US municipal gas utilities report no unusual supply problems

Knoxville, Tenn. (Platts)--1Sep2005

The American Public Gas Assn, the trade group representing municipally
owned gas distribution utilities in the US, Thursday said its members outside
the US Gulf Coast region devastated by Hurricane Katrina have not reported
out-of-the-ordinary curtailments or interruptions in natural gas supply.
     APGA President and CEO Bert Kalisch also said he has received reported
that gas pipeline pressure out of the Gulf is beginning to increase, a
development he described "as good news."
     Kalisch said APGA is working to coordinate offers of help among its
member municipally-owned natural gas utilities to areas of the Gulf Coast
ravaged this week by Hurricane Katrina. 
     APGA President and CEO Bert Kalisch said there are 50 to 60 such small
utility systems in Mississippi and Louisana, the states hit hardest by the
storm. Despite repeated efforts, APGA has been unable to reach the utility
manager or any city officials in Pascagoula, Mississippi, he said Thursday.  
     That system alone has about 8,500 gas meters, he noted. "There's just no
communication at this point, no way to contact them," Kalisch said. 
     In the meantime, APGA is serving as a clearinghouse for requests for
help, and matching them with numerous offers of assistance in the way of
manpower and equipment from members. Kalisch said efforts are underway by
privately owned Mobile Gas, in Mobile, Alabama, to have that utiilty serve as
a "staging area" for repair efforts. "We stand ready to go down and offer
support; we just need to get it coordinated," he said.

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