Williams Partners LP's discussions with potential shippers and other market inquiries regarding the Atlantic Access expansion of its Transco interstate pipeline have prompted it to increase the project's capacity to 2.3 bcfd from 1.8 bcfd. Williams Partners also is offering additional firm transportation paths, and revising the proposed in-service date to December 2015 from late-2014.
Atlantic Access connects gas supplies in western West Virginia and Pennsylvania to the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Gulf Coast. It will transport gas from northern Pennsylvania bidirectionally along Transco's existing Leidy Line to Leidy and other markets along the Atlantic seaboard (OGJ Online, Feb. 7, 2012).
Transco is now proposing a total of six firm transportation paths under Atlantic Access. In addition to the Natrium, Butler, and Rivervale paths described in the original open season announcement, Transco offering capacity through the Station 520 Path, the Station 517 Path, and the Leidy West Path.
The Station 520 Path will provide an incremental 250 MMcfd of year-round firm capacity from Transco's Zone 6 beginning at any receipt interconnection on Transco's Leidy Line between and including the existing Grugan Interconnect at MP 190.2 in Clinton County, Pa., and the existing Barto Interconnect near MP 140 in Lycoming County, Pa., and extending eastward along the Leidy Line to Transco's existing Station 210 and then southward on the mainline terminating at Transco's existing Station 85.
The Station 517 Path will provide an incremental 250 MMcfd of capacity from Transco's Zone 6 beginning at any existing receipt interconnection on Transco's Leidy Line between and including the proposed CNYOG Marc1 Interconnect near MP 136.2 in Lycoming County, Pa., and the existing Centerville Interconnect with Algonquin Gas Transmission at MP 13.7 in Somerset County, NJ, and extending eastward along the Leidy Line to Transco's existing Station 210 and then southward on the mainline terminating at Transco's existing Station 85.
The Leidy West Path will move an incremental 200 MMcfd in Transco's Zone 6 beginning at any existing interconnect on the Leidy Line west of the existing Station 515 at MP 68.9 in Luzerne County, Pa., and extending westward to existing interconnects with Dominion Transmission and National Fuel Gas and a proposed, new interconnect with Texas Eastern Transmission near Leidy Storage at MP 206.8 in Clinton County, Pa.
Transco received insufficient binding commitments in the original open season for the Natrium Path and continues to offer firm transportation capacity on it, reducing capacity for the supplemental open season to 700 MMcfd from 900 MMcfd. Natrium runs from Transco's Zone 6 to Transco's Zone 3 beginning at a proposed interconnection with Dominion Transmission's gas treatment plant near the existing Natrium plant in Marshall County, W.Va., and extending through a new line to be constructed by Transco eastward across southern Pennsylvania to an interconnection with Transco's mainline at Station 195 in York County, Pa., and then continuing southward on Transco's mainline to Transco's existing interconnection with Liberty Gas Storage at MP 469.4 in Beauregard Parish, La., the western-most nominatable point in Transco's Zone 3.
The Butler Path and Rivervale Path were fully subscribed during the original open season. Transco may, however, under terms of the original open season, allow shippers to voluntarily reduce or revise their requested transportation contract quantities (TCQ) on these paths to accommodate other shippers, starting with the shipper with the largest requested TCQ. Transco will therefore accept additional requests on these paths during the current open season, subject to the existing shippers voluntarily reducing their TCQs.
A shipper's TCQ under the project will be equal to the sum of the capacity subscribed on the various project paths.
Transco is also evaluating an extension of its existing Leidy Line westward to a point in Elk County, or an extension from its proposed Butler Lateral northward to a point in Elk County, to provide additional firm transportation to Transco markets. Timing and level of shipper interest will determine if Transco completes this project as part of the Atlantic Access or pursues it independently.
The Atlantic Access project will be subject to approval by the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and other agencies. The revised open season ends July 13.
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