Duke Energy Field Services further expanded its South Texasgathering and processing assets with the acquisition of theBrooks-Hidalgo Pipeline System from subsidiaries of Aquila Energyand Mitchell Energy effective April 1.

The 90-mile gathering system, consisting of mainly 10- and12-inch diameter pipeline with smaller laterals, will provide anadditional 45 MMcf/d of inlet capacity to Duke Energy’s LaGloriaGas Plant in Jim Wells County.

This pipeline and others the company has recently acquired servenew and existing supplies in the Vicksburg region of South Texas,the most prolific producing formation in that area, said DavidGarrett, vice president of gas supply and business development forDuke Energy Field Services. “Our ability to integrate this systemwith our existing system provides alternatives to get to themarketplace.”

The line delivers directly into the LaGloria plant and on itsway crosses three of Duke’s other lines. By tying in with theselines, throughput on the Brooks-Hidalgo line can be increased,Garrett said.

“The acquisition of the Brooks-Hidalgo Pipeline, combined withthe recent spin-down of Trunkline Gas Company’s South Texas System,continues to build on Duke Energy’s growing presence in the region,while offering producers the competitive service alternatives theydesire,” said Jim Mogg, Duke Energy Field Services president.

Duke Energy Field Services also increased its servicescapabilities in northern Louisiana through an expansion ofsubsidiary PanEnergy Louisiana Interstate, which consists of a new4.5-mile pipeline and the addition of 7,500 horsepower of mainlinecompression. This extension, which began deliveries April 1 intothe Perryville Hub in northern Louisiana, enables Duke to providecustomers an incremental 100,000 MMBtu/d of delivery capacity intothe major transmission pipelines serving Midwest and Northeastmarkets. The project expanded the system eastward to a pointdownstream of existing bottlenecks, explained Garrett. He saiddrilling in East Texas and North Louisiana has filled existingcapacity. At Perryville, shippers can access Mississippi RiverTransmission (MRT), Southern Natural, Texas Gas Transmission, and aline operated by ANR Pipeline and NorAm. “They’re all veryimportant, but MRT and Texas Gas are probably the two main releasepoints.”

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