Gas Industry Communications Standards Working Group

This website maintains Communication Standards for wholesale business activities in the New Zealand Gas Industry. The standards have been developed and agreed by a voluntary group of industry representatives. The group's objective is to make activities such as gas sales and transmission nominations, efficient, accurate, electronic processes.

Attachment 1 - Charter
Attachment 2 - Terms of Reference

Latest News

Spreadsheet tools that implement the standards are available in Tools Tools Tab

The The establishment of an Open Access regime for the Maui Gas pipeline triggered the need to develop common communication standards. Point to point communications agreements for upstream processes were satisfactory for stable business relationships where the activity, scope and liability for errors was known or limited.  The Maui Open Access regime provides for:

- Open access to the Maui Pipeline for inputs, deliveries, and trading
- Forecasting
- Daily and intraday nominations.  The need for (Producer) welded parties to agree a daily scheduled quantity for gas injection/production based on sales and transmission nominations.
- The implications of errors in may be significant.

The Maui Open Access regime is supported by OATIS, the Open Access Transmission Information System.  The OATIS system is based on (XML) electronic communication however it is not within the scope of Open Access nor OATIS to establish the communication protocols as standards.  For instance, while Gas Sales nominations are very similar to OATIS Gas Transmission nominations, the lack of standards could result in different communication formats for these two activities.

It was agreed by a number of industry representatives that standards would enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the New Zealand Gas Industry, and would be beneficial for the individual Industry operators.

After an initial industry meeting, a workgroup was established with the following representatives:

Richard Coomber Martin Carroll Bernie Goedhart  Mike Brearton James Hare Hamish Tweedie Will Carmichael Chris Teeling John Hancock

Shell/STOS Genesis NGC Contact Contact Todd CGNZ CGNZ CGNZ

This voluntary workgroup, the Gas Industry Communications Standards Working Group,  has developed the communications standards and approvals process.

MDL - Maui Development Limited.  Owner of the Maui pipeline and Maui Gas field.  Have established the Maui Open Access regime www.mauipipeline.co.nz .  Although the Open Access regime catalysed the development of Communication standards, and there are representatives of the MDL shareholders in the GICSWG, MDL has no involvement or influence on the standards than any other industry participant.

GIIEMG   - Retail Gas Industry Cooperation Group .  A separate group is developing standards for the retail gas industry.

GIC - Gas Industry Company.  Nascent Company established to provide regulation for the NZ Gas Industry.  Depending on development, the GICSWG may operate as part of the Gas Industry governance provided by this group.

Archive area currently under construction

A Number of spreadsheets are available in this location. These show implementations of the standards. These can be used and distributed completely freely, however the GICSWG accepts no responsibility or liability for their performance or usage - test them and understand them. Please contact us if you require assistance.

OATIS spreadsheets - The standard spreadsheets developed as part of the OATIS project. These spreadsheets implement the XML standards.

Hourly nomination spreadsheets - Two spreadsheets, based on the OATIS STOS Provisional form, that have been adapted to be used by a buyer for the submission of Gas Sales Nominations

Summate Spreadsheet - Will take the 2 Hourly nominations spreadsheets, summate, then export the results.

The protect password for these spreadsheets is (case sensitive) $Ngc$123