System Operations

Monitoring and Assessment

AEMO monitors and assesses data submitted to the Gas Bulletin Board to determine if there is an identified risk or threat to the East Coast Gas System.

Notices

AEMO will inform relevant entities of an identified risk or threat via an ECGS Notice which will be sent to the relevant entities ECGS Responsible Person contact via email and SMS. Public ECGS notices, and attachments, will be published to AEMO’s website ECGS Data page and to the following NEMWEB locations:

Conference

AEMO may convene a conference in response to a potential identified risk or threat to gas supply reliability and adequacy of the East Coast Gas System in order to:

(a) assess whether there is, or is not, an actual or potential threat, including the likelihood of the threat occurring;
(b) obtain information on the nature and extent of an identified risk or threat;
(c) signal the need for an industry response to an identified risk or threat.

Directions

In accordance with the NGL and NGR, AEMO’s East Coast Gas System reliability and supply adequacy functions authorise AEMO to give a written directions to relevant entities for the following purposes: 

(a) to maintain and improve the reliability of the supply of natural gas within the East Coast Gas System;
(b) to maintain and improve the adequacy of the supply of natural gas within the East Coast Gas System. 

AEMO may only give a direction if AEMO is of the opinion that the giving of the direction is necessary to prevent, reduce or mitigate an actual or potential threat identified by AEMO.

Trading

In accordance with the NGL and NGR, AEMO’s trading function provides AEMO with the ability to trade in natural gas and to purchase related gas services to maintain and improve the reliability or adequacy of the supply of natural gas within the east coast gas system. 

The trading function can only be exercised where AEMO is of the opinion that the trade or purchase is necessary to prevent, reduce or mitigate an identified risk or threat. Typically, this may occur where an industry response does not occur, is not adequate or is not feasible. The trading function may also be exercised where the use of a direction is not appropriate or practical to resolve an identified risk or threat.

Annual Winter Readiness and Management Plan

AEMO has been requested by Energy Ministers to prepare an Annual Winter Readiness and Management Plan to address security and reliability issues in the electricity and gas market, accounting for the ECGS functions, which shall include:

1. Consideration of the security and reliability risks in both electricity and gas markets;

2. Identification of a pathway to fill and maintain critical storage inventories across the east coast gas market; and

3. Reliability in electricity and gas market while minimising market intervention and costs to gas consumers

AEMO has incorporated the ECGS Annual Winter Readiness and Management Plan into the 2023 Victorian Winter Gas Operation’s Winter Outlook and published them here. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

The following Frequently Asked Questions were identified and responded to by AEMO as part of the Project to setup the East Coast Gas System functions.