At its final meeting of the year last Thursday, FERC approved up to 33 Bcf of new storage capacity at two separate projects in Mississippi.

Approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) was Copiah Storage LLC’s proposed salt cavern storage facility in Copiah County in southwestern Mississippi. The facility was previously certificated by FERC as a 4.3 Bcf single-cavern facility. A new application was filed in March by owner Spectra Energy seeking approval to increase the total capacity to 21 Bcf. Spectra said it expects the Copiah facility’s full capacity to be available by 2012.

The amended application approved by FERC sought approval to build two caverns, an additional 32,720 hp compressor station and 14.98 miles of pipeline to interconnect with Texas Eastern Transmission Co. (Tetco) and the Southeast Supply Header and Southern Natural Gas systems. The expanded project will have 15.5 Bcf of working gas capacity, 1.3 Bcf/d of peak withdrawal capability and 650 MMcf/d of injection capability.

The storage facility will be located within a 665-acre parcel of land owned by Copiah Storage. The project is located between the emerging Perryville Hub in Louisiana and Gulf Coast supplies and growing markets in the Southeast and Northeast.

FERC staff recommended approval of the amended application last month (see NGI, Nov. 26).

Also approved by FERC was Monroe Gas Storage Co. LLC’s proposed facility near the city of Amory, MS.

Monroe Gas Storage, a joint venture of Foothills Energy Ventures LLC and High Sierra Energy LP, will use a depleted gas reservoir to provide multi-cycle storage with a maximum injection capability of 445 MMcf/d and a maximum withdrawal capability of 465 MMcf/d. The project will have a working gas capacity of up to 12 Bcf along with dual interconnections to Tetco in the M1 market zone and Tennessee Gas Pipeline into the 500 Leg in Zone 1. Monroe expects the facility to be in full service in the fourth quarter of 2008.

The Monroe Gas project was first announced in the spring (see NGI, June 4).

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