Gas Pipeline Rates: Capacity Reports and Index of Customers

FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION
Office of Energy Markets and Reliability

Instruction Manual for Electronic Filing of the
Index of Customers

Form Approved
OMB No. 1902-0169
(Expires 9/30/2007)

June 2000

Updated March 2006

GENERAL INFORMATION
I.

PURPOSE:

Under the authority of the Natural Gas Act (15 USC 717), the
Commission promulgated 18 CFR §284.13(c), which states that each
calendar quarter an interstate pipeline must file with the
Commission an index of all of its firm transportation and storage
customers under contract as of the first day of the calendar
quarter. The pipeline must also post an electronic format of
this information on its Internet web site (web site). The
instructions herein will provide the format for the electronic
dissemination of the data on the respondent's web site in a
downloadable file, as well as for the electronic file submitted
to the Commission.
These instructions reflect the additional filing requirements
stated in Order No. 637, issued on February 9, 2000.
II.

WHO MUST SUBMIT:

Each interstate pipeline regulated by the Commission that
provides firm transportation or storage service under Subparts B
or G of Part 284 of the Commission's regulations must file this
information and also post it on its web site.
III. WHAT TO SUBMIT:
Submit the data file on a MS-DOS formatted (or compatible)
computer diskette or compact disc (CD) according to the
electronic filing record formats prescribed herein. The diskette
must have a label affixed to it stating the respondent's name, as
well as the name of the electronic file. The CD must be enclosed
in an appropriate disc protector with a label affixed to the
protector stating the respondent's name and the name of the file.
Filings submitted on CD must also conform to the ISO 9660
standard for file directory systems.
The diskette or CD filings must be accompanied by a cover letter
stating the content of the electronic filing. The cover letter
must also include the subscription provided in Part 385.2005(a).
All data submitted will be considered non-confidential and will
be made available to the public upon request.
There is no paper format required for this data.
If the respondent submits a revised filing, the respondent must
restate the original file with all additions, deletions,
revisions, and corrections incorporated. The Header record,
specifically data items, Report Date and Original/Revised Filing
Indicator, and the filename must accurately reflect that the file
is a revision.

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IV.

WHEN TO SUBMIT:

The web site posting date and Commission filing date for this
information will be the first business day after the start of
each calendar quarter. The first day of the calendar quarters
are January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 of each year.
V.

WHERE TO SUBMIT:

(1)

Submit the electronic filing to:

Office of the Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20426
(2)

Hand deliveries can be made to:

Office of the Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Room 1-A
888 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20426
You shall not be penalized for failure to respond to this
collection of information unless the collection of information
displays a valid OMB control number.

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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
1.

The information required for this filing must be recorded in
a "TAB" delimited format with the data ordered as specified
in the Electronic Filing Format section of these
instructions. An example "TAB" delimited file adhering to
the prescribed electronic filing formats is also provided.
The "TAB" delimiter is an ASCII 9 - decimal or 09 hexadecimal character. There are two important instructions
regarding "TAB" delimited files:
A.

It is imperative the respondent realizes that the "TAB"
characters are as important as the actual data coded
onto the record. Without the correct "TAB" characters
on the record to locate and distinguish data fields,
the file cannot be data processed. The respondent must
be careful not to use a software program to create the
"TAB" delimited records which converts the "TAB"
characters into equivalent space characters (ASCII 0 decimal or 00 - hexadecimal).

B.

If a data item is not applicable, the data item must be
omitted, but the associated "TAB" character for that
item must be recorded on the record. For example,
let's assume a record consists of four data items:
company name, report year, beginning balance, and
ending balance. Further, assume that the beginning
balance field is to be left blank. Then, the structure
of the reported record would be as follows:
XYZ Natural Gas Company1996123456
The double "TAB" characters denote a null (or blank)
entry for the beginning balance data item on this
record.

2.

Each logical record should be terminated by a carriage
return (CR) character (ASCII character - 13 decimal, 0D hexadecimal) and line feed (LF) character (ASCII character
10 - decimal, 0A - hexadecimal).

3.

All information required to be filed should be recorded in
one file. The naming convention for this file is:
"INNNYYMM.TAB", where "I" is the file name indicator used
for the Index of Customers filing, "NNN" is the three-digit
FERC pipeline code for the respondent (see item 7.A. for
information on the Pipeline ID), and "YYMM" is the two digit
year and the two digit beginning month for each quarterly
submittal. If it is necessary to submit revised reports,
the file names should be "INNNYYMM.TA1", "INNNYYMM.TA2",
etc., where ".TA1" indicates the first revision, ".TA2" the
second revision, etc. For any revised reports, "YYMM" must
refer to the year and beginning month of the quarter to
which the revisions apply. The file name should be included
in the transmittal letter accompanying the respondent's
filing.

