IN THE NEWS .........
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ANR Pipeline has approval from the FERC to proceed with the Collierville Expansion Project. The project would expand the delivery capability of the existing Collierville Meter Station by an additional 200,000 dekatherms per day, enabling ANR to provide requested service to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s pending Allen Combined Cycle Power Plant in Memphis, Tennessee. The project would consist of the following: a new Collierville Compressor Station containing one 4,700 horsepower gas turbine compressor unit and ancillary equipment, including an emergency generator unit, a condensate tank, new control building, and compressor building; suction and discharge interconnect station piping; and upgrades to the existing Collierville Meter Station.
Canyon Midstream Partners, LLC announced the expansion of its James Lake Midstream System into Winkler County, Texas. With additional compression Canyon Midstream’s new field facility in Kermit, Texas, they plan to construct a 22-mile trunkline extension capable of delivering up to 60 million cubic feet per day to the James Lake plant for treating and processing. The James Lake system currently consists of a 110 MMcf/d cryogenic gas processing plant in Ector County, Texas, and eight field compressor stations, 90 miles of high-pressure trunkline and 90 miles of low-pressure gathering lines in Ector, Andrews and Winkler counties, Texas.
Columbia Gas Transmission has an application before the FERC seeking authority for the WB Xpress Project which includes construction of approximately 29.2 miles of various diameter pipeline, modifications to seven existing compressor stations, construction of two new compressor stations, and uprating the maximum allowable operating pressure on various segments of Columbia’s existing Line WB and Line VB natural gas transmission systems. The WB Xpress Project facilities are designed to expand the capacity of Columbia’s existing system to transport up to approximately 1.3 million dekatherms per day of natural gas. Facilities to be constructed or uprated are located in Clay, Kanawha, Grant, Upshur, Randolph, Pendleton, Braxton, and Hardy Counties, West Virginia and in Clark, Fauquier, Fairfax, Loudoun, Shenandoah, and Warren Counties, Virginia. Construction start is anticipated for winter of 2017.
Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC is proposing to construct the Mountaineer Xpress Project. Columbia Gas proposes to construct and operate approximately 170.1 miles of various diameter pipeline, modify threes existing compressor stations, construct and operate three new compressor stations, and install various appurtenant and auxiliary facilities, all located in either Marshall, Wetzel, Tyler, Doddridge, Ritchie, Calhoun, Wirt, Roane, Jackson, Mason, Putnam, Kanawha, Cabell, and Wayne Counties, West Virginia. Construction is anticipated to begin in Fall of 2017.
Dominion Carolina Gas Transmission, Inc. received a Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review for the proposed Charleston Project. The project includes approximately 60 miles of pipeline (Moore to Chappells Pipeline - 55 miles of new 12-inch diameter natural gas pipeline and the Dillon Pipeline -5 miles of 4-inch pipeline) also including compressor station work - Moore Compressor Station (existing) - install two new 1,400 horsepower compressor units - install additional gas cooling units; Dorchester Compressor Station (new) - construct a new compressor station with three, 1,050 horsepower compressor units; Southern Compressor Station - remove three 1,050 horsepower compressor units - convert one 1,050 horsepower compressor unit from standby to baseload service; and the Charleston Town Border Station - install an overpressure protection system and controls. Work will be in Spartanburg, Laurens, Newberry, Greenwood, Dillon, Dorchester, Aiken and Charleston Counties, South Carolina. Receipt of the Environmental Assessment for the project is expected from the FERC on October 19, 2016 with a final FERC project decision expected on January 17, 2017. If approved, construction is slated for winter 2017.
Enbridge Inc. announced that an affiliate of Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P. will be withdrawing regulatory applications pending with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission for the Sandpiper Pipeline Project. EEP has completed a review of Sandpiper and concluded that the project should be delayed until such time as crude oil production in North Dakota recovers sufficiently to support development of new pipeline capacity. Based on updated projections, EEP believes that new pipeline capacity will not likely be needed until beyond the Company's five-year planning horizon.
