AGL Resources Seeking Customer Interest in Project to Expand Jefferson Island Storage & Hub Facility; Two New Salt Caverns Could Almost Triple Capacity
ATLANTA--Oct. 27, 2005--Atlanta-based AGL
Resources (NYSE: ATG) today announced that it is soliciting customer
interest in a project that has the potential to almost triple the
natural gas storage capacity at its Pivotal Energy Development
(Pivotal) Jefferson Island Storage & Hub (JISH), a salt cavern storage
facility in Louisiana, by developing up to two additional caverns at
the facility. The two new salt caverns, each with a working gas
capacity of 6,270 million decatherms (MDth), would increase the
current capacity at JISH from 7,211 (MDth) to 19,751 MDth in 2010.
"Since acquiring JISH last year, AGL Resources has upgraded the
facility with the plan to increase our storage capacity there," said
Dana Grams, senior vice president of Business Development at Pivotal,
the AGL Resources' business unit that manages JISH. "Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita reinforced the need for additional natural gas
storage capacity nationwide and spurred us to step up our plans to
expand JISH.
"The expansion project is designed to meet the growing market
demand for high deliverability storage," added Grams. "With direct
access to the Henry Hub, JISH is strategically located to store and
deliver Gulf Coast and emerging LNG (liquefied natural gas) supplies.
We want to move forward now to serve customer needs well into the next
decade."
The expansion project calls for adding a third and fourth cavern
to the two existing salt caverns at JISH. Preliminary plans call for
completing the third cavern by mid-2008 and the fourth cavern by
mid-2010. The project also would increase the capacity of the header
system and add new interconnections to more pipelines.
"When the full scope of the expansion is complete in 2010, JISH
will have approximately 2,800 MDth a day (MDth/d) of receipt and
delivery capability," said Grams. "We're already in discussions to add
interconnections to Southern Natural, Trunkline and Bridgeline. We are
now seeking customer interest in the additional storage capacity."
AGL Resources is soliciting non-binding, indicative bids from
customers for the expanded capacity. Based upon the response, the
company will move forward and start work on the project in January
2006 to meet the described timeline. Final construction plans and cost
estimates will be nailed down after the bid process is complete.
The only storage facility with direct access to the Henry Hub via
Sabine Pipeline, the JISH header system currently interconnects with
seven other pipelines. These include Crosstex (Louisiana Intrastate
Gas), Texas Gas Transmission, Columbia Gulf Transmission, Sea Robin
Pipeline, Tennessee Gas Pipeline, Gulf South Pipeline and NGPL
(Natural Gas Pipeline of America).
Located near the Henry Hub at Erath, Louisiana in Vermillion and
Iberia Parishes, JISH is a high-deliverability storage facility
capable of multiple inventory cycles per year. The facility consists
of two salt dome gas storage caverns with 10,000 MDth total capacity,
and about 7,211 MDth of working gas capacity.
An 8,000 horsepower (HP) expansion of compression capacity at JISH
is scheduled to be operational next month. JISH will then have a total
of approximately 20,000 HP, and an increase in injection capabilities
from 240 MDth/d to 360 MDth/d.
AGL Resources acquired JISH on Oct. 1, 2004. JISH is currently
fully subscribed, with 17 customers utilizing firm, interruptible,
wheeling, as well as park and loan services.
Last week, on Oct. 18, AGL Resources announced that it is
soliciting bids for firm and interruptible natural gas storage
services that will be available in early 2006 at JISH. Due to expiring
contracts, JISH will have 300 MDth of storage capacity available
beginning Jan. 1, 2006, and another 1,100 MDth available beginning
April 1, 2006.
Those interested in the expansion project or storage services
available next year should contact Rob deCardenas at 832-397-3881 or
rdecarde@aglresources.com for additional information.
About AGL Resources
AGL Resources (NYSE: ATG), an Atlanta-based energy services
holding company, serves 2.3 million customers in six states through
its utility subsidiaries - Atlanta Gas Light, Elizabethtown Gas in New
Jersey, Virginia Natural Gas, Florida City Gas, Chattanooga Gas, and
Elkton Gas in Maryland. A Fortune 1000 company that ranks number 46 in
the Fortune gas and electric utilities sector, AGL Resources reported
2004 revenue of $1.8 billion and net income of $153 million. The
company also owns Houston-based Sequent Energy Management, an asset
manager serving natural gas wholesale customers throughout the East
and Midwest. As a 70 percent owner in the SouthStar partnership, AGL
Resources markets natural gas to consumers in Georgia under the
Georgia Natural Gas brand. AGL Networks, the company's
telecommunications subsidiary, owns and operates fiber optic networks
in Atlanta and Phoenix. The company also owns and operates Jefferson
Island Storage & Hub, a high-deliverability natural gas storage
facility near the Henry Hub in Louisiana. For more information, visit
www.aglresources.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain expectations and projections regarding our future
performance referenced in this press release are forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements involve matters that are not
historical facts and because these statements involve anticipated
events or conditions, forward-looking statements often include words
such as "anticipate," "assume," "can," "could," "estimate," "expect,"
"forecast," "future," "indicate," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict,"
"project," "seek," "should," "target," "will," "would," or similar
expressions. Our expectations are not guarantees and are based on
currently available competitive, financial and economic data along
with our operating plans. While we believe our expectations are
reasonable in view of the currently available information, our
expectations are subject to future events, risks and uncertainties,
and there are several factors - many beyond our control - that could
cause results to differ significantly from our expectations. Such
events, risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to,
changes in price, supply and demand for natural gas and related
products, impact of changes in state and federal legislation and
regulation, actions taken by government agencies on rates and other
matters, concentration of credit risk, utility and energy industry
consolidation, impact of acquisitions and divestitures, direct or
indirect effects on AGL Resources' business, financial condition or
liquidity resulting from a change in our credit ratings or the credit
ratings of our counterparties or competitors, interest rate
fluctuations, financial market conditions and general economic
conditions, uncertainties about environmental issues and the related
impact of such issues, impacts of changes in weather upon the
temperature-sensitive portions of the business, impacts of natural
disasters such as hurricanes upon the supply and price of natural gas,
acts of war or terrorism, and other factors which are listed in
greater detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, which we incorporate by reference in this press release.
Forward-looking statements are only as of the date they are made, and
we do not undertake any obligation to update these statements to
reflect subsequent changes.
CONTACT: AGL Resources, Atlanta
Martha Monfried, 908-289-5000 x 5521
(cell) 973-885-7508
mmonfrie@aglresources.com
or
Nick Gold, 404-584-3457
(cell) 404-275-9501
ngold@aglresources.com
SOURCE: AGL Resources
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