In 2022, 897 MMcfd of interstate natural gas pipeline capacity was added collectively from five projects, according to the latest US Energy Information Administration (EIA) State-to-State Capacity Tracker, the least since the agency began data collection in 1995. Capacity, however, was added to intrastate pipelines and to existing Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)-administered interstate pipelines.
EIA attributed the low interstate capacity additions in 2022 to two primary reasons:
- More growth in intrastate capacity (which are not captured in its interstate data).
- Less overall capital expenditures by oil and natural gas companies.
In previous years, interstate pipeline capacity was added from looping and compressor station projects that were designed to accommodate growing Appalachia production, but all of the planned projects in the region are mostly completed. Since 2017, EIA said, about 70% of the growth in natural gas production has come from the Permian and Haynesville regions, near LNG plants along the Gulf Coast. In Texas and Louisiana and leading to growth in intrastate projects to reach the plants.
Of the five projects EIA listed as increasing interstate capacity to transport natural gas, only one added any new pipe, with the others accomplished entirely through compressor upgrades:
- TC Energy Corp.’s Columbia Gulf Transmission Louisiana XPress Project increased its capacity from Mississippi to Louisiana by 493 MMcfd and from Tennessee to Mississippi by 50 MMcfd by adding or upgrading compressor stations to increase the deliverability of natural gas from the Appalachian Basin.
- Energy Transfer LP’s Florida Gas Transmission (FGT) Mobile County Project increased its capacity west-to-east from Mississippi to Mobile County, Ala., by 175 MMcfd by modifying its 20,600-hp Compressor Station (CS) 10 in Perry County, Miss.
- FGT’s Southwest Alabama Project increased capacity from Mississippi to Escambia County, Ala, by 100 MMcfd by upgrading a compressor station.
- TC Energy’s ANR Pipeline Co. Wisconsin Access Project increased capacity from Illinois to Wisconsin by 51 MMcfd by upgrading several meter and filtering stations, alleviating constraints in parts of northern and central Wisconsin.
- Williams Cos.’ Gulfstream Natural Gas Phase VI Expansion Project increased capacity by 28 MMcfd between Alabama and Tampa Electric Co.’s 2-Gw Big Bend Power Plant in Florida by installing about 4 miles of 36-in. OD pipe and a booster compressor at CS 410 in Coden, Ala.