FERC Friday issued favorable environmental assessments (EA) for two Marcellus Shale-related projects in Pennsylvania and New York: the Tioga Area Expansion Project and the Sabinsville-to-Morrisville Project.

“The two projects have different objectives and customers, but most of the construction is in the north-central portion of Pennsylvania, where Dominion operates several storage pools and also in the Marcellus Shale production area,” said spokesman Dan Donovan.

Because they are in the same geographic region, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) reviewed the projects in a single EA [CP12-19, CP12-20].”We concluded that approval of the proposed projects, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment,” concluded the Commission staff.

The Tioga Area Expansion calls for the construction of 15 miles of 24-inch diameter pipeline in Tioga County, PA, and minor modifications to several existing Dominion facilities to provide a total of up to 270,000 Dth/d of firm transportation. The estimated cost of the project, which will provide takeaway capacity for Marcellus producers, is $67 million, according to Dominion.

Approximately 150,000 Dth/d of the capacity will be delivered to Leidy in north-central Pennsylvania at an existing interconnect with Transcontinental Pipe Line, while the remaining capacity will be delivered to a new interconnect with Texas Eastern Transmission at Dominion’s Crayne Compressor Station in Greene County, PA, south of Pittsburgh.

The Sabinsville-to-Morrisville Project would allow Tennessee Gas Pipeline to move its receipt point from Dominion south from North Sheldon, NY, to Sabinsville, PA, in Tioga County. The project, which would cost an estimated $17 million, would provide up to 92,000 Dth/d to Tennessee at the new receipt point, Dominion said.

Both projects are scheduled for construction next year, with a November in-service date.