Gas Transmission Company Research Articles

PREFERRED OWNERS OF EUROPEAN GAS STORAGE AND TRANSMISSION COMPANIES

The purpose of the article is to compare actual owners of European gas storage and transmission companies with preferred ones based on experts' assessments from the perspective of the Energy Union dimensions.Tasks of the research include explaining the topicality of the research, collecting data on owners of European gas storage and transmission companies, grouping companies in accordance with their ownership structures, obtaining expert assessments on preferred owners of the companies, comparing actual owners with preferred ones as well as drawing corresponding conclusions.Methods used are single linkage cluster analysis, structured expert interviews, analytic hierarchy process, monographic method, document analysis, case study method, literature review and others. The research covers gas storage and transmission companies in Europe, which are members of the Gas Infrastructure Europe Association. Companies are grouped into clusters according to the shares of the defined types of owners. Experts with sufficient knowledge on five dimensions of the Energy Union were interviewed in order to obtain assessments on preferred owners for the companies subject to research. Expert interview results were processed by using the analytic hierarchy process. At the final stage of the research, actual owners were compared to preferred ones derived from expert assessments and corresponding conclusions drawn.Six various clusters of gas storage companies and seven ones categorising transmission companies were identified while fifteen companies were defined as outliers. Apart from holdings by states of establishment, which constituted the most of observed cases, in many other instances both other European union state as well as non-EU state holdings were revealed in the companies subject to research. Expert assessments processed by the analytic hierarchy process revealed the most and the least preferred clusters from the perspective of the five dimensions of the Energy Union.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.eis.0.11.18247

Projects delay analysis based on Weisbord model Case study of Gas Transmission Company district 5

Projects delay analysis based on Weisbord model Case study of Gas Transmission Company district 5

Association between psychosocial, organizational and personal factors and prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in office workers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between organizational and personal (individual) factors with the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in office workers of the Iranian Gas Transmission Company. The participants rated two questionnaires – the standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire to measure the prevalence of MSDs, and the Veterans Healthcare Administration All Employee Survey questionnaire (2004 version) – to measure psychosocial, organizational and individual aspects of job satisfaction and workplace climate. The highest prevalence of MSDs was found in the lower back (49.7%) and neck (49.0%) regions. Results of the logistic regression models showed that some psychosocial and organizational factors and also some individual factors were associated with prevalence of MSDs (p < 0.05).These findings illustrate the need to consider all elements of the work system as a whole in future studies and in organizational planning.

Estimating alternative technology sets in nonparametric efficiency analysis: restriction tests for panel and clustered data

Nonparametric efficiency analysis has become a widely applied technique to support industrial benchmarking as well as a variety of incentive-based regulation policies. In practice such exercises are often plagued by incomplete knowledge about the correct specifications of inputs and outputs. Simar and Wilson (Commun Stat Simul Comput 30(1):159–184, 2001) and Schubert and Simar (J Prod Anal 36(1):55–69, 2011) propose restriction tests to support such specification decisions for cross-section data. However, the typical oligopolized market structure pertinent to regulation contexts often leads to low numbers of cross-section observations, rendering reliable estimation based on these tests practically unfeasible. This small-sample problem could often be avoided with the use of panel data, which would in any case require an extension of the cross-section restriction tests to handle panel data. In this paper we derive these tests. We prove the consistency of the proposed method and apply it to a sample of US natural gas transmission companies from 2003 through 2007. We find that the total quantity of natural gas delivered and natural gas delivered in peak periods measure essentially the same output. Therefore only one needs to be included. We also show that the length of mains as a measure of transportation service is non-redundant and therefore must be included.

Determination of conditions of operation of clothes for workers of the gas-transport companies

The results of the analysis conditions for garment workers gas-transmission companies, which allowed to determine the mode of work and microclimatic conditions of the environment were describes. The analysis and study of the topography of the effects of hazardous and harmful factors on the sites of existing types of clothing as a basis for the development of their list to determine the technical requirements to design.

