Transwestern Pipeline Co., Houston, secured contracts to anchor a 340 MMcfd expansion of its mainline system and a proposed 520 MMcfd supply lateral into the San Juan basin of Northwest New Mexico.
Several other pipelines around the U.S. also reported new developments:
- Florida Gas Transmission Co., Houston, received Federal Energy Regulatory Commission clearance to open its system Aug. 1 and expand it by 100 MMcfd, to 925 MMcfd, by fall 1991.
- ANR Pipeline Co., Detroit, completed hydrostatic testing of its 98 mile Lebanon extension in the Midwest.
- TransColorado Gas Transmission Co., Denver, filed for FERC approval to lay a 310 mile open access pipeline from the Piceance basin of Colorado to a point near Bloomfield, N.M.
- Phillips Pipe Line Co. disclosed plans for a $77 million project to replace 324 miles of natural gas liquids pipeline between West Texas and Phillips Petroleum Co.'s Sweeny refinery and petrochemical complex on the Texas Gulf Coast.
TRANSWESTERN PROJECTS
Transwestern said the San Juan lateral pipeline and mainline expansion means it will serve the northern California gas market for the first time. It expects to have the lines on stream no later than mid-1992.
Anchoring the San Juan project with transportation contracts are Southern California Gas Co. 200 MMcfd, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) 213 MMcfd, and Sunrise Energy Co. 50 MMcfd. PG&E and Sunrise also have contracts for 213 MMcfd and 50 MMcfd on the mainline expansion.
For the San Juan project, Transwestern will spend about $90 million to install a compressor station near the Blanco, N.M., plant complex and lay about 100 miles of 30 in. pipeline to connect with the mainline near Thoreau, N.M.
The San Juan lateral line will provide volumes needed to enable Transwestern to expand the 4,500 mile pipeline from its intersection with the lateral line to the Arizona-California border. The mainline extends from West Texas and southern Oklahoma to the California border.
At an expected cost for the mainline expansion of $160 million, Transwestern will lay about 200 miles of 30 in. mainline loops and make minor modifications at compressor stations.
Transwestern expects to request approval to begin building the two projects in the next few months, after it completes environmental assessment documents.
FLORIDA GAS ORDER
The FERC order that clears Florida Gas Transmission to begin open access transportation Aug. 1 and expand by 100 MMcfd also resolves all issues of capacity allocation.
In addition, FERC approved the company's request to begin interruptible sales, restructure sales and transmission services, and set up a transitional cost recovery system. Florida Gas will seek a rehearing, however, of the FERC order as it relates to the company's Feb. 16 settlement dealing with rate design issues.
The $90 million expansion will involve mostly compression modifications along the 4,464 mile line from South Texas to southern Florida.
LEBANON EXTENSION
ANR completed testing of the 37 mile Lebanon extension section in Indiana it owns outright and of the 61 mile segment in Ohio it jointly owns with Panhandle Eastern Corp.
The 240 MMcfd initial capacity line will move gas to the U.S. Northeast (OGJ, July 2, p. 28).
Of its three meter stations, those connecting it with CNG Transmission Corp. and Texas Eastern Corp. will be in service Aug. 1. The third station, linking the Lebanon extension with Columbia Gas Transmission Corp., is to be on line by Sept. 1.
TRANSCOLORADO
TransColorado applied for optional certificate approval, an open-access transportation certificate, and a blanket certificate to allow it to add facilities in the future. It asked FERC to "dual track" its application, so the certificate can be granted subject to environmental clearance.
The proposed 22 in. and 24 in. TransColorado line would move western Colorado and Rocky Mountain gas to markets in California and in the Southwest, Midwest, and eastern U.S.
It will link up with existing and proposed systems of El Paso Natural Gas Co., Transwestern Pipeline Co., Questar Pipeline Co., WestGas, and Rocky Mountain Natural Gas Co.
TransColorado is a partnership composed of affiliates of KN Energy Inc., Questar, and WestGas. The firms plan to begin laying the estimated $152 million line in 1991, with start-up scheduled for mid-1992.
PHILLIPS PROJECT
Phillips Pipe Line will upgrade its 10 in., 95,000 b/d EZ pipeline system, which moves West Texas NGL to the Sweeny complex for processing.
Phillips expects to start replacing pipe in the fourth quarter of this year and complete the project during fourth quarter 1991.
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