FERC Tuesday gave Central New York Oil and Gas Co. LLC (CNYOG), an Inergy LP subsidiary, the go-ahead to open storage wells associated with the expansion of its Stagecoach Storage facility in southwestern New York State and to begin service on a new pipeline.

The letter orders allows Stagecoach to begin operating a six-mile, 20-inch diameter mainline and three storage wells that are part of the expansion, but it does not authorize service on a nine-mile, 24-inch diameter North Lateral that will connect the storage facility with the proposed Millennium Pipeline [CP06-64].

The Phase II storage expansion adds 13 Bcf of working storage capacity to the existing 13.25 Bcf facility in Tioga County, NY. In April, CNYOG reported it had sold out the 13 Bcf of working gas capacity associated with the Stagecoach Phase II storage expansion. Three unnamed customers signed binding precedent agreements for the storage capacity, which will be accessible from Tennessee Gas Pipeline through an existing connection and from Millennium Pipeline through a proposed connection.

The Stagecoach storage facility is located 150 miles northwest of New York City. The expansion, when completely operable, will bring the facility’s working gas capacity to 26.25 Bcf from 13.25 Bcf. Total storage capacity will rise to 30.25 Bcf. Injection capacity and deliverability will be unchanged at 250 MMcf/d and 500 MMcf/d, respectively. However, the expansion will extend the field’s capability to maintain withdrawals at maximum rates to about 20 consecutive days from the existing level of 12 days.

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