Associate Analyst Gas Volume Scheduler

Job Summary:

To help fulfill the Company’s gas supply requirements for service to its sales customers and ensure the integrity of Company’s distribution system, this position carries three main areas of focus: 1) gas scheduling, 2) capacity analysis, 3) gas cost analysis. This position must be analytically minded with the ability and desire to analyze complex information.  In addition to nominating, confirming, and monitoring activities on intrastate and interstate pipelines, this position will study the short- and long-term needs for gas supply, transportation, and storage and ensure all gas costs are estimated properly.

Essential Functions:

Scheduling:

• Collects and monitors electronic flow measurement data for Company receipt and delivery points each day, communicates gas flow positions and pipeline orders to team members, and adjusts nominations to minimize imbalances and to aid in the optimization of Company’s gas supply portfolio assets.
• Studies and builds knowledge of upstream pipelines tariffs, monitors pipeline electronic bulletin boards for critical information, including operational restrictions and emergencies, and communicates the pertinent information and pipeline orders to team members and Gas Control, and changes nominations when necessary to comply with the pipelines’ critical information postings.
• Monitors weather forecasts and pipeline transportation allocations and makes projections of gas demands and communicates this information to team members and Gas Control, requesting their input on gas demand, then makes gas flow nomination changes as necessary to keep gas supply in balance with market demand.
• Maintains knowledge of rights and obligations under Company’s gas supply, transportation, and storage contracts; applies this knowledge to the nomination process to ensure compliance with contract obligations and to optimize use of contract rights.
• Monitors pipeline electronic bulletin boards for transportation discounts and capacity release and communicates with pipeline transportation representatives to assure that the Company uses the most cost effective and reliable pipeline transport services.
• Creates, updates, and controls contents of gas nomination files; verifies gas management system data and audits accuracy of system data.
• Performs nomination duties as backup to absent Volume Administration Analysts.
• Understands gas flow over pipeline systems, both theoretically and operationally, to ensure a working knowledge of the economic impact of nominations and balancing decisions on the Company.

Analytical:

• Creates and maintains a database containing upstream pipeline contract capacity, city gate design capacity, and a multi-year history of peak day gas flow at each city gate.
• Analyzes daily and monthly gas volume flow data, including transport imbalances and storage balances, and prepares reports to management regarding such gas flow activity.
• Determines CenterPoint's current and long-term capabilities regarding upstream pipeline capacity and city gate capacity to meet existing and future firm sales and transport customers’ gas usage requirements.
• Prepares capacity studies needed by the gas supply team for negotiation and administration of upstream pipeline transportation and storage contracts.
• Makes recommendations regarding contract modifications to the gas supply supervisor or manager for upstream pipeline capacity expansion and/or realignment.   

Gas Cost Analysis:

• Estimates gas supply, storage, and transport cost for use in monthly accounting close.
• Assists Gas Supply Administration in verifying pipeline and gas supply invoices for accuracy, performing SOX testing when required, and responding to internal and external audit requests for multiple jurisdictions.

Basic Qualifications:

Education: 

Bachelor’s degree required

• In lieu of a degree, we will consider a combination of education and related experience in natural gas operations or scheduling totaling four (4) years.

Experience:

 Requires 0-2 years of related experience.