March 2013, Vol. 240, No. 3

Projects

Companies Partner To Connect Appalachian Gas To Major Markets

Williams has partnered with Cabot Oil & Gas and Piedmont Natural Gas, to develop a major transmission pipeline project to connect Appalachian natural gas supplies in northern Pennsylvania with major northeastern markets by 2015.

The 120-mile Constitution Pipeline is being designed with a capacity to transport 650,000 Dth/d (enough natural gas to serve 3 million homes). The 30-inch pipeline would extend from Susquehanna County, PA to the Iroquois Gas Transmission and Tennessee Gas Pipeline systems in Schoharie County, NY. The proposed route generally stretches from Susquehanna County into New York’s Broome County, Chenango County, Delaware County and terminating in Schoharie County.

Before the pipeline can be constructed, Constitution Pipeline Company needs a federal Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), in addition to various state and local permits. In April 2012, Constitution Pipeline Company requested that FERC initiate a pre-filing environmental review of the proposed route.

Following the pre-filing period, Constitution Pipeline Company would file an application with FERC this spring seeking approval to construct the pipeline.

In other news, Iroquois Gas Transmission System, in conjunction with Constitution Pipeline, will pursue development of the Wright Interconnect Project (WIP), an expansion of its existing compression and metering facilities in Wright, NY. WIP will enable delivery of up to 650,000 Dth/d of natural gas from the terminus of the Constitution Pipeline in Schoharie County into both Iroquois and the Tennessee Gas Pipeline under a 15-year capacity lease agreement with Constitution.

Leasing the WIP capacity from Iroquois will allow Constitution to eliminate a proposed compression facility, thus reducing impact on the environment and the Wright, NY community. Iroquois’ integration of the WIP design at its existing facility is expected to reduce potential emissions when compared to Constitution’s previously proposed compression site.

WIP is targeted for an in-service date of March 2015 to coincide with the startup of the Constitution Pipeline.