[en] This economic study summarizes the evolution of gas prices from September 1996 to September 1997 in a selected panel of European and Non-European countries (Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Finland, UK, Canada, USA, South Africa, Australia). (J.S.)

[en] This paper deals with future organization of the Norwegian gas sale. The author gives at first a brief review of the Norwegian gas sale, and then a discussion on which type of criteria being based on by evaluation of models for the Norwegian gas sale. A comparison on which type of criteria used in other gas supplying countries is discussed. The author discusses tendencies of development in the international market including Europe, and is questioning if the existing system of gas sale is prepared to meet future challenges. Several types of proposals are presented to solve these challenges. 5 figs

[en] Deepwater exploration and production activity in the Gulf of Mexico has given new life to the natural gas business in South Louisiana. Natural gas liquids (NGL) supply is expected to dramatically increase in South Louisiana with these deepwater discoveries. The natural gas and natural gas liquids industry is responding to these forecasts of substantially higher volumes of liquids with expansions, new construction and speculation to the effects on the NGL market. Texaco's solution for the forecasted changes in the NGL business is the TENDS project. This project expands Texaco's Bridgeline NGL distribution system into a pipeline network to distribute natural gas liquids from supply sources to markets across South Louisiana

[en] This article recapitulates the content of the directive on the 'internal gas market', recalls the spirit of co-operation established with a view to developing the future gas system in France, and puts forward some to the questions raised within the framework of this co-operation. These include: public utilities, third party access to networks, the definition of future 'eligible consumers', the regulation necessary for the correct operation of the gas market on a competitive basis, and the development of French gas operators throughout the world. (author)

[en] In this book the author deals with the supply and the demand forecast of gas for 2020 and evaluate the risks of a possible european dependence towards the importations outside of Europe OECD. The following subjects are also considered: the gas and petroleum prices evolution, the supplying reliability, the european regulation and the specific question of the natural gas liquids. (A.L.B.)

[en] The body of legal regulations reaches from general power economy laws to technical safety and environmental laws as well as to laws on construction regulations. The legal regulations laid down by the European Community in regard to the creation of a European single market are of increasing significance. The book wants to give basic information on the relevant legal areas and makes it easier to understand the structure and the systematics of the laws on power supply technology. It does so by differentiating three areas: - Survey of the legal regulatory framework: - Depiction of the basis of energy laws and the questions which arise from the practical work of the energy control board: - Survey of the technical safety and emission control laws in regard to natural-gas distribution by public utilities. (orig.)

[en] In today's competitive gas gathering, processing, storage and transportation business environment, the requirements to do business are continually changing. These changes arise from government regulations such as the amendments to the Clean Air Act concerning the environment and FERC Order 636 concerning business practices. Other changes are due to advances in technology such as electronic flow measurement (EFM) and real-time communications capabilities within the gas industry. Gas gathering, processing, storage and transportation companies must be flexible in adapting to these changes to remain competitive. These dynamic requirements can be met with an open, real-time gas management computer information system. Such a system provides flexible services with a variety of software applications. Allocations, nominations management and gas dispatching are examples of applications that are provided on a real-time basis. By providing real-time services, the gas management system enables operations personnel to make timely adjustments within the current accounting period. Benefits realized from implementing a real-time gas management system include reduced unaccountable gas, reduced imbalance penalties, reduced regulatory violations, improved facility operations and better service to customers. These benefits give a company the competitive edge. This article discusses the applications provided, the benefits from implementing a real-time gas management system, and the definition of such a system

[en] The joint venture company BULSOFGAS, representing the interests of SOFREGAS (France) and GAZSTROJMONTAZH (Bulgaria) have investigated in 1991 the natural gas usage in household sector in the towns of Montana and Blagoevgrad. The results received show the necessity of introducing a new pricing policy directed to different consumers' groups. The solving of this problem will contribute to: 1) creating possibilities for financing the projects, their realisation and motivation of users; 2) generating preconditions for setting up domestic corporations involved in organizing, financing and operation of urban gas supply networks; 3) more efficient and economically beneficial usage of energy sources at a significantly higher comfort. A special attention is paid to the government activities in this matter. (orig.)

[en] The report describes the joint study of the Bulgarian companies ENERGOPROEKT and NITI ENERGETIKA aiming at setting up a National Program for Development of Gas Supply System in the Public and Household Sector. The difficulties facing heat supply impose an alternative option of district heating and electricity supply - the direct natural gas supply to appropriate townships and residential districts. The effects from its use are: decrease in electric power system's peak load; reduced investments by 3.5-4 times compared to those for building new capabilities; introduction of individual regulators and gas meters for energy consumption. The gas-supplied homes will pay about 50% less than homes with district heating which is due both to the potential for individual regulation and the higher effectiveness of the system. Some organizational problems connected with regulatory documentation, price and tariff policy, competition and coordination of the licensing activities, investments and marketing are discussed

[en] When Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order 636 placed new competitive demands on the buyers, sellers and traders of natural gas, the industry realized it needed to find new faster ways of making transactions. It has, and they are called hubs. With Order 636 and the advent of greater open-market trading, new hubs--so-called market centers--began sprouting throughout the nation's market and end-use regions, as well as in the supply regions. Local distribution companies (LDCs) began to see a market for selling such services as wheeling and balancing--often performed as part of a pipeline's tariff in the capacity-rich producing regions--to customers in end-use areas, where capacity is at more of a premium. Developing a marketing hub could also be considered a defensive move: Despite today's competitive market, LDCs must still serve their ratepayers at a reasonable cost, and a successful market hub can help keep rates low. The paper discusses the development of hubs in various regions of the US, the types of services being offered, and the start-up problems that they are overcoming