The number of proposed major pipeline projects on schedule forservice in winter 1999 continues to dwindle, with IndependencePipeline telling FERC last week it plans to delay service by a yearuntil November 2000. The pipeline’s sponsors said the $678 millionproject will be delayed because of the lengthy construction timerequired. FERC still has not approved the project.

Markets for the 400-mile pipeline system also have been slow todevelop, but sponsors said they recently executed an additionalprecedent agreement with Eastern Energy Marketing for 99,000 Dth/dof firm transportation capacity, bringing subscriptions to nearly70% of the pipeline’s 916 MMcf/d capacity.

The partners in Independence – Coastal Corp’s ANR Pipeline,Williams’ Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line and National Fuel Gas -said the downstream market line, called MarketLink, which is beingbuilt by Transco, also would be delayed by a year. Transco expectsto file an application for the project this month.

The upstream line, SupplyLink, which is being built by ANR toprovide access to new and existing Canadian supply entering theU.S. marketplace, should be in service on schedule in November 1999because required facilities are less extensive, ANR said.

Independence’s delay follows similar announcements by sponsorsof the 2.3 Bcf/d Alliance Pipeline and the 60 MMcf/d Phase Iportion of Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline. Last month, Allianceannounced it probably would not be in service until winter 2000because of the regulatory battle at Canada’s National Energy Board.And Maritimes told FERC its only subscriber, an affiliatedmarketer, on the Phase I project decided to defer itstransportation agreement by a year because it had no markets toserve.

Rocco Canonica

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