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4.

The definitions, instructions, and record type formats for
this electronic filing specify explicitly the data items to
be reported and the sequence for recording the information
on the diskette.

5.

All fields must adhere to the following conventions for
coding data on the electronic filing:

6.

7.

A.

Numeric items do not require leading zeros, unless
otherwise noted.

B.

If a data item is not applicable, its value must be
omitted by using a second "TAB" delimiter immediately
after the "TAB" delimiter of the previous data item.

C.

In accordance with 18 CFR §284.4, all quantities must
be reported in MMBtu. If the Commission has granted
the respondent a waiver of this regulation, and the
respondent reports data in Mcf, report these volumes
measured at 14.73 psia and 60 degrees Fahrenheit
rounded to the nearest Mcf.

D.

Do not include commas in reporting any numeric value.

Footnotes. Footnotes may be used to submit additional
information about any data items included in this report.
"Footnote" record is provided for this purpose.

A

Source of Codes.
A.

Pipeline ID - Use the FERC three-digit code for the
respondent's pipeline. An updated list of three-digit
codes is provided on the Commission’s web site at
http://www.ferc.gov/industries/gas/gen-info/pipecode.asp .
If your pipeline is not listed, call Tiquana Taylor at
202-502-8551 and one will be assigned.

B.

Rate Schedule - Report the respondent's own designation
for the rate schedule being reported. This rate
schedule name must be entered exactly as it is reported
in the FERC Forms Nos. 2 (or 2-A) and 11, as approved
in Order No. 581.

C.

Shipper ID - Use the unique Data Universal Numbering
System (D-U-N-S®) Number assigned by the Dun &
Bradstreet Corporation and accepted by the North
American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) as the common
code for the shipper.

D.

Point Identification Code - Use the North American
Energy Standards Board/Petroleum Information
Corporation (NAESB/PI) Data Reference Number, a one-tonine digit number also assigned by IHS (successor to
PI).

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Index of Customers
Electronic Filing Formats
Data
Type

Item
Id

Format
or Value

Max
Length

Header Record
Identifier

H

1

a
b

Pipeline Name
Pipeline Id.

Char
Num

55
3

c

Report Date

mm/dd/yyyy

10

d

Original/Revised
Filing Indicator
First Day of
Calendar Quarter

Char

1

mm/dd/yyyy

10

Unit of Measurement
for Transportation
Max Daily Quantity
Unit of Measurement
for Storage Max
Quantity
Contact Person and
Phone Number

Char

1

Char

1

Char

50

Footnote Id

Char

50

HEADER
Enter one
Header
record per
filing.

e
f
g
h
i

Item

Index of Customers Manual - June 2000

Instructions
Enter H to identify the header
information.
Enter the full legal name.
Enter the 3 digit FERC pipeline
code.
Enter using the format provided
making sure to include a 4 digit
year. Enter the date the pipeline
expects to file this report with
the Commission.
Enter O if original filing, or R
if revised filing.
Enter using the format provided
making sure to include a 4 digit
year.
Enter B if MMBtu; F if MCF; T if
Dth.
Enter B if MMBtu; F if MCF; T if
Dth.
Include full name of contact
person and telephone number,
including area code.
Enter up to 10 Footnote Id’s
separated by /. Refer to the item
footnoted in the first position of
the Footnote Id (e.g., b10
indicates footnote 10 applies to
item b. Use x if footnote applies
to entire record, e.g., x10).

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Index of Customers
Electronic Filing Formats
Data
Type

Item
Id

Detail Record
Identifier

DETAILS
Enter one
Detail
record for
each
combination
of shipper/
rate
schedule/
contract.

Item

j
ya
yb
k
yc

Shipper Name
Shipper ID
Shipper Affiliation
Indicator
Rate Schedule
Contract Number

Format
or Value

Max
Length

Instructions

D

1

Enter D to identify each record of
detailed information.

