The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Taking a sample of the natural gas being delivered to the Big Sandy Community, one of the 49 therm zones found through out the State of Montana,by Kemdata Laboratories. The sample taken will be analyzed at Kemdata laboratory to determine the heat content (Btu's) per thousand cubic feet. This information will then be reported to the Utility Co. that is supplying the natural gas and to the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC ) to verify the compliance of the BTU value with the BTU value being charged to the consumer ( in other words " are the consumers getting what they are paying for").

This process came about when the units measuring natural gas changed from cubic feet to therms ( a combination of cubic feet adjusted for BTU )In order to verify the utilities compliance a third parties sampling, analysis, and report was found to be necessary. The third party, whom must be found to be mutually acceptable to both the utilities and the PSC, contracts to provide the required services for the required services annually and is compensated by the utilities. No taxpayer monies are involved.

These reports are made from data acquired at each of Northwestern Energy's(NWE ) 26 therm zones and from each of Montana Dakota' Utilities (MDU) 23 therm zones two times each year during the winter months of November thru March The sampling points for these zones stretch from Fairview in the Northeast corner of the state to Dillon in the Southwest and from Kalispell /Flathead area in the Northwest to Balzac in the remote southeast corner of the state.. A grand total of 98 samplings, analysis and reports are made each year.

Since no two sub-surfaces sources of natural gas are exactly the same*, zones or areas where it is possible to deliver the same product are designated by the utilities hence the term "therm zone".

* The heat content of natural gas in Montana varies from mid 900 Btu's per cubic foot to the low 1100 Btu's per cubic foot. "Coal Bed Methane", a term for gas produced from the coal beds mainly in Wyoming . Some gas is produced from an abandoned land fill on the southern edge of the city of Billings.