C
Capacity Brokering
Synonym:
Definition: Allows shippers with firm capacity rights on a pipeline
to resell or broker those rights.
Capacity, Peaking
Synonym:
Definition: The capacity of facilities or equipment normally used to
supply incremental gas under extreme demand conditions;
generally available for a limited number of days at
maximum rate.
Casinghead Gas
Synonym: Associated Gas, Dissolved Gas, Solution Gas
Definition: Natural gas produced in association with crude oil.
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity
Synonym: CPCN
Definition: (1) A special permit (which supplements the franchise),
commonly issued by a state commission, which authorizes
a utility to engage in business, construct facilities or
perform some other service. (2) A permit issued by the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to engage in the
transportation or sale for resale of natural gas in
interstate commerce or to construct or acquire and
operate any facilities necessary therefore, to which
certificate the Commission may attach such reasonable
terms and conditions as the public convenience and
necessity may require.
CD Conversion Option
Synonym: CD/OD Relief
Definition: An option under Order No. 500 that allows firm sales
customers to reduce their firm sales entitlements or to
convert those entitlements to firm transportation
capacity.
Ceiling Price
Synonym:
Definition: The maximum lawful price under applicable regulatory
jurisdiction that may be charged for first sales of
natural gas.
Certificated Capacity
Synonym:
Definition: The amount of natural gas which a pipeline has received
authority to sell and/or transport by the FERC.
City-Gate
Synonym: Town Border Station
Definition: The point at which a local distribution company (LDC)
physically receives gas from a pipeline.
Class A (B, C or D) Natural Gas Companies
Synonym:
Definition: A federal classification based on pipeline operating
revenues. Depending on the classification, different
accounting requirements are prescribed. Class A
comprises the largest pipeline companies.
Classification of Costs
Synonym:
Definition: Cost Classification is a further subdivision of the
Functionalized Cost of Service into demand and commodity
classification of costs which later form the basis for
Demand and Commodity Tolls.
Cogeneration
Synonym:
Definition: Using otherwise wasted heat and steam to produce
electricity. A process by which both electric energy
and thermal energy are generated.
Commingled Gas
Synonym:
Definition: A homogeneous mix of gas obtained from various physical
and contractual supply sources or transportation gas in
a pipeline made up of several shippers' gas.
Commodity Charge
Synonym: Volumetric Rate, Commodity Toll (Canada)
Definition: That portion of a natural gas rate or seller's price
based upon the volume actually transported or purchased.
Commodity Gas
Synonym:
Definition: A volumetric unit of gas sold by a producer, pipeline
or LDC under an applicable sales tariff.
Company Used Gas
Synonym:
Definition: The quantity of gas consumed by a gas distribution or
transmission company or the gas department of a
combination company for the use of the gas company or
gas department in its gas operations such as fuel for
compressor stations.
Compressibility
Synonym:
Definition: The property of a material which permits it to decrease
in volume when subjected to an increase in pressure.
Compressibility Factor
See Supercompressibility Factor
Compressor
Synonym:
Definition: A mechanical device for increasing the pressure of a
gas.
Compressor Station
Synonym: Compressor Plant
Definition: A facility used to increase the pressure of gas in order
to move the gas through a pipeline or in/out of storage.
Condensate
Synonym: Associated Liquids, Pentanes Plus
Definition: (1) The liquid resulting when a vapor is subjected to
cooling and pressure reduction. (2) Liquid hydrocarbons
condensed from gas and oil wells.
Confirmed Nomination
Synonym: Scheduled Volume, Verified Nomination, Valid Nomination
Definition: An agreement by a seller to deliver/cause delivery or a
transporter to receive and deliver a specific quantity
of gas for a specified period at various points under a
Sales or Transportation Agreement or for all contracts
at one specific point. The confirmed nomination is in
response to a purchaser's or shipper's nomination.
Consuming Provinces
Synonym:
Definition: Those provinces of Canada which consume more natural gas
than they produce such as Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.
Contract Assignment
Synonym:
Definition: A mutual agreement to release, transfer or ascribe a
contractual obligation from the party then holding such
contractual obligation to another party.
Contract Demand
Synonym: CD, Contract Quantity, Maximum Contract Quantity,
Maximum Daily Quantity.
Definition: The maximum daily, monthly or annual quantity which the
supplier agrees to furnish, or the pipeline agrees to
transport, and for which the buyer or shipper agrees to
pay a demand charge.
Contract Imbalance
Synonym: Customer Imbalance, Shipper Imbalance
Definition: The cumulative difference between all quantities of gas
received and quantities of gas delivered for a contract
from inception through specific periods (e.g. daily)
and/or through the most current billing period.
Contract Pressure
Synonym:
Definition: The maximum or minimum required operating pressure at a
receipt or delivery point as specified in the Service
Agreement.
Contract Request
Synonym: Service Request
Definition: A customer request for transportation or sales service.
Core Market
Synonym: Firm Load, Base Load
Definition: Under the natural gas rate structure, the class of high
priority customers who have no alternate fuel standby,
primarily residential and commercial customers.
Cost of Service
Synonym:
Definition: The allocation of utility costs to the various classes
of users to whom service is rendered (residential,
commercial and industrial, for example) in accordance
with the manner in which these classes cause utility
costs to be incurred. The major components of cost are
energy, depreciation, operations and maintenance and
overhead expenses. From the costs incurred in these
components, the respective rates may be derived.
Cost of Service - Levelized
Synonym:
Definition: A method of determining a company's Cost of Service such
that it remains flat over time. This is usually done by
setting the depreciation rates in initial years low and
then increasing them over time as opposed to straight
line depreciation rates.
Cost of Service Tariff
Synonym:
Definition: Also called an "all events tariff" it is a method of
billing pipeline customers on the basis of actual
monthly Cost of Service rather than on a fixed toll
basis.
Cubic Foot
Synonym:
Definition: A common unit of measurement of gas volume; the amount
of gas required to fill one cubic foot at standard
pressure and temperature.
Curtailment
Synonym:
Definition: Reduction or temporary termination of firm service by a
pipeline or LDC due to a shortage of gas supply capacity
or capability.
Cushion Gas
Synonym:
Definition: The minimum quantity of gas in a storage reservoir that
is necessary to maintain a pressure adequate for the
removal of storage gas.
Custody Transfer
Synonym:
Definition: The custody transfer transaction is the hand-off of the
physical commodity from one operator to another. A
custody transfer transaction is performed between the
well operator and the first transportation operator.
Subsequent custody transfer transactions are performed
between transportation operators (typically pipelines or
LDCs). The final custody transfer transaction is
performed between the last transportation operator,
typically the LDC, and the consumer.
Customer
Synonym: Market, Buyer
Definition: An individual, firm, or organization which purchases
service at one location under one rate classification,
contract, or rate schedule. If service is supplied at
more than one location or under more than one rate
schedule, each location and rate schedule shall be
counted as a separate customer unless the consumption at
the several locations is combined before billing and
billed on one rate schedule.
Customer Classes
Synonym:
Definition: A category(ies) of customers defined by provisions found
within tariff published (and approved) by entity
providing the service. Examples of customer classes are
residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, LDC,
core, non core and core elect.
Cycle Billing
Synonym:
Definition: A billing procedure which provides for the billing of a
portion of utility customers each working day so that
all customers are billed within a predetermined period,
such as one month, two months, etc.