Eastern Shore Natural Gas Co. recently filed at FERC for its 2017 Expansion Project, which would allow it to meet demand for an additional 61,162 Dth/d of firm service from existing shippers.

The project would consist of 22.7 miles of pipeline looping in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware; upgrades to an existing metering facility in Pennsylvania; installation of an additional 3,750 hp compressor unit at the existing Daleville Compressor Station; and 16.9 miles of mainline extension and the addition of two pressure control stations in Sussex County, DE.

Of the capacity that would be created, 52,500 Dth/d would be on the system’s Receipt Zone One facilities. The project would also provide shippers enhanced flexibility under Eastern Shore’s Rate Schedule Off Peak Firm Transportation, the pipeline told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [CP17-28].

“Eastern Shore developed the integrated project to serve the needs of different customers while taking advantage of economies of scale, optimizing system design and minimizing environmental impacts,” it said.

The pipeline, which is a unit of Chesapeake Utilities Corp., requested certificate authorization by May to meet a Nov. 1 in-service date. The pipeline has binding precedent agreements with seven shippers for the expansion capacity.

“Eastern Shore has and continues to experience significant growth in its market area, meeting the natural gas transportation service needs of its shippers through the construction of additional infrastructure, generally by pipeline looping, extension or compression,” the pipeline said. “Eastern Shore evaluated the infrastructure necessary to serve the participating shippers’ needs and determined that the optimal way to meet those needs involves a combination of pipeline looping, extension, compression and modifications to existing facilities as reflected in the proposed 2017 Expansion Project.”

The system has served the Delmarva Peninsula since 1959 and southeastern Pennsylvania since 2001. It is composed of two receipt zones and three delivery zones, arranged north to south from an interconnect with Texas Eastern Transmission Co. LP near Honey Brook, PA. The system also interconnects with Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line LLC and Columbia Gas Transmission LLC.

Last summer FERC approved the pipeline’s White Oak Expansion and System Reliability projects in Pennsylvania and Delaware.