Formerly Firm Access Receipt Rights and Off-System Delivery (FAR OFF)
Subject to pending approval by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Backbone Transportation Service (BTS) will be the new name for the current Firm Access Receipt Rights And Off-System Delivery (FAR OFF) service on Southern California Gas Company's (SoCalGas) transmission system.
Like FAR OFF, BTS enables market participants -- including end-users, wholesale customers, gas suppliers and California gas producers -- to do the following:
In the summer of 2011, SoCalGas will hold an open season in which parties may obtain firm rights for receipt point access for the contracts starting October 1, 2011. Following the open season, parties will be able to obtain firm and/or interruptible rights for the October 1, 2011 BTS contract period electronically via the SoCalGas EBB -- Envoy.
All current Schedule M Receipt Point Master Agreements (RPMA) and Schedule L Pooling Service Agreements (PSA) continue in effect.
The following parties are eligible to participate in the Backbone Transportation Service:
End-use customers will have a variety of options to manage their backbone transportation rights, including:
Posted per SoCalGas Tariff Rule 41, this is the report of system reliability issues for the Customer Forum on Nov 18, 2010.
Customers holding firm receipt point access capacity will be able to nominate natural gas for delivery at a specific receipt point and on an alternate firm basis “within-the-zone” from any specific receipt point within an applicable transmission zone.
Customers will also be able to nominate natural gas for delivery on an alternate “outside-the-zone” firm basis from any receipt point on the system. All such nominations will be scheduled in accordance with SoCalGas Rule No. 30, Transportation of Customer-Owned Gas.
| Zone* | Zone Capacity (MMcfd) |
Zone Capacity (MMDth/d) |
Pipeline | Receipt Point | MMcfd | MMDth/d |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern | 1,210 | 1,225 | TGN | Otay | 400 | 409 |
| EP | Ehrenberg | 1,010 | 1,023 | |||
| NBP | Blythe | 600 | 611 | |||
| Northern | 1,590 | 1,615 | TW | North Needles | 800 | 811 |
| QST | North Needles | 120 | 122 | |||
| TW | Topock | 300 | 305 | |||
| EP | Topock | 540 | 545 | |||
| KR | Kramer Junction | 550 | 569 | |||
| Wheeler | 765 | 792 | KR | Wheeler Ridge | 765 | 792 |
| PG&E | Kern River Station | 520 | 530 | |||
| OEHI | Gosford | 150 | 167 | |||
| Line 85 | 160 | 184 | CP | Line 85 | 160 | 184 |
| Coastal | 150 | 173 | CP | Coastal | 150 | 173 |
| Other | 79 | 91 | CP | Other | 79 | 91 |
| Total | 3,954 | 4,080 |
*Any interstate pipeline, LNG Supplier or PG&E that interconnects through a new receipt point may be added to that Transmission Zone.
Rate |
Firm & Interruptible |
Term |
Rate Structure |
Reservation Rate |
Volumetric Rate |
G-BTS1* |
Firm |
Up to 3 years |
100% Reservation (SFV) |
13.763 |
N/A |
G-BTS2* |
Firm |
Up to 3 years |
Modified Fixed Variable (MFV) |
11.011 |
3.122 |
G-BTS3** |
Firm |
3 to 20 years |
100% Reservation (SFV) |
Cost |
N/A |
G-BTSN1 |
Firm |
Short term up to 3 years |
100% Reservation (SFV) |
Market based up to 13.763 |
N/A |
G-BTSN2 |
Firm |
Short term up to 3 years |
Modified Fixed Variable (MFV) |
Market based up to 11.011 |
3.122 |
G-BTS4 |
Interruptible |
Up to 3 years |
100% Volumetric |
N/A |
Market based up to 13.763 |
* Terms are available for up to twenty years during Step 3 of the open seasons.
