PG&E Calif Gas unit warns on high natgas inventory

NEW YORK, May 21 (Reuters) - Pacific Gas and Electric Co's (PCG.N: Quote, Profile, Research) California Gas Transmission unit on Thursday issued an operational flow order for all customers on its natural gas pipeline system due to high inventories.

The system-wide alert, issued at 10 percent tolerance, forces shippers to stay within 10 percent of their scheduled volumes in order to maintain system integrity, the company said in a website posting.

OFOs and other alerts protect the operational integrity of a pipeline by requiring shippers to take action to balance their supply with their customers' usage on a daily basis within a specified tolerance band.

Forecaster Weather.com said the Northwest would stay dry and sunny Thursday with high pressure in place. With increased moisture and cloud cover, temperatures ill be much cooler across the Southwest.

Highs in the lower elevations will reach into the 70s, 80s and 90s degrees Fahrenheit, while in the Northwest, temperatures will return to near and above average with afternoon readings in the 60s and 70s in lower elevations.

CGT's near 1,000-mile Line 300, with the capacity to transport 1.1 billion cubic feet per day of supply, carries gas from several interstate pipelines to customers in California, while its 725-mile Lines 400 and 401 deliver Canadian and Rocky Mountain gas to the state with a peak capacity of about 2 bcf per day. (Reporting by Eileen Moustakis; Editing by John Picinich)