Nomination and matching process

Nominations are obligatory for any network point for which you have contracted capacity with us. Exemption from the nomination obligation is only possible on the basis of article 2.3 from Appendix 5 of our TSC. 

Nominations will be validated against the capacity booked by you for the network point concerned when they are received. If the nomination is higher than this capacity, you will be notified. In that case, the nomination will be rejected and no longer included in the process. If you do not renominate (on time) within your contracted capacity, you will receive a zero confirmation; a zero nomination will then be assumed. 

Initial nominations must be received by us before 14.00 hours on the gas day prior to the gas day on which transport is to take place. If required, and provided that the term of the contract allows for this, nominations can be made up to 179 days in advance.

You will receive your confirmations from us before 16.00 hours on the gas day prior to the gas day on which transport is to take place. If your confirmation deviates from the nomination, the confirmation will also contain the reason for this deviation; this may be a mismatch or an interruption, for example. 

Nominations received by us between 14.00 and 16.00 hours will also be validated immediately for capacity. You will be informed about the result of this check straight away. Your nomination will only be considered for further processing during the renomination process (after 16.00 hours). Changes in nominations can be indicated by submitting a renomination, which must take into account the lead time at the network point concerned. We will process a nomination or renomination from the next full hour (clock hour) after receiving it. 

The matching process takes place between GTS and the Neighbouring Network Operator (NNO) at almost all border points and offshore pipeline landfall points. This means that messages containing nomination information are exchanged between GTS and the NNO comparing the nominations received by GTS with the nominations received by the NNO. If there are any differences, the standard matching rule, the Lesser of Rule (LoR), is applied. Specifically, this means that whichever is the lowest nomination value, the one submitted by our shipper or the one submitted by its NNO countershipper, will be the value confirmed to both shippers. Both GTS and the NNO will send a message to confirm the matching result to their own shippers. 

If it is necessary to interrupt nominations with respect to interruptible booked capacity, this will take place prior to the matching process. Interruption is based on priority; where contracts have equal priority (the same timestamp), further allocation will take place on a pro rata basis. The interruption result will be included in the further process and is visible via the confirmation. 

On the virtual network points TTF and TTFB entry paid gas can be transferred by nominating. If no transfer is to take place there is no need to nominate. This is different from physical network points, where nominating is required. Nominations submitted must contain portfolio codes admitted by and valid at GTS. If required, nominations can be made up to 400 days in advance at these virtual network points.

The matching process is based on initial nominations of shippers transferring gas to each other. All Future and Day Ahead nominations received before 04.00 hours will be included in the matching process in the next full clock hour. From 04.30 hours, the matching process takes place every 30 minutes to ensure that all nominations or renominations are confirmed on time before the start of the new, and during the current, gas day.

A lead time of 30 minutes applies on the TTF and TTFB.

A confirmation is given ‘No Counternomination’ (NC) status if either party has not yet submitted a nomination. Confirmations are given ‘Settled’ (S) status if both nominated values match. If this is not the case, then the confirmation is given ‘MisMatch’ (MM) status and the lowest value is confirmed to both parties in accordance with the ‘Lesser of Rule’ (LoR).

Confirmations on the TTF and TTFB are given ‘Unchanged Settled’ (US) status if either party sends in an amended renomination after a ‘Settled’ deal was previously confirmed. Specifically, this means that the previously confirmed value remains intact and that, after having concluded a ‘Settled’ deal, parties cannot unilaterally change their deal. Another confirmation will be sent out with a ‘Settled’ (S) status deal only when both parties renominate and the nominated values match.

It is not possible to submit renominations for TTFB for the current gas day; the message will therefore be rejected and not included in the further matching process.

The standard matching rule on border points with so called Neighbouring Network Operator (NNOs) is the Lesser of Rule (LoR). This means that when nomination values received are different, the lowest value prevails and is confirmed to both parties.

However, there is a deviation from this standard matching rule at some network border points and a different rule has been agreed with the Neighbouring Network Operator (NNO): the Producer Prevail (PP) rule. Here, this rule is the default matching rule at the network point concerned and is usually in place between GTS and NNOs with onshore or offshore pipelines to which several producers are connected. The Producer Prevail rule means that, if there is a difference in nominations received by GTS and received by a producer, the nomination submitted by the NNO shipper (upstream) will prevail. In other words, this will be approved by GTS (without any reduction) and confirmed to its shippers (downstream).

When finalising the contract and before delivery starts, it is advisable to agree with both GTS and the NNO (producer) which matching rule will apply. It is assumed that, on the instructions of its shipper, the NNO (producer) will implement the same matching rule in its nomination system and apply it in its matching process.