FERC staff will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) for the Transco to Charleston Project, an 80,000 Dth/d pipeline project in South Carolina, the agency said Friday.

The project would involve construction and operation of facilities by Dominion Carolina Gas Transmission LLC (DGC) in Aiken, Charleston, Dillon, Dorchester, Greenwood, Laurens, Newberry and Spartanburg counties, all in South Carolina [PF15-29].

Proposed facilities include 55 miles of 12-inch diameter pipeline in Spartanburg, Laurens, Newberry and Greenwood counties (the Moore to Chappells pipeline) and five miles of four-inch diameter pipeline in Dillon County (the Dillon pipeline). Also proposed are installation of two 1,400 hp compressor units at the existing Moore Compressor Station in Spartanburg County; construction of a 3,150 hp compressor station in Dorchester County; conversion of a 1,050 hp compressor unit from standby to base load at the Southern Compressor Station in Aiken County; upgrades to the Charleston Town Border Station in Charleston County; and associated pipeline support facilities.

Assuming regulatory approval, DGC plans to begin construction in January 2017 and place the facilities in service by November 2017. All of the firm transportation service planned for the project has been fully subscribed by three customers, according to the FERC document.

FERC will accept comments on the proposed EA until Nov. 30. Public scoping meetings have been scheduled in Duncan, SC, on Nov. 18 and in Laurens, SC, on Nov. 19.

Late last year, Dominion announced the acquisition of Carolina Gas Transmission (CGT) from SCANA Corp. for $492.9 million (see Daily GPI, Dec. 16, 2014). CGT operates nearly 1,500 miles of federally regulated interstate natural gas pipeline in South Carolina and southeastern Georgia.

Dominion has 12,200 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline. It operates one of the nation’s largest natural gas storage systems with 928 Bcf of capacity and serves utility and retail energy customers in 14 states.