By an OGJ correspondent
BANGKOK, June 22 -- Thailand has completed the first phase of its $1 billion, third gas transmission line, and the pipeline has begun commercial operations.
The pipeline—424 km of 42-in. line offshore and 5km of 42-in. and 110-km of 36-in. line onshore —is delivering 250 MMcfd of gas from Chevron Exploration & Production's Erawan gas field in the Gulf of Thailand to Bang Pakong, east of Bangkok.
The deliveries augment gas transmitted from the gulf fields through PTT PLC's two 20-year-old transmission lines that are operating at their capacity limits of 1,800 MMcfd, officials of the state-controlled PTT said.
Construction of the second section of the new transmission line—334.5 km of 42-in. pipeline—is 6-9 months behind schedule and will be completed in first-quarter 2008.
It will connect Erawan field with Arthit gas field and extend into Block A-18 of the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Development Area in the southern part of the gulf.
Completion of the second stage will raise gas throughput volume in the third pipeline by 500 MMcfd to its maximum capacity of 750 MMcfd.
PTT also plans to install a gas compression facility at Erawan field to raise the third gas line's total throughput capacity to 1,900 MMcfd in 2010, when additional supplies from fields in the southern gulf become available.