천연가스의 탄화수소 이슬점 측정방법 비교 연구

탄화수소 이슬점은 천연가스 응축형태를 특성화하는 가장 일반적이고 자주 이용되는 물성으로 가스 품질 사양의 중요한 항목이다. 탄화수소 이슬점은 미량의 고탄화수소 성분에도 매우 민감한 것으로 알려져 있어, 특히 천연가스를 공급하는 가스 회사 입장에서는 기존 합의된 가스 사양을 만족하는 것 뿐만 아니라, 발생된 탄화수소 응축물에 의해 운영설비 및 안전에 심각한 문제를 일으킬 수 있으므로 탄화수소 이슬점을 정확하게 구하는 절차를 확립하는 것이 중요하다. 본 연구에서는 실제 현장조건 하에서 탄화수소 이슬점을 측정하기 위해 냉각 거울 방식의 이슬점 측정기를 설치, 운영하였으며, 측정된 이슬점 온도는 가스분석기에 의해 분석된 조성 및 천연가스 산업계에서 인정된 상태방정식을 이용하여 계산된 이슬점 온도와 비교하였다. 시험 결과 탄화수소 이슬점 측정기는 매우 안정되게 이슬점을 측정하였으며, 이슬점 측정기를 검증하기 위한 시험 가스로는 순수 프로판 가스가 적정하였다. 제조 표준가스 및 실제가스의 측정결과를 가스분석기에 의한 간접 측정 결과와 비교시에도 적정한 범위 내에서 일치하는 것을 확인하였다. Hydrocarbon dew point(HCDP), a property which is the most generally used for describing natural gas condensation, is a very important parameter of natural gas quality specifications. HCDP is strongly influenced by the concentration of the heavier hydrocarbon components, especially <TEX>$C_6+$</TEX>, so, along with compliance with gas quality specifications, build up of procedures for obtaining accurate HCDP is essential for gas transmission company, because hydrocarbon condensation present may cause serious operational and safety problems. This study has been carried out in an attempt to measure HCDP accurately by the automatic hydrocarbon dew point meter under the actual field conditions. Measured HCDP also has been compared with calculated HCDP using the composition determined by gas chromatograph and industry accepted equation of state at multiple pressures, along with the cricondentherm. The test results are 1) the automatic hydrocarbon dew point meter was able to measure stable HCDP continuously 2) the automatic hydrocarbon dew point meter has been performed reference measurement by pure propane with a known dew point from literature, and 3) A meaningful differences was observed when comparing the automatic hydrocarbon dew point meter and gas chromatograph results for synthetic standard gas mixtures and real gas mixtures.

Improving the Efficiency of Management under the Conditions of Staff’s Psychophysiological State Changing

An approach to improving the methodological apparatus determining psychophysiological operators’ state by information from multimodal automated workstations’ input interface is represented. As a unique behavioral person’s characteristics, reflecting his psychophysiological state, it is proposed to use the jitter of the pitch period of the speech signal, the duration and period of pressing buttons on the keyboard, and the duration of the period of holding the left button mouse, and its movement signal. The opportunity to combine partial estimates of operator’s psychophysiological state, determined as the proportion of the analyzed signal frames, on which the random jitter’s absolute value exceeds a threshold value, based on Harrington’s generalized function is showed. An example of increasing the efficiency of optimization the restraining engineering and manufacturing functions for operators on 1,6-6,8% in comparison with the known solution and the ability to automate the process of human resource management in gas production and gas transmission companies is showed.

Incentives for methane mitigation and energy‐efficiency improvements in the case of Ukraine's natural gas transmission system

