Nick Snow
Washington Correspondent
WASHINGTON, DC, June 5 -- The associations representing US interstate natural gas pipelines and local distribution companies have called for a pipeline-by-pipeline approach to gas quality issues.
The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America and the American Gas Association endorsed the concept in a joint statement they filed June 2 with the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
INGAA and AGA began with a proposed Natural Gas Council "Plus" technical framework on hydrocarbon liquid dropout and interchangeability specifications, INGAA Pres. Donald F. Santa Jr. and AGA Pres. David N. Parker said in a cover letter.
The associations said NGC white papers have created a technical framework for establishing the specifications. They also said standards of the North American Energy Standards Board provide customers information about the current quality of pipeline gas.
The statement urges pipelines and customers to notify each other promptly if they want to discuss hydrocarbon liquid dropout and interchangeability specifications. The discussions might lead to tariff revisions.
A pipeline would not be required to initiate gas quality discussions if no customer has expressed concern, the statement said.
Contact Nick Snow at [email protected].