** Customers taking service under G-BTS3 under Rule 39 will also pay the G- BTS1 rate.
N/A = Not applicable to this rate schedule
| Path Number | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| 1 & 2 | Pipeline/CA Producer | Receipt Point Access Contract |
| 3 | Receipt Point Access Contract | End-user, Contracted Marketer, ESP |
| 4 | Receipt Point Access Contract | Customer's Pool Account |
| 5 | Receipt Point Access Contract | Storage Account |
| 6 | Customer's Pool Account | End-user, Contracted Marketer, ESP |
| 7 | Customer's Pool Account | Another Party's Pool Account |
| 8 | Storage Account | End-user, Contracted Marketer, ESP |
| 9 | Customer's Pool Account | Storage Account |
| 10 | Storage Account | Customer's Pool Account |
| 11 | Storage Account | Storage Account |
| 12 | Storage Account | Off-System Delivery Agreement |
| 13 | Customer's Pool Account | Off-System Delivery Agreement |
| 14 | Off-System Delivery Account | Pipeline (PG&E) |
| 15 | Receipt Point Access Contract | Off-system Delivery Agreement |
| 16 | End-user | Storage Account |
COMPLETION DATE or TIME PERIOD |
TASKS |
|---|---|
4/13/11 |
|
6/6/11 |
|
6/13/11 |
. |
6/13/11 |
|
6/16/11 |
|
6/17/11 |
|
8/10/11 |
|
8/18/11 |
|
8/18/11 |
|
8/19/11 |
|
8/24/11 |
|
8/24/11 |
|
8/26/11 |
|
8/31/11 |
|
9/1/11 |
|
9/2/11 |
|
9/7/11 |
|
9/8/11 |
|
9/8/11 |
|
9/9/11 |
|
9/14/11 |
|
9/15/11 |
|
9/19/11 to 9/21/11 |
|
9/23/11 |
|
9/26/11 |
|
9/26/11 |
|
10/1/11 |
|
EPN – El Paso Natural Gas Pipeline
TGN – Transportadora de Gas Natural de Baja California
NBP – North Baja Pipeline
TW – Transwestern Pipeline
MP – Mojave Pipeline
QST – Questar Southern Trails Pipeline
KR – Kern River Pipeline
PG&E – Pacific Gas and Electric
OEHI – Occidental of Elk Hills
Customers holding firm BTS capacity will be able to nominate natural gas for delivery in accordance with SoCalGas Rule No. 30, Transportation of Customer-Owned Gas.
Firm backbone rights allow firm access to the SoCalGas transmission system receipt points. However, these rights do not guarantee nor imply firm service on SoCalGas’ local transmission/distribution system.
Interruptible backbone rights provide “as available” access to the SoCalGas transmission system receipt points. All unused firm backbone capacity or operationally available capacity will be made available on an interruptible basis at the G-BTS4 rate schedule and will be scheduled in accordance with SoCalGas Rule No. 30. Customers taking interruptible service will be required to execute one contract which will provide service from all receipt points.
SoCalGas will contract with any creditworthy party for Interruptible Off-System Backhaul Service under the G-OSD tariff to the PG&E pipeline only. SoCalGas will make available physical displacement capacity at the receipt point on an interruptible basis at the applicable G-OSDI rate.
Pooling is the administrative aggregation or disaggregation of natural gas supplies at the citygate and receipt point and is defined in SoCalGas’ G-Pool tariff. Each customer may have a single citygate pool contract where they will be able to nominate supplies coming through any Backbone Transportation Service Contract and nominate supplies out of the pool contract to end-users, other pool contracts, off-system, or to storage accounts. The city gate pool contract will be required to balance through each nominating cycle.
A customer may opt to designate one and only one nominating agent or trading agent in addition to itself at any one time to nominate on all BTSCs under a customer’s RPMA. Customer must provide appropriate written authorization to SoCalGas of its intent to add or change a designated nominating or trading agent via the Nomination and Trading Authorization Form (Form No. 9924). Such designation shall be subject to that agent complying with applicable tariff and contractual provisions. Customer shall provide appropriate written notice to SoCalGas of its intent to terminate a nominating agent via the Termination of Nominating or Trading Agent Form (Form No. 9926).
SoCalGas will provide eligible participants the opportunity to buy Backbone Transportation Service Rights before, during, and after the Open Season Process. Open Season Step 1 and Open Season Step 2 customers will receive a packet by mail with their maximum bidding rights based on historical usage and all necessary agreements. All participants will utilize the SoCalGas on-line bidding system for the Firm Receipt Points Access Rights during the Open Season Bidding process. After the Open Season is completed, customers will be able to buy rights via the SoCalGas EBB system- Envoy.
Below are the available Open Season options.
Buy Firm Rights in Step 1 and 2 by accepting the set-asides or bidding rights provided by SoCalGas via the Open Season online bidding system.