AbstractReducing methane losses is a concern for climate change policy and energy policy. The energy sector is the major source of anthropogenic methane emissions into the atmosphere in Ukraine. Reducing methane emissions and avoiding combustion can be very cost‐effective, but various barriers prevent such energy‐efficiency measures from taking place. To date, few examples of industry‐wide improvements exist. One example of substantial investments into upgrading natural gas transmission system comes from Ukraine's natural gas transmission company, Ukrtransgaz. The company's investments into system upgrades, along with a 34% fall in throughput, resulted in reduction of Ukrtransgaz system's own consumption of natural gas by 68% in 2011 compared to the level in 2005. Evaluating reductions in methane emissions is challenging because of lack of accurate data and gaps in accounting methodologies. At the same time, Ukraine's transmission system has undergone improvements that, at the very least, have contained methane emissions, if not substantially reduced them. In this paper, we describe recent developments in Ukraine's natural gas transmission system and analyze the incentives that forced the sector to pay close attention to its methane losses. Ukraine is one of the most energy‐intensive countries, among the largest natural gas consumers in the world, and a significant emitter of methane. The country is also dependent on imports of natural gas. A combination of several factors has created conditions for successful reductions in methane emissions and combustion. These factors include: an eightfold increase in the price of imported natural gas; comprehensive domestic environmental and energy policies, such as the Laws of Ukraine on Protecting the Natural Environment and on Air Protection; policies aimed at integration with European Union's energy market and accession to the Energy Community Treaty; and the country's participation in international cooperation on environment, such as through the Joint Implementation mechanism and the voluntary Global Methane Initiative. Learning about such case studies can help policymakers and sustainability professionals design better policies elsewhere.

Continuous performance assessment and improvement of integrated HSE and maintenance systems by multivariate analysis in gas transmission units

In this study, an integrated “Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE)” and maintenance systems are presented. Multivariate analysis is used for continuous performance assessment and improvement of these systems. The two subjects of “Maintenance System” and “HSE” have been individually investigated several times in different studies. However, few studies have been done to integrate these two systems and provide an integrated system for their implementation. This study evaluates current maintenance and HSE systems of a Gas Transmission Unit by Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Moreover, decision making units (DMUs) are examined and ranked. Employees are considered as DMUs. This is done through investigating and measuring their efficiencies and identifying the inefficient and less-efficient units. Since an increase in the number of inputs does not lead to an increase in the number of outputs with the same scale, an output-oriented DEA with a Variable Returns to Scale (VRS) is used. The Fuzzy DEA (FDEA) is also used in this research to decrease uncertainty existing in qualitative indicators and human error. Finally, suggestions are given to improve those DMUs. The managers and employees of the gas transmission unit constitute the statistical population of the study. To achieve the objectives of this study, standard questionnaires with respect to HSE and Maintenance system are completed by operators. The proposed approach would help policy makers and top managers of Gas Transmission Company to have a more comprehensive and thorough understanding the working conditions with respect to the maintenance and HSE features.

Estimating Alternative Technology Sets in Nonparametric Efficiency Analysis: Restriction Tests for Panel and Clustered Data

Nonparametric efficiency analysis has become a widely applied technique to support industrial benchmarking as well as a variety of incentive- based regulation policies. In practice such exercises are often plagued by incomplete knowledge about the correct specifications of inputs and outputs. Simar and Wilson (2001) and Schubert and Simar (2011) propose restriction tests to support such specification decisions for cross-section data. However, the typical oligopolized market structure pertinent to regulation contexts often leads to low numbers of cross-section observations, rendering reliable estimation based on these tests practically unfeasible. This small-sample problem could often be avoided with the use of panel data, which would in any case require an extension of the cross-section restriction tests to handle panel data. In this paper we derive these tests. We prove the consistency of the proposed method and apply it to a sample of US natural gas transmission companies in 2003 through 2007. We find that the total quantity of gas delivered and gas delivered in peak periods measure essentially the same output. Therefore only one needs to be included. We also show that the length of mains as a measure of transportation service is non-redundant and therefore must be included.

Good Faith Recognition and Enforcement of Arbitral Awards as a Criterion for Eligibility Under the United States Generalized System of Preferences

