Canadian gas curtailments seen

A cold snap this winter could trigger curtailment of Canadian natural gas deliveries to some customers, say industry officials in Alberta. Scotty Cameron, President of Pan-Alberta Gas Ltd., a gas marketing unit of Nova Corp., says the Nova pipeline system, which moves gas to Alberta export points, is currently full. Nova also reported a 22% increase in volumes carried in its system for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with the same period in 1991. And the Alberta Energy Department said customers with interruptible contract could face brief gas flow interruptions. Meanwhile, Ziff Energy Group, a Calgary industry research firm, says it plans a comprehensive study of Alberta productive capacity, pipeline capacity, and demand. It will focus on 170 gas fields in Alberta