Char
Num
Y or N

75
17
1

Char

30

Char

30

Enter the full legal name.
Enter D-U-N-S® Number.
Enter Y if Shipper is an affiliate
of the Pipeline, otherwise enter N
Enter precisely as reported in
FERC Forms 2 (or 2A) and 11, as
approved in Order No. 581.
The respondent's own designation
for the contract or agreement.
Enter using the format provided
making sure to include a 4 digit
year.
Enter the expiration date of the
primary term of the contract using
the format provided, making sure
to include a 4 digit year.
If Contract Primary Term
Expiration Date has passed and
contract continues under an
"evergreen" or "roll-over"
provision, as defined in Order No.
636 (III FERC Statutes and
Regulations ¶ 30,939 at 30,445),
enter number of days in the rollover or evergreen period. (E.g.,
if contract continues on monthly
basis, enter 31; if annual, enter
365; if unknown or non-specific,
leave blank, but include pertinent
contract expiration information in
a footnote).

l

Contract Effective
Date

mm/dd/yyyy

10

m

Contract Primary
Term Expiration
Date

mm/dd/yyyy

10

n

Days Until Next
Possible Contract
Expiration

Num

5

Y or N

1

Num

15

Num

15

Char

50

yd
o
p

q

Negotiated Rates
Indicator
For Transportation,
Max Daily Quantity
For Storage, Max
Quantity

Footnote Id

Index of Customers Manual - June 2000

Enter Y if contract includes
negotiated rates, otherwise enter
N.
Enter quantity in units specified
in item f.
Enter quantity in units specified
in item g. Enter the largest
quantity of natural gas the
pipeline is obligated to store for
the shipper under the contract.
Enter up to 10 Footnote Id’s
separated by /. Refer to the item
footnoted in the first position of
the Footnote Id (e.g., yc6
indicates footnote 6 applies to
item yc. Use x if footnote applies
to entire record, e.g., x5).

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Index of Customers
Electronic Filing Formats
Data
Type

Item
Id

AGENT
Enter as
many Agent
records as
necessary to
report any
and all
Agents or
Asset
Managers
that manage
the
Shipper's
transportation and/or
storage
quantity
reported in
each Detail
record.

ye

Item
Agent or Asset
Manager Record
Identifier
Agent or Asset
Manager Name

yf

Agent or Asset
Manager Affiliation
Indicator

yg

Footnote Id

Format
or Value

Max
Length

A

1

Char

75

Y or N

1

Char

50

Instructions
Enter A to identify each record of
Agent or Asset Manager
information.
Enter the full legal name.

Enter Y if Agent or Asset Manager
is an affiliate of the Pipeline,
otherwise enter N.

Enter up to 10 Footnote Id’s
separated by /. Refer to the item
footnoted in the first position of
the Footnote Id (e.g., ye5
indicates footnote 5 applies to
item ye. Use x if footnote applies
to entire record, e.g., x5).

NOTE: The AGENT record(s) should be reported immediately following the DETAILS record to which it
applies. See the sample tab delimited file structure shown at the end of these formats for the
correct ordering of the records within the electronic file.

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Index of Customers
Electronic Filing Formats
Data
Type

Item
Id

Point Record
Identifier

POINT
Enter as
many Point
records as
necessary to
provide
complete
information
about each
primary
receipt and
delivery
point, zone
or segment
for the
transportation and/or
storage
quantity
reported in
each DETAIL
record.

Item

yh

Point Identifier
Code

Format
or Value

Max
Length

Instructions

P

1

Enter P to identify each record of
point or segment information.

Char

2

These codes are from the NAESB
Business Practice Standards Manual
relating to the Capacity Release Firm Transportation and Storage Award Notice (Award Download), N1
Record.
M2
MQ
MV
S8

-

S9 SB
IJ
WR
G1
G2

-

Receipt Point
Delivery Point
Mainline
Pipeline Segment defined by 2
Point records (second of 2
Point records)
Pipeline Segment defined by 1
Point record (or first of 2
Point records)
Storage Area
Injection Point
Withdrawal Point
Gas Transaction Point 1
Gas Transaction Point 2

yi

Point Name

Char

35

Enter the name or description of
the Point.

yj

Point
Identification Code
Qualifier

Char

2

yk

Point
Identification Code

Char

17

Enter the NAESB/PI Data Reference
Number if item yj = 29 or enter
the transporter assigned code if
item yj = 95.

yl

Zone Name

Char

20

Enter the zone name for the point
reported.

ym

For Transportation
Point, Max Daily
Quantity

Num

15

Enter quantity in units specified
in item f.

yn

For Storage Point,
Max Daily Quantity

Num

15

Enter quantity in units specified
in item g.

yo

Footnote Id

Char

50

Enter up to 10 Footnote Id’s
separated by /. Refer to the item
footnoted in the first position of
the Footnote Id (e.g., yj7
indicates footnote 7 applies to
item yj. Use x if footnote applies
to entire record, e.g., x7).

Enter 29 if item yk is a Grid
Location and Facility Code
(NAESB/PI Data Reference Number).
Enter 95 if item yk is assigned by
the transporter (Only used if item
yh = S8 or S9).

