Shippers stepped up for 3.25 Bcf/d of pipeline capacity from the Marcellus and Utica shales to markets in the Midwest, Great Lakes and Gulf Coast on Energy Transfer Partners LP’s (ETP) ET Rover project. The binding commitments are for 15- and 20-year fee-based contracts.

The 800-mile Rover would cost $3.8 to $4.4 billion and deliver gas from processing plants and interconnections in northwestern West Virginia, western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio to the Midwest Hub near Defiance, OH, as well as to multiple delivery points in Michigan and to the Union Gas Hub near Sarnia, ON. Rover also would interconnect with ETP’s Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line, allowing shippers to deliver gas to Gulf Coast markets through ETP’s Trunkline system.

Transportation from the supply regions to the Midwest Hub near Defiance is expected to begin by December 2016 to serve the Gulf Coast and Midwest markets. The remaining service to other markets, including Michigan, would be in service by mid-2017.

Appalachian pure-play Eclipse Resources Corp. is one of Rover’s shippers (see Shale Daily, Aug. 14); Antero Resources Corp. is another (see Shale Daily, Aug. 8). The project was announced in June with 2.2 Bcf/d of shipper commitments. At that time the three largest shippers on the project were American Energy-Utica LLC, Antero and Range Resources Corp. American Energy and Antero both have options to purchase nonoperating equity interests in the project.

ETP said when it announced Rover that the project could grow to 3.25 Bcf/d with sufficient shipper support (see Shale Daily, June 26).