The Williams Companies announced Friday that it has restored the Cameron Meadows natural gas processing plant in southern Louisiana to its full design capacity of 500 MMcf/d.

The plant sustained significant damage during Hurricane Rita in September 2005. The storm filled the facility’s compressors and engines with salt water and dirt, and essentially destroyed the control room, administrative office and warehouse, the Tulsa, OK-based energy company said.

The first of the plant’s two main cryogenic processing units was restored to operation in February 2006, making the plant available to process up to 300 MMcf/d of natural gas, Williams said. Employees and contractors worked throughout 2006 to restore the second processing unit, which has the ability to process up to 200 MMcf/d. The unit was started up in December and recently became fully operational, the company noted.

Williams estimated the cost of reconstructing the Cameron Meadows plant at $35-$40 million, the bulk of which is recoverable through standard property insurance, it said.

The only remaining work at the plant involves repairs to the administrative office. Williams said it also is in the process of finalizing the construction of onsite electrical generation capacity to enhance the plant’s reliability.

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