U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Electricity, Delivery and
Energy Reliability

ENERGY ASSURANCE DAILY

July 6, 2005

Highlights

Tropical Storm Cindy Causes Nearly 300,000 to Go Without Power

Heavy rain and storm surges left over a quarter million homes and businesses throughout Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi without power by early Wednesday. Entergy reported about 250,000 Louisiana customers were without power; Alabama Power Company reported that up to 35,000 customers lost electricity; and Mississippi Power Company reported an estimated 7,000 customers without power during the storm’s peak. Another storm, Tropical Storm Dennis, is expected to reach the Gulf of Mexico by this weekend and may strengthen to hurricane status.

http://wjz.com/localstories/local_story_187122236.html

Crude Oil Surges Amid Fears of Tropical Storm Dennis Disrupting Supplies

Crude oil reached a record $61.35 a barrel in NY this afternoon as Tropical Storm Cindy shut refinery units and speculation arose that Tropical Storm Dennis may disrupt supply and refinery output along the Gulf Coast by the end of this week. Gasoline and heating oil also rose to records as refineries shut down due to Tropical Storm Cindy.

Bloomberg 14:53, July 6, 2005

Electricity

14,000 Dominion Customers Without Power in Charlottesville, Virginia, Late Tuesday

A powerful storm, which swept through Charlottesville late Tuesday, caused 14,000 Dominion Virginia Power customers to lose electricity, with the downtown and university areas hit the hardest. Power is expected to be restored by late Wednesday.
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031783671403

750 MW Gas-fired Power Plant to Open in New York

Public Service Enterprise Group Inc will bring the unit into commercial operation next week. The unit is located on the site of a former oil-fired plant near the city of Bethlehem.

Bloomberg News 14:15, July 6, 2005

Pinnacle West’s 1,247 MW Palo Verde Nuke Unit 3 in Arizona Shut July 5

Palo Verde’s Unit 3 was shut down July 5 to replace an oil seal on a reactor coolant pump. The unit is expected to return to service next week.

Reuters 14:16, July 6, 2005

Update - Entergy’s 978 MW River Bend Nuke in Louisiana at 100%

Entergy’s River Bend nuclear power plant operated at 100 percent early Wednesday after being shut June 22 to fix a hydrogen leak in the main generator.

Reuters, 14:25, July 06, 2005

Petroleum

Some Oil Production Shut in as Tropical Storm Cindy Passes Through Gulf

Tropical Storm Cindy shut 13 percent (more than 190,500 barrels per day) of daily gulf oil production according to the Minerals Management Service.

Reuters 14:47, July 06, 2005

Update - Oil Workers Head Back to Platforms

Marathon, Total, Shell, BP and Chevron personnel located on rigs and platforms in the Gulf of Mexico returned to work Wednesday after production was shut due to Tropical Storm Cindy.

Reuters 10:25, July 6, 2005

Louisiana Refineries Affected by Tropical Storm Cindy July 6

Motiva’s 227,000 bpd Norco refinery shut some units due to a power outage. The 190,000 bpd Chalmette refinery reduced production. Valero’s 85,000 bpd Krotz Springs and 190,000 bpd St. Charles refineries both reduced production and the 120,000 bpd Murphy Oil refinery in Meraux shut due to a power outage. The refineries restarted later the same day.

Reuters 14:34, July 6, 2005

LOOP to Reopen Wednesday Afternoon

The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) expected to reopen Wednesday afternoon after closing Tuesday as a precaution against Tropical Storm Cindy. The LOOP is keeping watch on Tropical Storm Dennis.

Reuters 10:12, July 6, 2005

Natural Gas

Natural Gas Prices Rise Amid Concern that Tropical Storm Dennis Will Disrupt Output

For a third straight session, natural gas prices rose amid concern that output in offshore fields will be disrupted due to Tropical Storm Dennis, which may strengthen to hurricane status by the end of this week. See “Energy Prices” below.

Bloomberg 14:51, July 6, 2005

Natural Gas Companies Shut in Some Production as Tropical Storm Cindy Passes Through the Gulf

Tropical Strom Cindy shut in more than 7.5 percent (753 million cubic feet per day) of daily natural gas production in the Gulf due to Tropical Storm Cindy.

Reuters 14:47, July 06, 2005

Other News

Nothing to report.

Energy Prices

Latest (07/06/05) / Week Ago / Year Ago
CRUDE OIL
West Texas Intermediate US
$/Barrel / 60.60 / 57.26 / 39.56
NATURAL GAS
Henry Hub
$/Million Btu / 7.38 / 7.04 / 6.16

Source: Reuters

This Week in Petroleum from the Energy Information Administration (EIA)

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/twip/twip.asp

Updated on Wednesdays

Weekly Petroleum Status Report from EIA
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/weekly_petroleum_status_report/wpsr.html

Updated after 1:00pm (Eastern time) on Wednesdays

Natural Gas Weekly Update from EIA

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/ngw/ngupdate.asp

Updated after 2:00 pm (Eastern time) on Thursdays

ENSEC threat awareness blog site from Energy Assurance

http://ensec.blogspot.com