As a matter of United States statutory law, a country's good-faith recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards in favor of U.S. persons is a precondition for participation in the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), the main U.S. program giving preferential tariff treatment to most goods imported from developing countries. Conversely, a country's failure to recognize and enforce arbitral awards in good faith is grounds for excluding that country from GSP. On March 26, 2012, for the first time in the 37-year history of the GSP statute, the President of the United States exercised his authority to suspend a country's eligibility to receive trade preferences due to its failure to recognize and enforce international arbitral awards. (1) The target of this decision was Argentina, which has refused to pay amounts owed under at least three awards rendered in favor of U.S. companies following arbitration under the U.S.-Argentina Bilateral Investment Treaty. (2) (Argentina has refused to pay amounts owed to award creditors of other countries as well, including the French holder of the Vivendi award (3) and the British holder of the National Grid award. (4) In my remarks, I will discuss the U.S. statute that authorized the President to suspend Argentina's trade preferences, and I will offer some observations about the use of this and other economic policy levers to bring about compliance with obligations under international arbitral awards. The United States GSP statute was enacted as part of the Trade Act of 1974. (5) Generally speaking, it authorizes the President to give duty-free treatment to most goods from developing countries imported into the United States. In addition to being a developing country, there are several criteria a country must meet to be eligible to participate in GSP. In particular, the country: * cannot be a Communist country; * cannot be part of a cartel that withholds vital commodities from global trade; * cannot give trade preferences to developed countries other than the United States which have a significant adverse effect on U.S. commerce; * cannot have nationalized or expropriated property of U.S. citizens, or repudiated or nullified certain contracts with U.S. citizens; * must act in good faith in recognizing as binding and enforcing arbitral awards in favor of U.S. citizens; * cannot aid or abet international terrorists; * must be taking steps to afford internationally recognized worker rights; and * must implement a commitment to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. (6) Just as a country must meet these criteria to become eligible for GSP in the first place, if it ceases to meet any of the criteria it can lose its eligibility for GSP. (7) Thus, if a country fails to act in good faith in recognizing as binding and enforcing arbitral awards in favor of U.S. citizens, it may lose the right to have its goods enter the United States duty-free, which is exactly what has happened to Argentina. The President's proclamation of March 26, 2012, suspending Argentina's eligibility for trade preferences is to take effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, that is, on May 28, 2012. (8) From that day until the suspension is removed, goods of Argentina that previously could have entered the United States duty-free will be subject to duty at the ordinary, most-favored-nation rates. In 2011, the value of goods from Argentina imported into the United States that were eligible for GSP treatment was just under $500 million. (9) The President's decision was the result of petitions filed on behalf of two arbitration award creditors--Azurix Corporation and Blue Ridge Investments, LLC. (Blue Ridge is the current holder of an arbitral award originally rendered in favor of the CMS Gas Transmission Company.) The awards at issue are for $165.2 million plus interest (Azurix) and $133.2 million plus interest (Blue Ridge), respectively. …

Overcoming Data Limitations in Nonparametric Benchmarking: Applying PCA-DEA to Natural Gas Transmission

This paper provides an empirical demonstration for a practical approach of efficiency evaluation against the background of limited data availability in some regulated industries. Here, traditional DEA may result in a lack of discriminatory power when high numbers of variables but only limited observations are available. We apply PCA-DEA for radial efficiency measurement to US natural gas transmission companies in 2007. This allows us to reduce dimensions of the optimization problem while maintaining most of the variation in the original data. Our results suggest that the PCA-DEA methodology reduces the probability of over-estimation of the individual firm-specific performance. It also allows for a large number of original variables without substantially reducing the discriminatory power of the model.

Overcoming Data Limitations in Nonparametric Benchmarking: Applying PCA-DEA to Natural Gas Transmission

We empirically demonstrate a practical approach of efficiency evaluation with limited data availability in some regulated industries. We apply PCA-DEA for radial efficiency measurement to U.S. natural gas transmission companies in 2007. PCA-DEA reduces dimensions of the optimization problem while maintaining most of the variation in the original data. Our results suggest that the methodology reduces the probability of over-estimation of individual firm-specific performance.