Magnum Gas Storage, LLC filed an abbreviated application to amend their Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity granted by the FERC on March 17, 2011. Magnum was authorized to construct, own, and operate natural gas storage and transmission facilities in Millard, Juab, and Utah Counties, Utah. To date, construction of the authorized Magnum Gas Storage Project (Magnum Project) has not commenced. The Amendment Project would result in the elimination and relocation of facilities within the original footprint of the Magnum Project. Specifically, Magnum would eliminate: brine evaporation pond 1; monitoring wells DA-1 and DA-2; and monitoring wells, GA-1, GA-2, GA-9, GA-10, and GA-11. Magnum would also relocate: four natural gas caverns; water wells 1 through 5; compression, dehydration, and pumping facilities; 4-inch gas supply line; maintenance and laydown area; office/warehouse building and substation; and site-wide utilities. Additionally, Magnum would relocate a 6,252-foot-long segment of the 61.6-mile long, 36-inch-diameter Header pipeline, 63 feet north of the authorized alignment, west of Jones Road in Millard County, Utah. FERC is expected to issue an Environmental Assessment on the Amendment on July 29, 2016 with a final project decision slated for late October 2016.
Kinder Morgan Cochin LLC and Kinder Morgan Cochin ULC is expected to get underway with construction in November or December 2016 with the Utopia Pipeline project. The project involves construction of approximately 215-miles of 12-inch diameter pipeline from Harrison County, Ohio to Kinder Morgan’s existing pipeline and facilities in Fulton County, Ohio, where the company would then move product eastward to Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is expected it will be constructed in three spreads – Spread 1 – 42 miles of 12-inch; Spread 2 – 78 miles of 12-inch; and Spread 3 103 miles of 12-inch. The Utopia system would transport previously refined or fractionated natural gas liquids, including ethane and ethane-propane mixtures.
Millennium Pipeline Company awaits FERC approval for the Valley Lateral Project. A favorable Environmental Assessment has been received from the FERC. Millennium proposes to construct 7.8-miles of 16-inch diameter lateral pipeline from Millennium’s existing mainline in Orange County, New York to the CPV Valley Energy Center. To date, the project still awaits FERC approval.
Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC and Equitrans, LP has received a favorable Draft Environmental Impact Statement from the FERC for the Mountain Valley Pipeline Project and the Equitrans Expansion Project. The Final Environmental Impact Statement from the FERC is expected in March 2017 with a final project decision slated for June 2017. The Mountain Valley Pipeline Project would consist of about 301 miles of new 42-inch-diameter pipeline, beginning at the Mobley Interconnect and receipt meter station in Wetzel County, West Virginia, and terminating at the Transco Interconnect and delivery meter station at the existing Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company Compressor Station 165 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. In addition, Mountain Valley intends to construct and operate three new compressor stations and other aboveground facilities. The Equitrans Expansion Project would consist of a total of about 8 miles of various diameter pipelines in six segments. These segments include the parallel 12-inch-diameter H-158 pipeline and 6-inch-diameter M-80 pipeline extending about 0.2-mile each in Greene County, Pennsylvania; the 24-inch-diameter H-305 pipeline that would extend about 540 feet in Greene County; the 3-mile-long new 30-inch-diameter H-316 pipeline in Greene County; the 4.2-mile-long new 20-inch-diameter H-318 pipeline in Allegheny and Washington Counties, Pennsylvania; and the new H-319 pipeline that would extend about 200 feet in Wetzel County, West Virginia. Equitrans also proposes to abandon its existing Pratt Compressor Station and replace it with the new Redhook Compressor Station in Greene County, Pennsylvania; and to construct and operate taps in Greene County and Washington County, Pennsylvania, and an interconnect and two taps in Wetzel County, West Virginia. If approved, construction is anticipated to get underway in 2017.
Northern Natural Gas is proposing the Northern Lights 2017 Expansion project. The proposed project will consist of construction and operation of approximately 4.8 miles of 8- and 12-inch diameter branch line loop extensions in Sherburne and Isanti Counties, Minnesota. FERC has issued a Notice of Environmental Review for the project. Issuance of the Environmental Assessment is expected on November 9, 2016 with a final FERTC project decision slated for February 7, 2017.
