Almost all Norwegian transport booked for new gas year: Gassco

London (Platts)--23Sep2005

Virtually all the capacity in the Norwegian gas transport system for the
coming gas year, which begins on Oct 1, has already been booked, Gassco said
Friday. Gassco is responsible as operator for transporting Norwegian gas to
continental Europe and the UK through a 6,600km network of pipelines.
     "No less than 99.4% of capacity at the delivery points for Norwegian gas
in continental Europe and the UK is sold for the coming winter," said Jacob
Fagerheim, head of Gassco's capacity management and tariffs unit. "If we look
at the summer period, about 97% has been booked. And processing capacity at a
plant such as Karsto north of Stavanger is sold out for the whole year."
     Gassco stages two booking rounds per year, when companies can order
capacity in accordance with specified rules. "We're under way with one of
these rounds now, but most of the capacity for the coming gas year has been
sold earlier. Only the final one-two per cent is available at this time,"
Fagerheim said.

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