Enable Midstream Partners LPplans to construct 200 MMcf/d of additional gas processing capacity near its Bradley Processing Plant in Grady County, OK, to serve producers in the South Central Oklahoma Oil Province, also known as SCOOP. The plant, currently under construction to provide 200 MMcf/d of capacity, is expected to be in service in 1Q2015. “Strong producer activity continues on our Anadarko Basin gathering systems, particularly in the SCOOP play,” said CEO Lynn Bourdon. “We already have critical long-lead plant infrastructure ordered and anticipate a fourth quarter 2015 startup for this additional capacity.” The additional capacity is to cost around $200 million, including plant equipment, associated compression, and installation costs. The investment was anticipated in capital guidance. Enable has added about 500,000 gross acres of SCOOP-area dedicated acreage since the end of 2013.

Hawaii Electric Co.(HE) has submitted a mandated plan to the state Public Utilities Commission designed to meet most of its future energy needs from renewable sources and natural gas-fired generation, proposing among other things to triple the amounts of distributed solar energy through 2030. While evaluating proposals for developing storage projects on Oahu by early 2017, HE also is planning to tap into liquefied natural gas (LNG) which was identified for development by Honolulu-based Hawaii Gas (see Daily GPI, April 10). Energy needs not met with renewables could be satisfied with LNG as existing oil-fired generation is phased out, HE noted. More efficient, faster-starting LNG-fired generators are expected to come online by 2030, the power utility said.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), operator of most of the Lone Star State’s power grid, anticipates sufficient installed generating capacity to serve forecasted peak demands during fall and winter with “a historically typical amount” of generator outages, ERCOT said Tuesday. “It appears we are likely to see a cooler fall season overall, with temperatures typically within the average range seen over the past 12 years,” said ERCOT meteorologist Chris Coleman. “We also are seeing strong indications of normal rainfall or even wetter than normal in some areas. With more than 75,500 MW of generation available, ERCOT expects to be prepared for the anticipated peak demand of about 48,700 MW this fall. Electric generation providers typically schedule maintenance outages during fall and spring to prepare for more extreme weather that occurs during winter and summer. It is typical for more than 9,000 MW to be offline for maintenance during fall, and unplanned power plant outages could range from the typical 3,400 MW to nearly 7,000 MW. Taking these factors into account, ERCOT said it expects reserves to range from about 2,600 MW, if peak demand is significantly higher than expected, to more than 14,000 MW under expected conditions.

The U.S. Department of Energy has granted free trade agreement (FTA) liquefied natural gas (LNG) export authority to Louisiana LNG Energy LLC (LLNG), which is pursuing development of a terminal on the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish, LA. Houston-based LLNG was authorized to export the liquefied equivalent of 103.4 Bcf per year (0.28 Bcf/d) for a 25-year term on its own behalf and as an agent for others to countries that have FTAs with the United States. The company has an application pending to export the same amount to non-FTA countries. The FTA and non-FTA volumes are not additive, according to the DOE order. The company’s terminal would be on the east bank of the Mississippi River, down river from the Port of New Orleans consisting of four 74.38 MMcf/d liquefaction trains with total annual capacity of 100 Bcf. A marine loading terminal and LNG truck loading facilities also are planned.

Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Corp. reached out for an expanded role in the natural gas liquids (NGL) trade between Canada, the United States and overseas markets with a US$1.15 billion package of deals. On the import side, Pembina committed US$650 million to take over Vantage Pipeline, which makes northwest-bound deliveries of 40,000 b/d of ethane to Alberta from the Bakken Shale oil field in North Dakota. On the export side, Pembina signed an agreement with the Port of Portland for an Oregon site for a 37,000 b/d propane terminal forecast to cost US$500 million to build and start loading up ships by 2018. Hess Corp. and private Calgary company Mistral Energy Inc. built Vantage to fulfill an ethane supply agreement with Nova Chemicals, which operates Alberta petrochemical plants that use the gas byproduct as their raw material. Pembina said its agenda includes eventually increasing deliveries on the 700-kilometer (430-mile) Vantage route to its full built-in capacity for 60,000 b/d, a 50% jump that can be done for “modest” cost by adding pumping power to the pipeline.