Millennium Pipeline Co. LLC is holding an open season through the end of March in an effort to expand capacity of its Northeast natural gas pipeline system.

New York-based Millennium said the open season, launched Wednesday, “is being held to accept requests to fill capacity that would be created by an expansion of facilities along the line.” Specifically, the company said it would consider taking and delivering gas at any point between its existing interconnections with the Empire Pipeline near Corning, in Steuben County, NY, and the Algonquin Gas Transmission pipeline near Ramapo, in Rockland County, NY.

The pipeline traverses New York’s Southern Tier from Independence in Steuben County to Buena Vista in Rockland County. An expansion would provide additional supplies of natural gas to markets in the Northeast, the company said.

“Millennium has been successfully and safely serving the region for nearly a decade and we are excited about this latest opportunity to grow our customer-base,” said President Joseph Shields.

After a decade of planning, Millennium went into service in December 2008 (see Daily GPI, Dec. 23, 2008). It opened with a capacity of 525,400 Dth/d, and its anchor shippers were National Grid, ConEd, Central Hudson Gas and Electric and Columbia Gas Transmission. The company is jointly owned by affiliates of NiSource Inc., National Grid and DTE Energy.

Millennium said it anticipates a new expansion could be in service as early as Nov. 1, 2017. The open season closes at 4:00 p.m. CDT on March 31.