The staff of the FERC has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the NEXUS Gas Transmission (NGT) Project and Texas Eastern Appalachian Lease (TEAL) Project, proposed by NEXUS Gas Transmission, LLC and Texas Eastern Transmission, LP. NEXUS and Texas Eastern request authorization to construct a new greenfield pipeline and expand an existing pipeline system from the Appalachian Basin to deliver 1.5 million dekatherms per day to consuming markets in Northern Ohio, Southeastern Michigan, and Ontario, Canada. DTE Gas Company and Vector Pipeline L.P. are requesting approval to lease capacity on their systems to NEXUS. The Draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the projects in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. The FERC staff concludes that approval of the projects would result in some adverse environmental impacts; however, most of these impacts would be reduced to less-than-significant levels with the implementation of NEXUS’s and Texas Eastern’s proposed mitigation measures and the additional recommendations in the draft EIS. The NGT Project consists of about 255.9 miles of pipeline composed of the following facilities: 208.9 miles of new 36-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline in Ohio; 47 miles of new 36-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline in Michigan; associated equipment and facilities. The TEAL Project would include two main components: 4.4 miles of new 36-inch-diameter loop pipeline in Ohio; 0.3 mile of new 30-inch-diameter interconnecting pipeline Ohio; and associated equipment and facilities. The projects’ proposed aboveground facilities include five new compressor stations in Ohio; additional compression and related modifications to one existing compressor station in Ohio; five new metering and regulating stations in Ohio; one new metering and regulating station in Michigan; and minor modifications at existing aboveground facilities at various locations across Ohio.
National Fuel Gas Pipeline / Empire Pipeline have an application before the FERC seeking authority for the Northern Access 2016 Project. The proposed project will include Supply's construction of approximately 97-miles of new 24-inch diameter pipeline, from Sergeant Township, McKean County, Pa., to an interconnection with Supply's existing Line X-North, at or near the Porterville Compressor Station in the Town of Elma, Erie County, N.Y.; an approximately 5,000 horsepower compression addition at Supply's existing Porterville Compressor Station; and an interconnection with Tennessee Gas Pipeline's 200 Line in the Town of Wales, Erie County, N.Y. The project will also include Empire’s construction of a 24-inch pipeline segment of approximately 4 miles, replacing 3.3 miles of existing 16-inch Supply pipeline and 0.7 miles of existing Empire pipeline in the Towns of Wheatfield and Pendleton, Niagara County, N.Y.; a new, approximately 22,000 horsepower compressor station in the Town of Pendleton, Niagara County, N.Y.; and a new natural gas dehydration facility in the Town of Wheatfield, Niagara County, N.Y. National Fuel hopes to begin clearing/grading activities in the winter or spring of 2016, followed by construction activities in the spring of 2016 with a target in-service date of November 2016. The FERC Environmental Assessment is expected from the FERC on July 27, 2017 with a final project decision slated for October 2016.
Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America has filed an application with the FERC seeking approval to construct its proposed Gulf Coast Southbound Expansion Project. Natural proposes to construct and operate a new compressor station, identified as Compressor Station 394 (CS 394), and a new approximately 4,000-foot-long, 30-inch-diameter lateral, with connections to Natural's existing Gulf Coast Line and A/G Line in Cass County, Texas. Natural is also requesting authorization from the FERC to abandon two compressor units at its Compressor Station 301 (CS 301) located in Wharton County, Texas. FERC is preparing an Environmental Assessment for the project. Pending regulatory approvals, the project is expected to be placed into service in October 2018.
Northern Natural Gas has filed an application with the FERC seeking authority to construct and operate 4.8 miles of 8- and 12-inch diameter branch line loop extensions in Sherburne and Isanti Counties, Minnesota. The proposed facilities will provide for incremental winter peak day firm service of 75,937 dekatherms per day serving residential, commercial, and industrial customer market growth in Northern's Market Area. Northern also proposes to install and operate an additional 15,900 horsepower compressor unit at an existing compressor station in Rice County, Minnesota. Short segments of pipeline will be removed to accommodate compressor station tie-ins. The total cost of the project is $44,068,126.
