The FERC staff Friday issued a favorable draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Centerpoint Energy Gas Transmission’s (CEGT) 172-mile, 42-inch Carthage, TX to Perryville, LA, pipeline project (CP06-85).

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission found “limited adverse environmental impacts if constructed and operated in accordance with applicable laws and regulations,” plus proposed mitigation measures.

The pipeline project is designed to provide a market outlet for the burgeoning natural gas production in North-Central and East Texas and North Louisiana. The line would deliver up to 1.2 MMDth/d of supply to markets served through various pipelines interconnected with Centerpoint’s Perryville Hub, including ANR Pipeline, Trunkline Gas, Columbia Gulf Transmission and Texas Gas Transmission, which collectively serve markets in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Tennessee and Indiana, according to the CenterPoint Energy pipeline subsidiary.

CEGT said the $403 million project, which would also include two new compressor stations with a combined 41,240 horsepower, would respond to the growing gas supplies from the Barnett Shale and Bossier Sand gas production that are seeking outlets to markets. The East Texas/North Louisiana production areas to be accessed by the proposed pipeline are among the areas that have exhibited the strongest reserve growth; production in East Texas alone increased to 3.2 Bcf/d in January 2004 from 2.25 Bcf/d in January 2000, it noted.

The project has been targeted to go into service before this coming winter (see Daily GPI, March 21).

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