El Paso Receives Requests for 9.7 Bcf/d of Capacity 
El Paso Natural Gas reported yesterday that it received 127 shipper requests for a total of 9.7 Bcf/d of firm transportation capacity in its recent open season. A total of 76 responses were received requesting 4.5 Bcf/d for deliveries to the border or inside the State of California and a total of 51 responses were received requesting a volume of 5.2 Bcf/d for deliveries to states east of California. 
Perhaps understating the significance of the response, El Paso Natural Gas President Patricia Shelton said the company was "pleased." 
"We are willing to expand our system if this strong showing of support from the marketplace results in sufficient binding commitments," she added. 
During open seasons, shippers typically request far more capacity than they're willing to pay for, but the tremendous response does indicate the need for a substantial expansion. This open season allowed parties to express "non-binding" interest in transportation service. It also allowed current shippers to express their non-binding interest in relinquishing some or all of their existing capacity that might be used to serve proposed new loads. However, no current shipper indicated a desire to relinquish any of its existing capacity, El Paso said. 
The pipeline now will begin negotiating binding agreements with the responding parties and identifying appropriate facilities to possibly expand its system. Upon execution of firm transportation service agreements, the company will finalize the optimum facility design and then file a project with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. 
Shippers with questions should contact Jerry W. Strange, director of transportation marketing at (915) 496-3139.