Paulsboro Natural Gas Pipeline Company, LLC has an application before the FERC seeking approval for the Delaware River Pipeline Relocation Project. Paulsboro proposes to abandon about 2.4 miles of 6- and 8-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline extending across the Delaware River between Delaware County, Pennsylvania and Gloucester County, New Jersey. Paulsboro would replace the abandoned pipeline with 2.6 miles of 12- and 24-inch-diameter pipeline installed under the Delaware River using the horizontal directional drill method. The purpose of the project is to facilitate the United States Army Corps of Engineers’ dredging activities for the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project (45-Foot Project). The project would increase natural gas transportation capacity from 38 million standard cubic feet per day (MMScf/d) to 57.7 MMScf/d to the sole customer served by the pipeline, Paulsboro Refining Company, LLC. FERC is expected to issue a final project decision on October 16, 2016.
Spire STL Pipeline has submitted a pre-filing request with the FERC for the Spire STL Pipeline Project. The project would consist of construction of approximately 60 miles of new build 24-inch-diameter steel pipeline originating at an interconnection with the Rockies Express Pipeline LLC pipeline in Scott County, Illinois, extending down through Greene and Jersey Counties in Illinois before crossing the Mississippi River and extending east in St. Charles County, Missouri until crossing the Missouri river and tying into an existing 20-inch-diameter steel transmission pipeline in St. Louis County, Missouri that is currently owned and operated by LGC. As part of the proposed project and subject to LGC’s receipt of approval from the Missouri Public Service Commission, Spire plans to purchase Line 880 from LGC and modify approximately nine miles of existing 20-inch-diameter steel natural gas pipeline located in St. Louis County, Missouri that will connect the new build part of the project to the Enable Mississippi River Transmission, LLC pipeline along the western bank of the Mississippi river in St. Louis County, Missouri. The total length of the entire project will be approximately 70 miles. If the project moves forward, it is expected construction could begin in February 2018 with a tentative in-service date of November 2018.
Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company has received a Notice of Environmental Assessment Review from the FERC for the Southwest Louisiana Supply Project. Tennessee Gas proposes to construct approximately 2.4 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline lateral in Madison Parish, Louisiana; approximately 1.4 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline lateral in Richland and Franklin Parishes, Louisiana; five meter stations to allow Tennessee to receive gas on its existing 800 Line from five interconnecting pipelines; one new compressor station in Franklin Parish, Louisiana; and to replace a turbine engine at an existing compressor station in Rapides Parish, Louisiana. A final FERC project decision is slated for December 28, 2016.
Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, L.L.C. has submitted an application to the FERC for its proposed Lone Star Project. The Lone Star Project includes the construction, and operation of the following facilities in the state of Texas: (1) construction of a new 10,915 horsepower (hp) compressor station 3A to be located in San Patricio County, Texas; and (2) construction of a new 10,500 hp compressor station 11A to be located in Jackson County, Texas. The proposed facilities will be located on Tennessee’s 100 Line, between Tennessee’s existing Compressor Station 1 and Compressor Station 17, in San Patricio and Jackson counties, Texas. Tennessee states that the facilities will provide firm transportation service of up to 300,000 dekatherms per day to Corpus Christi Liquefaction, LLC. The estimated cost of the project is $131.9 million. Construction on the proposed US$131.9 million project is expected to begin in January 2018, with an anticipated in-service date of January 2019.
Texas Eastern Transmission, LP has an application before the FERC seeking approval for its proposed Marshall County Mine Panel 17W Project. Texas Eastern proposes to excavate and elevate sections of four natural gas transmission pipelines Lines 10, 15, 25, and 30 to monitor potential strains on the pipeline sections due to anticipated longwall mining activities of Marshall Coal in Marshall County, West Virginia. Prior to elevation, portions of two of the lines, Lines 10 and 15, will be replaced with new pipe to accommodate a minimum of a Class 2 design. To minimize impacts to wetlands, all but two, approximately 140 and 85-foot sections of Lines 10 and 15 will be removed during the elevation and replacement work. Texas Eastern will also perform maintenance activities on sections of Lines 25 and 30. The four mainline sections will be returned to natural gas service while remaining elevated using sandbags and skids until the longwall mining activities have been completed. Once the mining activities have been completed, the two sections of Lines 10 and 15 located within wetlands will be removed and the four elevated pipeline sections will be reinstalled belowground, hydrostatically tested, and placed back into service. The project is expected to be completed and all pipeline segments returned to service by September 1, 2018.
