Subtheme of this conference - the need for information and the role of information technology. Information is the life blood of today's gas industry - weather, prices, supplies, consumption, and inventory levels. The flow of information from producers to traders to pipelines to LDC's and consumers is, in many respects, as important as the actual flow of gas. With millions of dollars traded based on this information, lack of reliable, comprehensive information can be very costly.
Information is a prerequisite for competitive markets.
It is needed in order to make informed decisions . The gas industry consists of a diverse set of participants - including information aggregators and market players. The previous model and linkages from producer to pipeline to LDC to consumer no longer applies. In addition, the role of pipelines and others has changed. For example, a pipeline company today is NOT the same company is was 10 or 15 years ago.