National Fuel Gas Supply Corp. and Empire Pipeline Inc. have filed for their Northern Access 2016 Project at FERC, which would move Marcellus Shale natural gas from Pennsylvania to New York on behalf of foundation shipper Seneca Resources Corp.

Seneca, National Fuel’s exploration arm, has subscribed for 497,000 Dth/d of firm transportation from a new receipt point with NFG Midstream Clermont LLC to be established in Sergeant Township, PA; 357,000 Dth/d of this service would have a primary delivery point at a proposed National Fuel interconnection with Empire in Wheatfield, NY, and the remaining 140,000 Dth/d would be for primary delivery at a planned interconnection with Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co.’s 200 Line.

National Fuel and Empire are both units of National Fuel Gas. The companies asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for expedited review and authorization by Dec. 31 for the project to be in service by Nov. 1, 2016 [CP15-115]. The project would include construction of 96.65 miles of 24-inch diameter transmission pipeline (the project mainline) from an interconnection with NFG Midstream Clermont LLC at Sergeant Township, PA, to a tie-in with National Fuel’s existing Line X-North, near the company’s existing Porterville Compressor Station in Elma, NY, which would be modified with additional horsepower.

National Fuel proposes to abandon, via sale, all 3.09 miles of its XM-10 Pipeline system in Wheatfield, NY, and Pendleton, NY. Empire would acquire the pipeline segment and replace most of it with larger-diameter pipe. An existing meter station is also proposed for abandonment. The abandonments are not expected to affect service. “…Applicants are simply moving the point at which National Fuel and Empire’s facilities interconnect,” the companies said.

Empire would add compression to the XM-10 pipeline acquired in order to move 350,000 Dth/d from Wheatfield to an existing interconnection with TransCanada PipeLines at Chippawa, Ontario.