BC Gas Utility Ltd., Vancouver, BC, said interest in a recent open season will allow it to continue development of its proposed Inland Pacific Connector Pipeline, although available capacity on the 246-km line was not fully subscribed. Pipeline capacity agreements should be finalized by the end of December. The $495 million (Can.) line will link the recently built Southern Crossing Pipeline in Oliver, BC, to the regional marketing hub in Huntingdon. Proposed capacity was not revealed.
El Paso Natural Gas Co., a subsidiary of El Paso Corp., announced two binding open seasons for capacity on a bidirectional gas pipeline within California. This follows a previous nonbonding season that received bids for up to 2.1 bcfd. The lateral runs from Dagget, Calif., southeast to Blythe, Calif., and Ehrenberg, Ariz. El Paso said the project will facilitate the movement of natural gas within California and provide service to power plants in California and Arizona.
OCP SA received official environmental approval for its proposed heavy crude pipeline, the second in Ecuador. The line begins in Lago Agrio in the Amazonian region and reaches to Balao. The line will follow the route of the existing line, except for a 130-km deviation north of Quito that was a subject of concern to environmentalists. The consortium still must obtain final authorization for construction from the Ministry of Energy. Physical work is projected to start next August.
Maine Natural Gas Co. began construction of a pipeline to transport natural gas from an intersection with the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline in Bowdoin, Me., to the Brunswick Naval Air Station at Brunswick, Me., and additional naval housing at Topsham, Me. The project involves 14 miles of steel pipe and 7 miles of plastic pipe.
A unit of Williams, Tulsa, applied with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for permission to build and operate an expansion of its Transco natural gas pipeline system. The Momentum project will transport 525,896 dekatherms/day from Louisiana to markets in Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas. The expansion includes eight pipeline loops totaling more than 99 miles. The project should be in service in May 2003.
Dominion Transmission Inc., Richmond, Va., launched an open season to solicit interest in firm transportation capacity of 400,000 dekatherms/day of gas and firm storage service of up to 10 bcf to serve local distribution companies and power generation markets in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US. Dominion is considering expanding its existing PL-1 pipeline system. The open season closes Aug. 3. The project could be complete by November 2004.