The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has determined that the proposed Raton Basin expansion of the Colorado Interstate Gas (CIG) pipeline system in Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma will not cause major harm to the environment.

“The staff concluded that approval of the proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment,” according to the notice of availability of the environmental assessment for the proposed Raton Basin 2005 Expansion Project [CP05-50].

The $61 million expansion would add 104,600 Dth/d of natural gas transmission capacity from the Raton Basin to Midcontinent delivery systems in south-central Colorado and the Oklahoma Panhandle. CIG, a subsidiary of El Paso Corp., said the project includes 102 miles of 16-, 20- and 24-inch pipeline looping, 1,775 horsepower of additional compression and new metering facilities.

Specifically, the project will include the following: two miles of 20-inch diameter pipeline in Las Animas County, CO; five miles of 16-inch diameter pipeline in Las Animas County; 30 miles of 16-inch diameter pipe in Las Animas County; 34 miles of 16-inch diameter pipeline in Baca County, CO; 24 miles of 24-inch diameter pipeline in Baca County and Morton County, KS; seven miles of 24-inch diameter pipe in Texas County, OK; and 1,775 hp of additional compression at the Beaver Compressor Station on Line 12A in Beaver County, OK.

With the expansion, CIG is expected to have more than 380,000 Dth/d of daily firm delivery capacity available to the production community in the Raton Basin, according to the company.

Five producing shippers have negotiated firm agreements with minimum 10-year terms for transportation services on the project. They are Pioneer Natural Resources Co., El Paso Energy Raton LLC, Red River Ranch Holding LLC, Apple Tree Holdings LLC and XTO Energy.

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