Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. LLC (TGP) received FERC approval Monday to start up the first of its upgraded and new compressors in Kentucky as part of the single-shipper, 200,000 Dth/d Broad Run Expansion Project.

TGP’s $406.4 million project passed a field inspection in November by engineers from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which led the head of the Commission’s environment and engineering division to OK a request to put in service its Compressor Station (CS) 875 in Madison County, KY.

Broad Run, with Antero Resources Corp. as its sole shipper, is slated to go into service June 1, TGP has told FERC. In the meantime it asked earlier this month to start CS 875.

“The specific facilities to be opened at CS 875 include all facilities at the new compressor station, including a 16,000-hp compressor unit, compressor building, station piping and ancillary equipment,” said TGP’s Ben Carranza, regulatory director.

Carranza submitted a series of photos of the site work in and around the compressor station to support his contention TGP was ready to begin operation. He also noted that TGP intends to file subsequent requests to “place remaining project facilities” at existing CS 106 and CS 114, as well as the new CS 118A, 119A and 563 before the targeted June 1 start for the overall project.

Antero’s firm transportation will not kick in until the overall Broad Run project begins, but in the meantime TGP plans to offer some transportation capacity as available on an interim basis through May 31 as it begins operating other compressor and related equipment, Carranza said.

Broad Run would increase the capacity of TGP’s pipeline system through adding incremental compression and associated facilities, allowing Antero to have its sole-shipper capacity from Broad Run’s lateral in West Virginia to delivery points along the Gulf Coast.

In a project that dates back more than three years, Antero at one point in 2016 filed at FERC to intervene in TGP’s request for a rehearing of the Commission’s order authorizing Broad Run’s construction and operation, arguing in support of the lower fuel rates proposed by TGP.

With open seasons dating back to 2014, Broad Run has received incremental approvals from FERC as it worked to modify the projects in Kentucky and build other facilities as part of the overall expansion.