Rockies Express Pipeline LLC (REX) Monday began service on the portion of REX-East pipeline from Audrain County, MO, to the Lebanon Hub in Warren County, OH, with capacity up to 1.6 Bcf/d. The majority of REX-East is now in service.

During the first few days of operation capacity to Lebanon may vary between 1,300 MDth/d and 1,600 MDth/d depending upon compressor start-up performance, REX said last week (see Daily GPI, June 26).

This section of REX-East includes interconnects to Natural Gas Pipeline Co. of America, Ameren, Trunkline, Midwestern Gas Transmission, Panhandle Eastern, Texas Eastern, Dominion Transmission and Columbia Gas, with future interconnects to Texas Gas, ANR, Citizens and Vectren. The remainder of the 639-mile, 42-inch diameter REX-East eastward to Clarington, OH, is expected to be in service by Nov. 1.

When completed, the entire 1,679-mile REX pipeline will have a capacity of approximately 1.8 Bcf/d, virtually all of which has been contracted under long-term firm commitments, the pipeline said.

Rockies Express Pipeline LLC is a joint venture of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP; Sempra Pipelines and Storage, a unit of Sempra Energy; and ConocoPhillips and is one of the largest natural gas pipelines to be constructed in North America.

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