Coastal Corp.'s pipeline affiliate Wyoming Interstate Co. Ltd. (WIC) has filed an application with the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to loop its southeastern Wyoming Medicine Bow Lateral pipeline. The application calls for initially increasing capacity out of the Powder River basin by 675 thousand dekatherms per day (Mdth/d).
WIC said producers have committed to firm contracts to transport 556 MMdth/d on the expanded system.
The existing lateral is a 24-in. line that extends from the southern end of the Power River Basin near Douglas, Wyo., to WIC's main line southwest of Cheyenne, Wyo. The proposed $160 million lateral loop project would parallel this line with a new 36-in. pipeline and add 7,170 hp of compression.
If all goes well, WIC plans to have the new pipeline in service by Dec. 1, 2001.
WIC quoted the Wyoming State Geological Survey as saying that 25 tcf of coalbed methane may be recoverable from coal beds in the Powder River basin, whereas previous estimates were 9-12 tcf.
The company also said the new system could be further expanded to transport as much as 2 bcfd of gas simply by adding compression.
