APPENDIX 16
Supplementary memorandum by E.ON UK
THE US ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION
BACKGROUND
1. The US Energy Information Administration
(EIA) was created by the US Congress in 1977 in response to the
energy crisis, and is an agency of the US Department of Energy.
The EIA's goal is to provide "policy-independent data, forecasts,
and analyses to promote sound policy making, efficient markets,
and public understanding regarding energy and its interaction
with the economy and the environment."
2. The EIA is, by statute, fully independent
of the policy making process. The Administrator does not have
to obtain approval from any Department of Energy employee or official
in connection with the collection, analysis or publication of
data. Energy companies and other organisations are in most cases
required to provide data to the EIA by law.
3. The EIA produces a wide range of historical
reports and forecasts covering all US energy markets. It also
produces ad-hoc technical analyses on various developments
and trends in the energy sector. Production, consumption and price
information are analysed.
4. The information produced is similar to
the DTI's publications of energy statistics, or other publicly
available data on the electricity market (eg on Elexon's website).
Data tends to be aggregated on an annual, monthly or weekly basis,
with the exception of prices which are available on a daily basis.
The EIA does, however, appear to provide a wider range of data
and analytical reports than the DTI, although this may be partially
accounted for by the requirement to publish data at the state
level.
EIA NATURAL GAS
DATA
5. The following are examples of data on
natural gas available on the EIA's website:
Weekly
— Natural Gas Weekly Update
Analysis of current price, supply, and storage data; and a weather
snapshot.
— Weekly Natural Gas Storage
Weekly estimates of natural gas in underground storage for the
United States and three regions of the United States.
Monthly
— Natural Gas Monthly Natural
and supplemental gas production, supply, consumption, disposition,
storage, imports, exports, and prices in the United States.
Annual
— US Crude Oil, Natural Gas,
and Natural Gas Liquids Reserves Annual Report National and
State estimates of proved reserves of crude oil, natural gas,
and natural gas liquids in the United States.
— Advance Summary US Crude
Oil, Natural Gas, and Natural Gas Liquids Reserves Annual Report
This is an advance summary of EIA's report on domestic proved
reserves of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. It
presents key data tables (sorted by fuel and by geographic location)
and some highlights of petroleum industry activity that impacted
oil and natural gas production and proved reserves.
— Natural Gas Annual The
Natural Gas Annual provides comprehensive information on
the supply and disposition of natural gas in the United States.
Tables summarising these data from 1999 to 2003 are presented
for each State.
RELEVANCE OF
THE EIA MODEL
TO THE
UK UPSTREAM GAS
MARKET
6. Whilst the EIA provides a wealth of accessible
and independent data and analysis, it is largely retrospective
and does not, in our view, generally provide the type of real
time data that would help traders in the UK upstream gas market.
The recent energywatch proposal and DTI/Ofgem/Transco agreements
will, together, provide market participants with real time flow
data at sub terminals and information on the effect of planned
maintenance of offshore installations on forecast gas availability.
These initiatives will improve market efficiency and confidence
by harmonising information provision across gas and electricity
markets, providing timely access to flow data to all market participants,
and helping shippers balance their positions.
E.ON UK
4 February 2005
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