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC has received approval from the FERC for the Virginia Southside Expansion Project II, which is intended to provide 250,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/day) of incremental firm transportation service for Virginia Power Services Energy Corporation, Inc. Transco proposes the construction and operation of the following new facilities and modifications to existing facilities: the Greensville Lateral, consisting of approximately 4.19 miles of 24-inchdiameter pipeline extending from milepost 5.2 on Transco’s existing Brunswick Lateral in Brunswick County, Virginia, to VEPCO’s proposed power plant in Greensville County, Virginia; one 25,000 horsepower electric-driven compressor unit at Transco’s existing Compressor Station 185 in Prince William County, Virginia; two 10,915 hp gas-driven compressor units, three bays of cooling equipment, and the re-wheeling of two existing compressor units at Transco’s existing Compressor Station 166 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia; a new delivery meter station and gas heaters at the terminus of the Greenville Lateral at VEPCO’s Greensville power plant; modifications to odorization/deodorization facilities at Transco’s
Compressor Station 140 in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, and to valve settings and meter stations between Compressor Station 140 and Transco’s Tryon Lateral and on Transco’s mainline in North Carolina and South Carolina; and various related appurtenances underground facilities and aboveground facilities such as valves and valve operators, launchers, and receivers. Transco estimates that the project will cost approximately $190.8 million.
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC is proposing the Gulf Connector project. The Gulf Connector Expansion Project is a 475,000 dekatherm per day expansion of the Transco pipeline system in Texas and Louisiana to connect U.S. natural gas supplies with global liquefied natural gas (LNG) markets. Constructed in two phases, Gulf Connector will deliver natural gas to feed two liquefied natural gas export terminals in Texas — one located on the northern coast of Corpus Christi Bay in the first quarter of 2019, and another located on the coast of Freeport Bay in the third quarter of 2018. Both liquefaction facilities are currently under construction. The Gulf Connector project involves adding compression and making the natural gas flow bi-directional on a portion of the Transco system between Louisiana and south Texas. It will include the installation of: a new 7,800 hp compressor station (Compressor Station 17) in San Patricio County, Texas; a new 21,600 hp compressor station (Compressor Station 23) in Victoria County, Texas; a new 1,500 hp compressor station (Compressor Station 32) in Wharton County, Texas; piping and valve modifications on Transco’s mainline at existing facilities in Wharton and Hardin Counties, respectively, to allow for bi-directional flow; the addition of one new interconnect with Corpus Christi LNG to be installed in San Patricio County, Texas adjacent to the new proposed Compressor Station 17; and the use of Decommissioned Compressor Station 20 in Refugio County, Texas as a construction storage yard. If approvals are in place, the job is expected to begin construction in the 3rd quarter of 2017.
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company has received FERC approval for the Dalton Expansion Project. The proposed Dalton Expansion Project includes the following facilities: a new 21,830 horsepower compressor station (Compressor Station 116) in Carroll County, Georgia; three new meter stations in Bartow and Murray Counties, Georgia; about 7.6 miles of new 30-inch-diameter pipeline in Coweta and Carroll Counties, Georgia; 48.2 miles of new 24-inch-diameter pipeline in Carroll, Douglas, Paulding, and Bartow Counties, Georgia; 53.5 miles of new 20-inch-diameter pipeline in Bartow, Gordon, and Murray Counties, Georgia; 1.5 miles of new 16-inch-diameter pipeline in Murray County, Georgia; and ancillary facilities associated with the new pipeline including mainline valves and pig launcher/receiver facilities. FERC released a Notice to Proceed with certain activities on the project on September 23, 2016.
WBI Energy, the pipeline and midstream subsidiary of MDU Resources Group, will move forward with construction of its Valley Expansion Pipeline Project in eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota. WBI Energy has secured the capacity commitments needed for the 38-mile, 16-inch natural gas pipeline that will connect WBI Energy's existing system near Mapleton, North Dakota, with the Viking Gas Transmission Company pipeline near Felton, Minnesota. Survey work has begun on the route and construction is expected to start in early 2018.