Enbridge Energy Partners LP. said Friday that it has placed its new 500 MMcf/d East Texas natural gas transmission pipeline into service. The 36-inch diameter pipeline originates at the partnership’s existing facilities near Bethel in Anderson County, TX and terminates at the Enbridge Carthage Hub in Panola County, TX.

Construction on the pipeline began in October 2004. The pipeline has interconnects with NGPL and HPL. In addition to those interconnects, Enbridge has also entered into a deal with Atmos Energy Corp.

In May 2005 (see Daily GPI, May 18), Atmos said it had entered into an agreement to transport 100,000 MMBtu/d of gas through its Texas intrastate pipeline system for Enbridge Energy Partners LP starting in April 2006. The gas would flow from producers in the Fort Worth Basin through Atmos’ 36-inch diameter X line to an interconnection with the new Bethel-to-Carthage pipeline.

“The East Texas Expansion Pipeline is a strategic link between producers facing transportation issues in the Bossier Sands and the Barnett Shale areas of North Central Texas and new markets accessible through the Carthage Hub and other interconnections,” said Dan C. Tutcher, president of Enbridge Energy Co. Inc., the general partner of Enbridge Energy Partners. “Not only does this expansion open markets east of Carthage for these producers, it also presents new opportunities for organic growth within the partnership.”

Enbridge Energy Partners indirectly owns the U.S. portion of the world’s longest liquid petroleum pipeline and is active in natural gas gathering, treating, processing and transmission. Enbridge Energy Management LLC. manages the business and affairs of the partnership and its sole asset is an approximate 18% interest in the partnership. Enbridge Energy Co. Inc. is the general partner and holds an approximate 11% effective interest in the partnership.

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