FERC staff on Friday released a favorable environmental assessment (EA) of Tennessee Gas Pipeline LLC’s (TGP) proposed Broad Run Expansion project, which would move Marcellus Shale natural gas from West Virginia to delivery points along the Gulf Coast.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff said the project could be accomplished without undue harm to the environment as long as appropriate mitigation measures are taken [CP15-77].

The $406.4 million project would increase the capacity of TGP’s pipeline system by adding incremental compression and associated facilities, allowing TGP to provide long-term firm transportation service to project shipper Antero Resources Corp., according to the application TGP filed at FERC in early 2015.

TGP, a unit of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP, jointly announced with Antero in April 2014 that the exploration and production company was awarded 100% of the capacity offered on both the Broad Run Expansion and TGP’s Broad Run Flexibility open season (see Shale Daily, April 14, 2014). The Broad run Expansion project would provide Antero with 200,000 Dth/d of natural gas transportation from TGP’s Broad Run Lateral in West Virginia to delivery points along the Gulf Coast; the Broad Run Flexibility project would provide it with an additional 590,000 MMbtu/d of transportation on the same path.

Antero “has fully subscribed to the firm transportation capacity to be created by the Marker Component of the project, transporting up to 200,000 Dth/d of natural gas produced in the Utica and Marcellus Shale supply areas to markets in the southeastern United States,” TGP said in its application.

TGP proposed to build four new greenfield compressor stations (two in West Virginia and one each in Kentucky and Tennessee), and modify two existing compressor stations along its system in Kentucky.

In its original application, TGP had requested FERC approval by Jan. 31, 2016, to meet a planned Nov. 1, 2017 in-service date.

FERC is accepting comments on the EA until April 11.