By the OGJ Online Staff
HOUSTON, Mar. 27�Market Hub Partners, a unit of Duke Energy Gas Transmission Co., announced an open season for gas storage services at its Copiah salt cavern facility in southwest Mississippi until Apr. 25.
Copiah will offer up to 3 bcf of storage services initially, which will be expandable to 9 bcf. Services are expected to begin in 2004.
Market Hub Partners said interstate pipelines near the site are Duke Energy Field Services' AIM pipeline, Texas Eastern, Transco, SONAT, and Gulf South Pipeline (formerly Koch Gateway).
Gregory Rizzo, president of MHP and vice-president of marketing for Duke Energy Gas Transmission, said, "We are planning and developing new facilities and infrastructure to serve single customers or entire regions. Market Hub Partners' salt caverns complement Duke Energy's traditional seasonal storage fields. The development of the Copiah facility will greatly enhance our ability to meet the time-sensitive injection and withdrawal requirements of today's storage customers."
MHP claims to be the largest owner of salt cavern natural gas storage facilities in North America.