FERC Monday issued a favorable environmental assessment (EA) of Texas Eastern Transmission LP’s (Tetco) expansion project for existing facilities that would pave the way for the delivery of 600,000 Dth/d of Marcellus gas to the pipeline’s market areas in New Jersey and New York.

“Approval of the proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment,” staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission wrote in the EA [CP13-84].

The Texas Eastern Appalachia to Market Project (TEAM 2014) calls for the construction of approximately 33.6 miles of 36-inch diameter gas transmission pipeline composed of seven separate loops and associated pipeline facilities in Pennsylvania; upgrades and abandoments of several compressor stations, resulting in the net increase of 77,100 hp; and bidirectional flow modifications at 18 existing compressor stations, 17 pig launcher and receiver sites, and two existing meter and regulating facilities in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi.

The project, which is expected to cost $500 million, is targeted for in-service on Nov. 1, 2014. Tetco said it has executed firm agreements with Chevron U.S.A. and EQT Energy for all of the expansion capacity (see Shale Daily, Jan. 17; April 13, 2012). It would provide 300,000 Dth/d of incremental transportation service from western Pennsylvania to the eastern end of the system in Lambertville, NJ and Staten Island, NY, 50,000 Dth/d of incremental transportation service from western Pennsylvania to the Lebanon, OH hub and 250,000 Dth/d of incremental transportation service from western Pennsylvania to markets in Texas Eastern’s Zones ELA and WLA in the Access Area.

TEAM 2014 is part of a series of Spectra Energy projects to connect growing supply basins to premium markets in the Northeast, Midwest and Southeast. It follows the TEAM 2012 project, which is expected to be placed into service this fall.