In June $1980,$ Harry Sinclair, General Manager of the Texas Division of Agri$-$Chem Corporation, received notification from Ben Elliot of Enerco that natural gas supplies were being rapidly depleted. In the event of a shortage, Enerco, the main producer and distributor of natural gas in the Gulf South region, would allocate gas to its customers under the following provisions established by the Federal Power Commission:

First Priority: Residential and commercial heating and cooling

Second Priority: Commercial and industrial firms that use natural gas as a source of raw material

Third Priority: Industrial firms that use natural gas as a boiler fuel

Elliot related to Sinclair that most of Agri$-$Chem's uses were in the second and third priority classifications. Hence, Agri$-$Chem would probably be subjected to "rolling brownouts", temporary and periodic curtailments of natural gas supplies. Enerco planned to monitor its pipeline pressures and order reductions to maintain minimum levels. Elliot preferred that Enerco's customers initiate the reduction