![](media/image1.jpeg){width="8.5in" height="3.5027777777777778in"}U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

**Office of Electricity, Delivery and\
Energy Reliability**

**ENERGY ASSURANCE DAILY**

**July 20, 2005**

**Highlights/Major Development**

**Update: Hurricane Emily**

**Gulf of Mexico Shut-in Production MMS release #3309**

The Minerals Management Service has released its third report on the
status of oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico relating to
Hurricane Emily. Based on the latest available data from the MMS, 8.91%
of 819 manned platforms and 10.22% of 137 rigs currently operating in
the GOM have been evacuated. Shut in oil production is equivalent to
5.85% of daily production, and shut-in gas is 6.16% of daily production.
Cumulative shut-in oil production for the period 7/18/05-7/20/05 is
215,478 bbls, equivalent to 0.039% of yearly oil production in the Gulf
of Mexico. Cumulative shut-in gas production from 7/18/05-7/20/05 is
1.376 BCF, equivalent to 0.038% of yearly gas production in the Gulf of
Mexico.

**This survey contains information from 27 companies as of 11:30 a.m.
Central Time.**

  --------------- ----------- ----------- --------------- ----------- ----------- -----------
  **Districts**   **Lake      **Lake      **Lafayette**   **Houma**   **New       **Total**
                  Jackson**   Charles**                               Orleans**   

  **Platforms     54          10          5               4           0           73
  Evacuated**                                                                     

  **Rigs          5           4           2               3           0           14
  Evacuated**                                                                     

  ** **                                                                            

  **Oil, BOPD     86,414      785         481             0           0           87,680
  Shut-in**                                                                       

  **Gas, MMCF/D   576.73      22.60       17.00           0.00        0.00        616.33
  Shut-In**                                                                       
  --------------- ----------- ----------- --------------- ----------- ----------- -----------

<http://www.mms.gov/ooc/press/2005/press0720.htm>

**Other Sources**

**Hurricane Emily Public Advisory Number 40A**

Hurricane Emily has been downgraded to a Category 1 over northeastern
Mexico. A hurricane warning remains in effect for northeastern Mexico. A
tropical storm warning is now in effect from Port Mansfield, Texas,
southward to the Texas/Mexico border. At 1 pm CDT the center of Emily
was located about 85 miles south-southwest of McAllen, Texas. Emily is
moving towards the west, taking Emily farther inland across northeastern
Mexico. Maximum sustained winds are near 80 mph.\
<http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT5+shtml/191859.shtml>

### As Emily Passes, Companies Begin Returning Worker to Gulf

BP and ConocoPhillips announced that they were in the process of
returning workers to offshore facilities in the far western Gulf of
Mexico that had been evacuated as hurricane Emily approached.

Reuters 12:54, July 20, 2005

######## Electricity

### Surface Transportation Board Chair Warns of Coal Shortages

Roger Nober, chairman of the Surface Transportation Board, warned that
shrinking coal supplies could result in brownouts later this summer.
Coal shipments have been hindered due to extensive repairs needed on a
major rail route from mines in Wyoming to markets in the Midwest and
east. Railroads are rationing coal to utility customers and have warned
that the repairs may not be completed before the end of this year. Nober
indicated that the situation is improving but also stated that the Board
will closely monitor the situation to ensure that the coal is equitably
allocated.

<http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2005-07-18T233259Z_01_N18188282_RTRIDST_0_ENERGY-BROWNOUTS-UPDATE-3.XML>

**Con Edison Electricity Usage Reaches All-Time Peak Demand**

On Tuesday, Con Edison set a new company record for electric demand when
it provided 12,250 megawatts to New York City and Westchester County
residents. Con Edison's new record surpassed its previous record of
12,207 set on August 9, 2001. Three of Con Edison's ten largest-ever
electric peak loads have been reached this summer.

<http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=ind_focus.story&STORY=/www/story/07-19-2005/0004070274&EDATE=TUE+Jul+19+2005,+03:45+PM>

**Aquila's Southern Colorado Network Reaches All-Time Peak Demand**

Last Thursday, soaring temperatures and very high cooling demand in
Colorado resulted in an unprecedented peak of 349 megawatts on Aquila's
Southern Colorado, which serves Pueblo, Rocky Ford, Canyon City and the
Cripple Creek/Victor Area. The system's previous record was set on July
15, 2004.

[http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5BeclrnrqSTnk%7DGJ%7Bbfek%5Cv](http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp^%5BeclrnrqSTnk}GJ{bfek\v)

**We Energies Reaches All-Time Peak Demand**

We Energies in Southeastern Wisconsin recorded its record-high demand of
5,315 megawatts on Saturday as customers used more power for cooling
purposes. However, We Energies' record failed to match the all-time peak
for southeastern Wisconsin, which reached 6,376 in August 2003. The peak
demand coincided with the commercial opening of the Port Washington
Generating Station and the return of Unit 2 at Point Beach nuclear
plant.