NOTE: The POINT records which pertain to the quantity reported in a specific DETAILS record should
immediately follow any AGENT record(s) applicable to that DETAILS record. If there are no AGENT
records applicable to a DETAILS record then the POINT records will immediately follow the DETAILS
record. See the sample tab delimited file structure shown at the end of these formats for the
correct ordering of the records within the electronic file.

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Index of Customers
Electronic Filing Formats
Data
Type

Item
Id

Footnote Block
Identifier

FOOTNOTES
Enter one
Footnote
record for
each 255
character
segment of a
footnote.

Item

r

Footnote Number

s

Footnote Text

Format
or Value

Max
Length

F

1

Enter F to identify each footnote
record.

Num

3

Char

255

Enter the footnote number
corresponding to any Footnote Id's
referenced in the other records.
The Footnote Number is that part
of the Footnote Id without the
Item Id character. E.g., if a
Footnote Id entered on the HEADER
record is "e1", then the Footnote
Number to report in this field is
"1".
Separate the text of a single
footnote into segments of up to
255 characters each. Enter the
same Footnote Number for each
segment of a single footnote.
It is not necessary to use all 255
characters. E.g., You may have
several lines of 80 characters for
a single footnote. Neither is it
necessary to pad a line to the
255th character.
.

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Instructions

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10

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Index of Customers
Sample Tab Delimited File
(with Tabs and CR/LF denoted schematically as [] and , respectively):
H[]ABC Pipeline Company[]123[]01/10/1996[]O[]01/01/1996[]B[]B[]John Doe 202-208-1111[]e1
D[]Shipper #1[]123454321[]N[]Rate Sched #1[]Contract #1[]1/01/1994[]1/01/2004[][]N[]1000[][]o2
A[]Agent Name #1[]N[]
P[]M2[]Receipt Location, Contract #1[]29[]11234321[]Zone 1[]1000[][]yg6
P[]MQ[]Delivery Location Contract #1[]29[]98765678[]Zone 2[]1000[][]
D[]Shipper #2[]34891234[]N[]Rate Sched #1[]Contract #2[]6/01/1994[]12/31/1994[]31[]N[]10000[][]x2
A[]Agent Name #1[]N[]ye3
A[]Agent Name #2[]Y[]ye4
P[]G1[]Transaction Point 1[]29[]44556677[]Zone 3[]10000[][]
P[]G2[]Transaction Point 2[]29[]87667855[]Zone 4[]10000[][]
D[]Shipper #2[]34891234[]N[]Rate Sched #2[]Contract #3[]3/01/1993[]12/31/2003[][]Y[][]500000[]m3/k5/p5
P[]SB[]Storage Area Name[]95[]SA864585[]Zone5[][]15000[]
F[]1[]This is the first line of footnote 1 which can continue for 255 characters
F[]1[]This is the 2nd line of footnote 1 ..................................................
F[]2[]First line of footnote 2
F[]3[]First line of footnote 3 ................................ .....................
F[]3[]2nd line of footnote 3 .............................
F[]4[]First line of footnote 4
F[]5[]First line of footnote 5 ..............................................................
F[]5[]First line of footnote 6
(and as it would appear in a text editor with tab sets denoted by !):
! !
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
H ABC Pipeline Company 123
01/10/1996 O
01/01/1996 B
B
John Doe 202-208-1111 e1
D Shipper #1
123454321 N
Rate Sched #1
Contract #1
1/01/1994
1/01/2004
N
1000
o2
A Agent Name #1
N
P M2
Receipt Location, Contract #1
29
01234321
Zone 1
1000
yg6
P MQ
Delivery Location Contract #1
29
98765678
Zone 2
1000
D Shipper #2
34891234 N
Rate Sched #1
Contract #2
6/01/1994
12/31/1994 31
N
10000
x2
A Agent Name #1
N
ye3
A Agent Name #2
Y
ye4
P G1
Transaction Point 1
29
44556677
Zone 3
10000
P G2
Transaction Point 2
29
87667855
Zone 4
10000
D Shipper #2
34891234 N
Rate Sched #2
Contract #3
3/01/1993
12/31/2003
Y
500000
m3/k5/p5
P MV
Mainline Name
29
31864585
Zone 5
15000
F 1
This is the first line of footnote 1 which can continue for up to 255 characters
F 1
This is the 2nd line of footnote 1 ..................................................
F 2
First line of footnote 2
F 3
First line of footnote 3 ................................ .....................
F 3
2nd line of footnote 3 .............................
F 4
First line of footnote 4
F 5
First line of footnote 5 ..............................................................
F 5
First line of footnote 6
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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