. Citing improvement in Wisconsin operations, ANR said Friday it would begin scheduling Firm Secondary nominations for delivery into the state for the start of Saturday’s gas day, but did not anticipate resuming Interruptible services until after the weekend.

Tennessee, which had expected to return its Bay Marchand 5 platform offshore southeast Louisiana to service by Saturday (see Daily GPI, Jan. 22), said Friday the expected in-service date has now been delayed until at least “Chart Time” Monday. Bay Marchand 5 and six other upstream meters remain shut in until then.

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