Wyckoff Gas Storage Co. LLC, a subsidiary of Greyhawk Gas Storage Co., has filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a certificate to operate a 6 Bcf working gas storage facility in western New York. The company expects to hold an open season for the high deliverability, multi-cycle (HDMC) facility within the next couple weeks for service beginning in spring 2004.

Greyhawk, a joint venture of Falcon Gas Storage Co. Inc. Houston, and Emera Inc., of Nova Scotia, said the total capacity of the facility, using two depleted natural gas reservoirs, will be 10 Bcf. The company plans construction of six new injection/withdrawal wells, re-completion of three existing wells and 9,470 hp of compression to deliver up to 400 MMcf/d with a maximum injection rate of 250 MMcf/d. The Wyckoff project in Steuben County, west of Corning, NY, will include two pipelines totaling 11.5 miles to connect with Tennessee, Columbia and Dominion Transmission.

It will be the first northeastern storage venture for Falcon, which will operate the facility. The company has storage operations in Texas and is scouting additional prospects in the Northeast. In addition to its joint interest in Greyhawk/Wyckoff, Falcon independently owns more than 20 Bcf of working gas storage capacity with over 600,000 MMBtu/d of peak-day deliverability capability, as well as six additional HDMC gas storage prospects in various stages of development in Texas, the Rockies and the Southeast.

Emera is the parent of Nova Scotia Power and Bangor Hydro-Electric Co., in Maine, and has a 12.5% interest in the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, which delivers Sable Island natural gas to markets in Maritime Canada and the northeastern United States.

The Wyckoff facility will offer storage for traditional heating load as well as parking, loaning and balancing services for power generators, producers and others using storage to arbitrage, according to Edmund A. Knolle, Falcon executive vice president.

Falcon currently offers storage, peaking and load-following services, parking, loaning and balancing services to generators , gas marketers, producers and pipelines in the Dallas – Ft. Worth area using the its Hill-Lake facility in Eastland County, TX. Similar services will soon be available from the Worsham-Steed facility in Jack County, TX.

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