FERC APPROVES NORTHWEST PIPELINE EXPANSION

Northwest Pipeline Co., Salt Lake City, Utah, received a final permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a $373.4 million main line expansion. It plans to begin construction of the 443 MMcfd expansion in mid-July after obtaining further federal, state, and local permits. The expanded system is to be fully operational by second quarter 1993. When the expansion is complete, total Northwest system mileage will be 3,936 miles and system capacity about 2.49 bcfd.

June 15, 1992

3 min read

Northwest Pipeline Co., Salt Lake City, Utah, received a final permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a $373.4 million main line expansion.

It plans to begin construction of the 443 MMcfd expansion in mid-July after obtaining further federal, state, and local permits. The expanded system is to be fully operational by second quarter 1993.

When the expansion is complete, total Northwest system mileage will be 3,936 miles and system capacity about 2.49 bcfd.

CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

The expansion calls for loops and compression additions in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado. The project will add about 362 miles of loop, including 39 miles of 30 in., 204.4 miles of 24 in., 71 miles of 20 in., 31.9 miles of 16 in., 1 mile of 10 in., and 14.8 miles of 6 in. line. Northwest will add 114,035 hp of compression by installing 23 compressors at 10 new and seven existing stations.

Northwest Pres. Robert W. Keener said 15 year contracts are in place to supporting the added capacity.

Local distribution companies have signed contracts to buy about 209.4 MMcfd, 48% of new system capacity. Contract demand for expansion capacity by other classes of shippers includes 112.22 MMcfd (26%) by marketers, 51.5 MMcfd (12%) by other pipelines, 49 MMcfd (11%) by end users, and 11.23 MMcfd (3%) by producers.

More than 296 MMcfd of Northwest's expanded capacity will be used to deliver gas to customers at points in the Pacific Northwest.

Delivery capacities also will increase to these systems: 51.55 MMcfd to Pacific Gas Transmission Co. (PGT) at Stanfield, Ore., 34.3 MMcfd to El Paso Natural Gas Co. at the Blanco, N.M., hub, 31.3 MMcfd to Paiute Pipeline Co. at the Idaho-Nevada border, and 20 MMcfd to Kern River Gas Transmission Co. at Opal, Wyo.

The expansion will allow as much as 252.4 MMcfd of Canadian gas to enter Northwest's system at Sumas, Wash., as well as 141.6 MMcfd from the Opal, Wyo., gas treating plant operated by Williams Field Services, 10.85 MMcfd from El Paso at the Ignacio, Colo., gas conditioning plant, 9.4 MMcfd from the Jackson Prairie gas storage site at Northwest's Chehalis compressor station, 3.46 MMcfd from PGT's line at Klamath Falls, Ore., and 15.66 MMcfd from other U.S. pipelines.

FERC also approved Northwest Pipeline's request for a single rolled-in transportation rate on existing and expanded facilities.

Northwest began seeking FERC permission to expand its system by 534 MMCfd in a Dec. 31, 1990, filing. The company reduced capacity of the requested expansion Oct. 7, 1991.