SOME NATURAL GAS COULD BE FLOWING - Hastings Still Down Until February

(12/14/2003)

Dominion Gas has announced they are looking at ways to re-route natural gas around Hastings Station, which was shut down over a month ago by an explosion and fire. The shut-down of the facility is having a major financial impact on independent producers in the region, including Calhoun County. Thousands of wells have been shut-in since the incident.(See earlier Hur Herald story) Hastings Station extracts propane, butane and isobutane from natural gas, with Dominion having a near monopoly on the region. Local gas producers told the Hur Herald a few weeks ago, wells owned by Dominion were still "flowing freely," although the company declined to comment on the statement. The Independent Gas Producers group said they will now monitor fairness in moving the gas. Public relations spokesperson Bob Fulton is still saying the giant processing plant will not be operational until February, 2004. Some regional producers are still saying they are suffering losses of $150,000 to $200,000 a month, and continued down time could severely affect their business. Dominion has yet to release details regarding the nature of the fire and explosion.

Hur Herald ®from Sunny Cal The information on these pages, to the extent the law allows, remains the exclusive property of Bob Weaver and Dianne Weaver The Hur Herald. All information may be freely used but must not be sold or used in any type of commercial endeavor, or used on any web site without the express permission of the owners ©Bob and Dianne Weaver, The Hur Herald, 1999, 2000, 2001