Sonat plans gulf gas line

Proposed Gulf Gas System [26185 bytes]

A new unit of Southern Natural Gas Co., Birmingham, Ala., is seeking Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval of a $294 million plan to lay a large diameter gas pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico.

Destin Pipeline Co. proposes to lay 207 miles of 30-36 in. pipeline to provide transportation capacity for as much as 1 bcfd of gas from fields in the Main Pass and Viosca Knoll federal planning areas off Southeast Louisiana.

The 36 in. offshore portion of Destin pipeline system would follow a generally northern route 73 miles from a gathering platform in 350 ft of water at Main Pass Block 248 to landfall near Pascagoula, Miss. The project includes a proposed junction platform on Viosca Knoll Block 119.

The 134 mile onshore segment of the pipeline would transport gas through central Mississippi, interconnecting with the interstate gas pipelines of:

Florida Gas Transmission Co. at Lucedale, Miss.
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp. at Quitman, Miss.
Southern Natural Gas and Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. at Enterprise, Miss.

Destin's 36 in. main line would continue 117 miles onshore as far as Quitman. The remaining 17 miles to Enterprise would consist of 30 in. line.

More capacity needed

Destin officials are working with Southern Natural on a proposed extension to Kosciusko, Miss., where the pipeline would interconnect with Texas Eastern Transmission Co.

Destin plans to construct a 14,100 hp compressor station at Pascagoula and an 11,600 hp station at Richton, Miss.

James E. Moylan Jr., Destin Pipeline president, said more pipeline capacity is needed to transport gas production from developments coming on line in the east-central gulf. Services in the future could be extended to projects in the Destin Dome and Desoto Canyon areas of the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

In time, the Main Pass 248 gathering platform could become a hub for deepwater production in Mississippi Can- yon planning area, Destin said.

"We believe producers will agree that Destin Pipeline provides the most direct, economical route for transporting these new natural gas supplies to market and that they will commit to use Destin," Moylan said. "We will need such commitments to move forward with pipeline construction."

As part of its FERC filing, Destin Pipeline asked the commission for preliminary approval of the project by January 1997 so commercial agreements can be finalized early in 1997. Engineering is to be completed in 1997, with construction to begin in 1998.

Destin Pipeline is to begin service in January 1999.