Buy Firm Rights in Step 3 via the online bidding system.
Re-contract your awarded rights by exchanging them to a different receipt point.
The Open Season Process steps are available to eligible creditworthy participants. Participants must have a Master Services Contract, complete a Receipt Point Master Services Agreement (RPMA) and register through the online bidding system at the SoCalGas website. This online bidding website will be available only during the Open Season process.
Preliminary Set-Aside Quantities (PDF)
Revised Preliminary Set-Aside Quantities -- June 15, 2011 (PDF)
Final Set-Aside Quantities -- June 17, 2011 (PDF)
Summary of Bid and Awarded Capacity -- August 25, 2011 (PDF)
Summary of Bid and Awarded Capacity -- September 1, 2011 (PDF)
Summary of Bid and Awarded Capacity -- September 8, 2011 (PDF)
Summary of Bid and Awarded -- September 15, 2011 (PDF)
BTS Open Season Remaining Capacity -- September 22, 2011 (PDF)
Open Season Step 1 of the Backbone Transportation Service bidding process will be reserved for the assignment option of set aside capacity to specific customers as detailed in the G-BTS Backbone Transportation Service tariff including:
SoCalGas/SDG&E Gas Acquisition
Wholesale Customers
California Gas Producers
Certain LTK Contract Holders
PG&E G-XF Contracts
Core Aggregators
Rate Schedule G-BTS1 or G-BTS2
Term: 3 Years
Preliminary Set-Asides
End-use customers in good credit standing with SoCalGas are deemed creditworthy to their specified maximum bidding rights. Capacity Bidding System - Online Bidding Platform
3 Rounds
Maximum Bidding Rights provided to each participant
Rate Schedule G-BTS1 or G-BTS2
Term: 3 Years
Participants
Non-core end-use transportation customers of SDG&E/SoCalGas
Non-core end-use transportation customers of Wholesale Customers
SDG&E/SoCalGas Gas Acquisition
Core Aggregators
Gas Suppliers with customer assigned bidding rights 1
Parties with tolling agreements
1 Eligible end use customers may assign their Open Season bidding rights to a third party. The assignment of rights is for the entire volume and term. The form and additional details can be found at the Backbone Transportation Service Assignment Form section.
Any creditworthy party may participate
Available capacity is any receipt point capacity remaining after the Step 2 process
1 Round -- Rate Schedule G-BTS1 or G-BTS2
Bids Annual Base Load
Term: 3 to 20 Years
Bids with Longer Term Awarded Over Shorter Term
SoCalGas will hold informational customer webinar training in the coming months to assist customers in understanding and participating in this new program.
Dates TBD
SoCalGas will be hold webinar training sessions in the Open Season process. Dates are to be determined.
The Backbone Transportation Service assignment form is designed to allow a noncore customer with bidding rights in Step 2 of the Open Season to assign those rights to a third party (“assignee”). This enables the assignee to bid in Step 2 of the Open Season and be the contract holder of the Backbone Transportation Service rights. The maximum bidding rights would be irrevocably transferred (unless cancelled prior to the Open Season Step 2) to the other party and BTS rights awarded during Step 2 of the Open Season would be held in the name of the assignee. The assignment or transfer of rights is for the entire quantity and term and may not be divided between separate assignees.
The election form must be completed by the end-use customer in order to allow SoCalGas to prepare the contracts, verify credit, and complete other administrative duties necessary for parties to bid for firm receipt point access rights during the Open Season, Step 2. This assignment form is valid only for the 2011 Open Season process.
New participants to the BTS Open Season must first establish credit with SoCalGas. Non-core end-use customers of SoCalGas and SDG&E are deemed creditworthy up to their Maximum Bidding Rights and do not need to complete the application.
Current RPMA holders should review their credit limit with SoCalGas Credit Dept. based on G-BTS rate schedules. Additional requests for credit and all other interested parties in the BTS Open Season must complete and return the Credit Application.
Complete the credit application and send to this address:
Southern California Gas Company
ATTENTION: Major Markets Credit and Collection
555 W. Fifth Street
Mail Location GT10E3
Los Ángeles, California 90013-1011
Toll Free Phone (866) 313-6622
Fax (213) 244-8316
For more information, please contact your SoCalGas account representative or the Capacity Products Contact Form.
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Updated 2/2013