By the OGJ Online Staff
HOUSTON, Nov. 15 -- Florida Gas Transmission Co., Houston, applied with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to add another 33.3 miles of pipeline and 18,600 hp of compression at existing stations to its 4,800-mile system carrying natural gas from South Texas to Florida, officials said Thursday.
The $105 million proposed project will provide incremental firm transportation capacity of 121 MMcfd, officials said.
"The Phase VI Expansion will provide natural gas for electric power generation and help meet the growing demand among local distribution companies," said Bob Hayes, managing director of marketing for Florida Gas Transmission.
The proposed expansion is supported by long-term firm transportation contracts with Orlando Utility Commission, Reliant Energy Services Inc., the City of Leesburg, Fla., and South Florida Natural Gas, said company officials.
Construction is expected to begin in late 2002, with service to be phased in by stages by June and November 2003.
Construction is underway in the company's Phase V expansion, approved by FERC earlier this summer. The initial stage of that project is expected to be in service by April.
The two expansion projects will add a combined 550 MMcfd of pipeline capacity into Florida, expanding the system to more than 2.2 bcfd of capacity by mid-2003, said officials.
Florida Gas Transmission is a subsidiary of Citrus Corp., which operates a 4,800-mile interstate natural gas transmission system from South Texas to south Florida. Citrus is jointly owned by Enron Corp. and El Paso Corp.