EIA-176,"Annual Report of Natural Gas and Supplemental Gas Supply & Disposition"

Provided below are answers to past questions that EIA has received about the Form EIA-176, "Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition." The survey collects annual data on natural, synthetic, and other supplemental gas supplies, disposition and certain costs and revenues. If you do not find an answer to your specific question, please contact EIA staff, listed at the end of this product for assistance.

Q1. I cannot file the information requested by the due date. Is it possible to get an extension? How can I obtain a filing extension for my company?

Q2. What volumes am I supposed to report to EIA on Form EIA-176? My company operates a storage facility, and we also sell gas to our customers and transport gas for other firms to their customers or operations. Am I supposed to report all of these volumes?

Q3. My company operated in a State for only part of the year. Is my company still required to file a Form EIA-176?

Q4. My company operates in several States. Do I need to file a separate form for each State or can I file one form that covers the whole company?

Q5. If I report for several companies that are affiliates/subsidiaries in a State, how many forms do I fill out?

Q6. My company has different operations in several States. How should I report these activities to EIA?

Q7. My company recently merged with another company. Do I still need to file a Form EIA-176? What operations should I report - for my old company or the new, merged company?

Q8. My company keeps its records on a fiscal year basis. Can I file for my company's fiscal year?

Q9. Should I expect that my company to have data for all the sections of this form?

Q10. I don't understand the shaded areas on the form. Should I be filling them out, or should I ignore them?

Q11. My company uses storage services operated by another company. How should I report those gas storage services?

Q12. I don't have precise numbers at this time, can I file estimates?

Q13. If I can provide final numbers for my company at a later date or find that I have made an error in my earlier filing, what should I do?

Q14. My company tracks deliveries in terms of Btu content. EIA wants reporting on an Mcf (physical) basis. Can I file in units that are convenient for my company, or do I need to convert to EIA units? If so, how do I convert from therms to Mcf?

Q15. My company transports gas that is sold by marketers. Does EIA want me to report these volumes?

Q16. Section VI of the form requests the number of customers my company serves. What is the difference between a "consumer" and a "customer". Does EIA want to know the number of meters my company serves?

Q17. My company classifies customers by rate schedules or tariffs that are different from the sectoral breakout that EIA wants. For instance, I am not sure how to report deliveries to consumers. I do not know if my customers are residential, commercial, electric power or industrial. What should I do?

Q18. My company records combine residential and commercial consumers. EIA wants these sectors reported separately . I don't have sufficient information to separate the data. What should I do? How should I report these volumes?

Q19. My company delivers gas to a facility that generates electricity. How should I report it to EIA?

Q20. I have a question that is not addressed in the instructions or answered on the website. Is there someone who can help me?

Q1:  I cannot file the information requested by the due date. Is it possible to get an extension? How can I obtain a filing extension for my company?

A1:  You can request a 30-day extension by faxing, e-mailing, or calling EIA at the telephone or e-mail address listed on the front of the form. Your extension will be acknowledged in a response from EIA. If you require additional time, you must contact Amy Sweeney at amy.sweeney@eia.doe.gov to discuss specific difficulties meeting the extension deadline. Every extension request must include all identification numbers and company names for which you are requesting an extension.

Q2:  What volumes am I supposed to report to EIA on Form EIA-176? My company operates a storage facility, and we also sell gas to our customers and transport gas for other firms to their customers or operations. Am I supposed to report all of these volumes?

A2:  Report to EIA all volumes for which your company had physical possession (custody) during the report year. Each operation for which your company takes physical possession of gas should be reported to EIA. For example, a company that operates a storage facility and also delivers gas it owned or transported to consumers should report each activity on Form EIA-176.

Q3:  My company operated in a State for only part of the year. Is my company still required to file a Form EIA-176?

A3:  Your company is required to file a Form EIA-176 for each State in which it operated during the year, even though it may have operated only part of the year.

Q4:  My company operates in several States. Do I need to file a separate form for each State or can I file one form that covers the whole company?

A4:  A separate EIA-176 form is required for each State of operations.

Q5:  If I report for several companies that are affiliates/subsidiaries in a State, how many forms do I fill out?

A5:  EIA would like a separate form for each company subsidiary or affiliate meeting the filing requirements that operated a system within a State. However, approval to report on a consolidated basis for a State may be granted upon request to the EIA. Such requests should be directed to Amy Sweeney at amy.sweeney@eia.doe.gov. If filed on a consolidated basis, identify the separate systems, affiliates, or subsidiaries on Section I of the form.

Q6:  My company has different operations in several States. How should I report these activities to EIA?

A6:  A separate form must be filled out for each State. When completing the Form EIA-176, indicate all of your company's operations in the report State in Section II. We realize that operations may vary from State to State.

Q7:  My company recently merged with another company. Do I still need to file a Form EIA-176? What operations should I report - for my old company or the new, merged company?

A7:  You should file separate reports for each company's operations before and after the merger or for the new merged company for the entire year's operations as a single, combined entity for all companies involved in the merger. Please notify EIA of the status of your filing(s) in notes in the "Comments" section on the front of the form.