CMS Gas Transmission Company v. Argentine Republic

151Arbitration — Award — Economic crises in Argentina — Expropriation claim — Article IV(1) of Argentina — US Bilateral Investment Treaty, 1991 (“BIT”) — Whether Respondent failing to accord Claimant fair and equitable treatment — Article II(2)(a) of the Argentina — US BIT — Whether Respondent discriminating against Claimant — Umbrella clause — Defence of necessity — Remedies — Respondent requesting continued stay of enforcement of Award — Respondent applying for annulment of AwardExpropriation — Article IV(1) of the Argentina–US BIT — Interpretation — Indirect and creeping expropriationFair and equitable treatment — Article II(2)(a) of the Argentina–US BIT — Customary international law — InterpretationDiscrimination — Arbitrariness — Article II(2)(b) of the Argentina–US BIT — Interpretation — Applicable standardsTreaties — Bilateral Investment Treaty — Article II(2)(c) of the Argentina–US BIT — Umbrella clause — Treaty claims — Standards of protectionState responsibility — Defence of necessity — Customary international law — International Law Commission’s Articles on State Responsibility, Article 25 — Essential interest of State — Grave and imminent peril — Alternatives available — Respondent’s contribution to crisisTreaties — Defence of necessity — Article XI of Argentina–US BIT — Emergency clause — Essential security interest — Whether self-judgingRemedies — International law — Restitution — Compensation — Most applicable remedy — Applicable standard — Valuation method — Interest — CostsAward — Stay of enforcement — ICSID Convention, Article 52(5) — ICSID Arbitration Rule 54 — Interpretation — Adequate assurances — Respondent applying for annulment of AwardAnnulment — Grounds for annulment of Award — Manifest excess of power by arbitral tribunal — ICSID Convention, Article 25 — Argentina–US BIT, Article I(1) — Jurisdiction — Shareholder claiming for its rights in a foreign company independent from the latter’s rights — Definition of investmentAnnulment — Grounds for annulment of Award — Manifest excess of power by arbitral tribunal — Failure to state reasons — Argentina–US BIT, Article II(2)(a) — Standard of fair and equitable treatment — Stable legal and business environment152Annulment — Grounds for annulment of Award — Failure to state reasons — Argentina–US BIT, Article II(2)(c) — Umbrella clause — Shareholder’s claim for its rights in a foreign company independent from the latter’s rights — InterpretationAnnulment — Grounds for annulment of Award — Manifest excess of power by arbitral tribunal — Failure to state reasons — Relationship between Article 25 of International Law Commission’s Articles on State Responsibility and Article XI of Argentina–US BIT — NecessityAnnulment — Grounds for annulment of Award — Manifest excess of power by arbitral tribunal — Failure to state reasons — Relationship between Article 27 of International Law Commission’s Articles on State Responsibility and Article XI of Argentina–US BIT — Compensation — InterpretationCompensation — Standard of compensation — Fair market value — Discounted market value — No expropriation — Failure to state reasons

Productivity and efficiency of US gas transmission companies: A European regulatory perspective

On both sides of the Atlantic, the regulation of gas transmission networks has undergone major changes since the early 1990s. Whereas in the US, the long-standing regime of cost-plus regulation was complemented by increasing pipe-to-pipe competition, most European countries moved towards incentive regulation complemented by market integration. We study the productivity development of a panel of US interstate companies using data envelopment analysis and Malmquist productivity indices. Results are presented for changes in productivity, as well as for several convergence tests. The results indicate that taking productivity and convergence as performance indicators, regulation has been rather successful, in particular during a period where overall demand was flat. However, we argue that a benchmarking-based regulation might have brought about stronger convergence. Lessons for European regulators are twofold. First, the US analysis shows that benchmarking of European transmission operators would be possible if data were available. Second, our results suggest that, in the long-run, market integration and competition are alternatives to the current European model.

Arbitral Awards (ICSID): CMS Gas Transmission Company v. the Argentine Republic, 25 September 2007 (part 2)

Arbitral Awards (ICSID): CMS Gas Transmission Company v. the Argentine Republic, 25 September 2007 (part 2)

Arbitral Awards (ICSID): CMS Gas Transmission Company v. the Argentine Republic, 25 September 2007 (part 1)

Arbitral Awards (ICSID): CMS Gas Transmission Company v. the Argentine Republic, 25 September 2007 (part 1)

CMS Gas Transmission Company v. Argentine Republic (ICSID Case No. ARB/01/8) (Annulment Decision, September 25, 2007)

CMS Gas Transmission Company v. Argentine Republic (ICSID Case No. ARB/01/8) (Annulment Decision, September 25, 2007)

CMS Gas Transmission Company and the Argentine Republic

CMS Gas Transmission Company and the Argentine Republic

International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes: CMS Gas Transmission Company v. The Argentine Republic

International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes: CMS Gas Transmission Company v. The Argentine Republic