Questar Pipeline Co. and Enterprise Products Operating LLC said earlier in December they have begun operating their joint venture 2.5 Bcf/d White River Hub in Rio Blanco County, CO, connecting the Enterprise natural gas processing plant at Meeker with four interstate pipelines in the area. The partners announced last year their desire to create a header system for taking Rockies supplies to both western and eastern markets.

The four immediate interstate pipelines tied in to the hub are Rockies Express Pipeline LLC; Questar; Northwest Pipeline, including parent firm Williams’ Willow Creek processing plant under construction; and TransColorado Gas Transmission Co.

As outlined in the companies’ original announcement for White River last year, two other interstate pipelines are expected to eventually be tied in — Wyoming Interstate Co. and Colorado Interstate Gas. Those two are expected to be tied in during the first quarter next year.

In addition to existing interconnections, Questar said a new interconnection with Northwest Pipeline GP’s Colorado Hub Connection pipeline is expected to be added in the fourth quarter next year.

As a joint venture, White River Hub, with Questar as the operator, consists of four miles of existing 36-inch diameter pipe and about seven miles of new 30-inch diameter pipeline, along with tie-in and metering facilities. The hub provides more than 2.5 Bcf/d of firm and interruptible transportation/wheeling service, which the sponsors promote as allowing producers, marketers and shippers to access downstream markets for natural gas volumes produced in northwest Colorado’s Piceance Basin.

Questar Pipeline CEO Allan Bradley said the new hub gives Rockies producers “greater access to markets served by pipelines in the Piceance and Uinta basins,” which he hopes will “further enhance market liquidity by working with the appropriate parties to establish a new, published, regional pricing point designated as ‘White River Hub.'”

Enterprise CEO Michael Creel said the hub is another example of expanding partnerships helping to integrate assets to provide “Piceance Basin producers with increased flexibility. The expected completion of Enterprise’s Meeker II project later this month will complement the new White River header system and further enhance our capabilities to provide shippers with the midstream services they need to access the most attractive markets.”

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