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NGI's Daily Gas Price =
Index
published : March 19, 2010
NAESB Revised Standards for Pipelines Clear = Regulatory=20 HurdleFERC Thursday approved several revised = standards for=20 business practices of interstate natural gas pipelines, which = Commissioner=20 Phillip Moeller acknowledged that while "maybe not glamorous are = still=20 essential to a safe and efficient pipeline operation." The revised standards, which were developed by = the North=20 American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) and approved by the = Federal Energy=20 Regulatory Commission (FERC) in a final rule, would allow the use = of price=20 indexes to price capacity-release transactions and to "afford = greater=20 flexibility [at] receipt and delivery points for redirect of = scheduled gas=20 quantities," FERC staff said. The revised standards also reflect the = Commission's=20 finding in recent orders for coordination of communications = between=20 natural gas pipelines and electric utilities on standards of = conduct,=20 capacity release and on damage reports, according to FERC = [RM96-1]. In addition, the final rule issued Thursday = ends a=20 multi-year effort to establish more flexible intraday natural gas=20 scheduling practices. It found that "none of the nationwide = scheduling=20 solutions [that were examined] is superior to the balance between = the=20 users of firm and interruptible services provided by the current=20 standards," FERC staff said. "NAESB natural gas and electricity industry = members=20 worked together for several years seeking a consensus [intraday=20 scheduling] standard. However, they failed to find a consensus = method that=20 would add greater flexibility for some shippers without imposing = greater=20 burdens on other shippers," the agency said. The final rule also accepts the consensus = business=20 practice standard on gas quality issues, finding that the existing = practices are "sufficient." The Commission issued the final rule only four = months=20 after adopting the notice of proposed rulemaking on the business = practice=20 standards. The final rule requires interstate pipelines to file = tariff=20 sheets reflecting these change standards by Sept. 1, with the = revised=20 standards to take effect Nov. 1. Pipelines will be required to = begin=20 implementing the revisions on Nov. 1. =A9Copyright 2010 Intelligence Press = Inc. All=20 rights reserved. The preceding news report may not be republished = or=20 redistributed, in whole or in part, in any form, without prior = written=20 consent of Intelligence Press, Inc. ![](3D"http://static.ngigpi.com/img/print.gif") Copyright =A92010 Intelligence Press Inc. All rights=20
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