[http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5BeclqruqUTnk%7DGJ%7Bbfek%5Cv](http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp^%5BeclqruqUTnk}GJ{bfek\v)

**New England's Electricity Usage Reaches All-Time Peak Demand**

Electricity use in New England reached a regional record-high of 26,749
megawatts on Tuesday, according to ISO New England Inc., the operator of
the region's bulk power system and wholesale energy markets. The new
record for peak electricity demand topped the previous record of 25,348
megawatts set on August 14, 2002. The high usage of electricity was
attributed to the recent heat wave and related cooling demand as
consumers increased their use of fans and air conditioning. Power
supplies remained adequate and the power system operated reliably
despite the record-breaking demand for electricity. No calls for
emergency or conservation were issued.

<http://pro.energycentral.com/professional/news/power/news_article.cfm?id=5817518>

**Morro Bay 336 MW Unit 4 in California Operating at 50 Percent July
20**

Reuters 14:18, July 20, 2005

### AEP's 528 MW Unit 3 at the Welsh Coal-Fired Plant Shut Down July 19

The Titus County, Texas plant has shut down a unit due to a boiler leak.
The unit is due to return to service on Thursday.

Reuters 14:18, July 20, 2005

**TXU's 565 MW Unit 2 at Monticello Shut and Returned to Service July
19**

The company said the unit tripped due to a change in system frequency.

Reuters 14:18, July 20, 2005

**Exelon's Limerick 1 Nuclear Unit Exits Outage July 20**

After being shut on July 18, the Limerick unit, near Philadelphia, came
back to 24 percent of capacity on Wednesday.

Reuters 13:28, July 20, 2005

**Progress Energy's Brunswick 1 Nuclear Unit Exits Outage July 20**

In North Carolina, the Brunswick 1 nuclear unit exited an outage and
returned to 4 percent of capacity. The unit had been shut down on July
14.

Reuters 13:28, July 20, 2005

**Port Washington Generating Station Begins Commercial Operation**

We Energies opened the first unit of its Port Washington Generating
Station (PWGS) for commercial operation on Saturday, July 16, 2005. The
545-megawatt gas-fired combined-cycle unit is part of We Energies'
*Power the Future* plan, which will begin operation of a second
545-megawatt unit in 2008. The plant is operating on the site of the
retired coal-fired Port Washington Power Plant.

[http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5BeclpjhmWTnk%7DGJ%7Bbfek%5Cv](http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp^%5BeclpjhmWTnk}GJ{bfek\v)

**Petroleum**

####### Fire Erupts at Chevron Corp.'s El Segundo Refinery 

A fire erupted during a routine maintenance procedure in the crude-oil
unit. The fire was caused by some heavy oil, which escaped a containment
vessel and ignited, said a spokesperson for the El Segundo Fire
Department. No details concerning the fire's effect on production are
yet available.

Bloomberg 15:02, July 20, 2005

**Natural Gas**

### Open Season Announced for Transco Pipeline

A unit of Williams declared that open season for firm transportation
service will begin on its Transco natural gas pipeline, which serves the
greater Washington, D.C. area. Open season began July 19 and will end
August 17. Williams expects new service from the Potomac Expansion
Project by November 2007 and will make up to 150,000 dekatherms per day
available from receipt points in North Carolina to Transco mainline
points in Maryland.

<http://pro.energycentral.com/professional/news/gas/news_article.cfm?id=5816534>\
\
\
**Other News**

Nothing to report.

######## Energy Prices 

+-------------------------------+-----------+-----------+------------+
|                               | **Latest  | **Week    | **Year     |
|                               | (07       | Ago**     | Ago**      |
|                               | /20/05)** |           |            |
+-------------------------------+-----------+-----------+------------+
| **CRUDE OIL**                 | 56.73     | 59.98     | 40.86      |
|                               |           |           |            |
| **West Texas Intermediate     |           |           |            |
| US**                          |           |           |            |
|                               |           |           |            |
| \$/Barrel                     |           |           |            |
+-------------------------------+-----------+-----------+------------+
| **NATURAL GAS**               | 7.75      | 7.78      | 5.80       |
|                               |           |           |            |
| **Henry Hub**                 |           |           |            |
|                               |           |           |            |
| \$/Million Btu                |           |           |            |
+-------------------------------+-----------+-----------+------------+

> Source: Reuters

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

[*http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/twip/twip.asp*](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*](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*](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*](http://ensec.blogspot.com/)