Q8:  My company keeps its records on a fiscal year basis. Can I file for my company's fiscal year?

A8:  No, EIA expects filings on a calendar year basis.

Q9:  Does EIA expect that my company has data for all the sections of this form?

A9:  Not necessarily. Some items may not apply because your company is not engaged in that type of operation or business line in the report State.

Q10:  I don't understand the shaded areas on the form.  Should I be filling them out, or should I ignore them?

A10:  Fill out only the blank, unshaded portions of the form.

Q11:  My company uses storage services operated by another company. How should I report those gas storage services?

A11:  Storage operations (injections and withdrawals) should be reported only by the operator of the storage facility. If you have additional questions, please contact EIA staff (see contact list below).

Q12:  I don't have precise numbers at this time, can I file estimates?

A12:  Yes, please file estimates if you do not have precise numbers available by the due date. If you can provide more precise or final numbers at a later time, please resubmit when they are available. (See below for information on resubmitting data).

Q13:  If I can provide final numbers for my company at a later date or find that I have made an error in my earlier filing, what should I do?

A13:  Please file estimates by the due date and then resubmit your EIA-176 form as soon as you have final or corrected numbers. Please check the resubmission block at the top of each page that contains corrections or updates.

Q14:  My company tracks deliveries in terms of Btu content. EIA wants reporting on an Mcf (physical) basis. Can I file in units that are convenient for my company, or do I need to convert to EIA units? If so, how do I convert from therms to Mcf?

A14:  Volumes reported on the Form EIA-176 should be in units of thousand cubic feet (Mcf). Volumes reported on the Form EIA-176 should be in units of thousand cubic feet (Mcf). Most records kept for heat content are in therms or dekatherms (Dth). A therm is 100,000 British thermal units (Btu). A dekatherm is 10 therms. To convert from heat content to thousand cubic feet divide the volume stated in dekatherms by the average heating value in Btu per cubic foot of gas. Please use your best estimate if the heating value of gas was not recorded. As an example, if deliveries are 2 Dth and the heat content is 1,033 Btu per cubic foot, the resulting volume of delivery is 1,936 cubic feet (2,000,000 Btu/1,033 Btu per cubic foot) or 1.936 Mcf. As a reasonableness check, a dekatherm is equivalent to approximately one Mcf.

Q15:  My company transports gas that is sold by marketers. Does EIA want me to report these volumes?

A15:  Yes, EIA wants you to report gas volumes your company transports for marketers. How you report it depends on what type of company is receiving the gas. If the gas is delivered to a pipeline or a local distribution company within the State, it should be reported in Section VI, item 18.1 or 18.2. If you deliver the gas to consumers, report the volumes in Section VI, in one of the items 11.1 - 11.6, depending on the type of customer receiving the gas (residential, commercial, industrial, electric power, natural gas vehicle refueler, or other end-use consumer).

Q16:  Section VI of the form requests the number of customers my company serves. What is the difference between a "consumer" and a "customer". Does EIA want to know the number of meters my company serves?

A16:  Each individually-metered dwelling, building, plant, establishment, or location should be counted as a separate consumer.

Q17:  My company classifies customers by rate schedules or tariffs that are different from the sectoral breakout that EIA wants. For instance, I am not sure how to report deliveries to consumers. I do not know if my customers are residential, commercial, electric power or industrial. What should I do?

A17:  The instructions to the Form EIA-176 explain EIA's sectoral definitions. To view instructions click here: PDF. It is important that all deliveries, especially deliveries to consumers, are reported to EIA on Form EIA-176. If you are unsure of the customer type, use item 10.6 or 11.6 in Section VI and provide any specific information that will aid in determining a customer classification. If you have additional questions, please contact EIA staff (see contact list below).

Q18:  My company records combine residential and commercial consumers. EIA wants these sectors reported separately. I don't have sufficient information to separate the data. What should I do? How should I report these volumes?

A18:  If your company records combine categories that EIA needs reported separately, please provide your best estimate of the information for each category separately. If you have no reasonable basis for estimates, enter the information under the category you believe received the largest total volume of gas. Please provide an explanatory note in Section VII of the form. If you have additional questions, please contact EIA staff (see contact list below).

Q19:  My company delivers gas to a facility that generates electricity. How should I report it to EIA?

A19:  How you report the delivery depends on whether electric generation is the primary line of business. If the primary line of business is industrial or commercial, report the deliveries in the appropriate category. If you do not know the customer's primary line of business, please call EIA staff and we will be happy to help you. A list of EIA staff contacts appears at the end of the FAQ.

Q20:  I have a question that is not addressed in the instructions or answered on the website. Is there someone who can help me?

A20:  EIA appreciates your efforts to provide accurate, timely data to EIA. Staff members listed below can provide you with clarifications or other information to assist you.

Amy Sweeney   202-586-2627   amy.sweeney@eia.doe.gov

Stephen Nalley   202-586-0959   stephen.nalley@eia.doe.gov