Columbia Gas Transmission LLC (TCO) is holding a binding open season through April 23 for the Mountaineer XPress Project (MXP), which could carry up to 2.7 Bcf/d of Utica and Marcellus shale gas to the TCO pool and other points. The Columbia Pipeline Group pipeline had held a nonbinding open season in September (see Daily GPI, Sept. 8, 2014). “TCO has executed binding precedent agreements with anchor and non-anchor shippers that collectively provide TCO sufficient support to move forward with the project,” the pipeline said in its notice. “The purpose of this open season is to provide all interested parties the opportunity to bid on approximately 500,000 Dth/d of project capacity. The potential MXP in-service date is Nov. 1, 2018, with potential interim service beginning as early as the first half of 2018 for receipts along TCO’s WB Line.”

Excelerate Energy LP has asked FERC to extend a previously granted abeyance of the Lavaca Bay LNG Project proceeding until Sept. 1 [CP14-73]. In late 2014 Excelerate asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to place the proceeding for the proposed liquefied natural gas export terminal off the Texas coast in abeyance until April 1 because of global economic conditions, including the oil price collapse (see Daily GPI, Dec. 30, 2014). Excelerate said granting its latest motion would give the company more time to evaluate the project’s economic value.