TransCanada’s GTN System set throughput records recently. On November 30, 2004, a record 2,881,926 Dth (2.8 Bcf) was scheduled at Kingsgate. The following day, 167,357 Dth (164.2 MMcf) was scheduled on Tuscarora Gas Transmission, also a record.

"It’s been cold in our market area, and that accounts for some of the strength we’ve been seeing lately," said Peter Lund, the GTN System’s Acting General Manager. "But the 2002 Expansion has a lot to do with these results, too. Without that expansion, the most we would be doing now is 2.65 Bcf per day at Kingsgate."

Lund also noted the strength of deliveries to the GTN System’s Pacific Northwest markets. "It is something of a milestone whenever we deliver 1 Bcf a day to non-Malin delivery points in the Northwest. We’ve done that on several days recently. Although we have reached those levels before, it has never been concurrent with deliveries in the 1.8 Bcf a day range to Malin, as well."

Jay White, market analyst in the GTN System’s Pricing and Business Analysis group, said several factors have been in alignment to generate the record throughput numbers.

"The Western Canada Sedimentary Basin has been the least expensive supply basin by far in the West for the last few weeks. That favorable pricing coincided with very cold weather in California," White said. "In late November when we were seeing the record throughput, temperatures averaged 6 degrees below normal in northern and central California and 10 degrees below normal in San Diego and Los Angeles."

At the same time, weather in alternative markets for WCSB gas in the east, mainly Chicago, has been relatively mild. "Chicago has been 4 to 6 degrees above normal lately, and that has put a big hole in heating demand in the Midwest," White said.