NiSource Gas Transmission & Storage (NGT&S) officials, saying natural gas shippers showed a strong interest in new storage and transportation capacity at a storage field south of Columbus, OH, during a recent nonbinding open season, announced last Tuesday that they will hold a binding open season until July 31.

NGT&S held the nonbinding open season in June to determine interest in expansion of the Crawford storage field (see NGI, June 4). During the initial open season customers expressed interest in more than 50 Bcf of storage capacity.

“The positive results of our initial open season prove that there is tremendous demand for natural gas storage capacity serving markets in Ohio, the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast,” said NGT&S COO Jimmy Thomas. “With the influx of new gas supplies from the Rockies, Appalachia and the Gulf Coast, Columbia Gas’ storage and pipeline assets in Ohio are well positioned to match supply push projects with the needs of downstream markets.”

NGT&S could add as much as 15 Bcf of working capacity and additional firm, no-notice transportation capacity of up to 250,000 Dth/d. The additional pipeline capacity could be to markets of affiliate Columbia Gas Transmission west of the Lanham Compressor Station and to third-party interconnects with Texas Eastern Transmission (Zone M-2), Tennessee Gas Pipeline (Zone 4) and Dominion Transmission upstream of South Point. The company anticipates placing facilities in service to enable storage injections beginning in the second quarter of 2009. The expansion could grow the Crawford field to 41 Bcf of working capacity from its current 26 Bcf. The field, the largest of Columbia’s storage fields, is about 30 miles southeast of Columbus in Fairfield and Hocking counties.

The Crawford project is just the latest in a spate of activity by NGT&S. The company and partner Piedmont Natural Gas placed phase one of the $175 million Hardy Storage Project in service April 1 (see NGI, April 9). Operated by Columbia Gas Transmission and located in the Mid-Atlantic market area, the Hardy field will provide 12 Bcf of capacity and 176,000 Dth/d of deliverability.

The $175 million Eastern Market Expansion Project is an incremental expansion of two Columbia Gas Transmission storage fields and pipeline capacity. It was filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on May 2 (see NGI, May 7). In 2009 the Eastern Market Expansion will provide an additional 6 Bcf of capacity and 97,000 Dth/d of deliverability. All available capacity has been contracted for 15-year terms, the company said.

The Millennium Pipeline Project has received the required permits and is on track for a 4Q2008 operations start date (see NGI, Dec. 25, 2006). Developed with subsidiaries of KeySpan and DTE Energy, Millennium will provide 525,000 Dth/d of capacity to New York markets. The project is supported by long-term contracts.

Potential customers interested in subscribing to capacity in the expansion should contact NGT&S representatives Steve Claywell at (703) 227-3389, Lloyd McKee at (703) 227-3206 or Bernie Schaffler at (703) 227-3265.

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