BP Energy Recommends Competitive Bidding Procedures for Questar Pipeline to Follow in In-Kind Natural Gas Sales and Transportation and Future Operational Gas Transactions; Questar Insists Rigid Auction Is Not Necessary

摘要

BP Energy Co. is protesting certain proposed tariff language filed by Questar Pipeline Co. (RP09-882) on 8/10/09 that would authorize Questar to sell gas that the pipeline recovers as in-kind reimbursement for processing-related costs associated with Questar's Clay Basin storage facility. BP says it does not oppose Questar having the ability to sell in-kind gas received from shippers at the storage facilities and is not attempting to change the Clay Basin settlement (RP07-606) approved by the Commission in 2007. However, the shipper asked the Commission to clarify the procedures that apply to Questar's sales of in-kind reimbursement gas since none were specified as part of the Clay Basin settlement. Additionally, Questar should revise its tariff to provide: (1) competitive bidding for each sale of in-kind gas; (2) an unbundling of the in-kind gas sale and transportation; (3) a scheduling priority for the delivery of the purchased in-kind gas based on the shipper's transportation/storage agreement, "with no discounted transportation offered as an incentive to purchase the gas"; and (4) posting of information on each in-kind gas sale in advance and within two business days of the completion of the transaction.