FERC Friday approved the Ohio-Louisiana Access Project of Boardwalk Pipeline Partners’ Texas Gas Transmission LLC. It would create capacity for Marcellus/Utica shale gas from Lebanon, OH, to Midwestern and southern markets through the addition of north-to-south capability.

Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC is the project’s foundation shipper with 300,000 MMBtu/d of capacity (see Daily GPI, Oct. 10, 2014).

In consideration of the project, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rejected environmentalists’ often-repeated argument that new infrastructure, such as the Ohio-Louisiana project, would stimulate upstream production, and therefore the environmental consequences of that production must be considered. The Commission also found that existing customers would not be harmed by the addition of north-to-south capability or by the proposed rate treatment for the project [CP14-553].

The pipeline would construct the 10,915 hp Bosco Compressor Station in Ouachita Parish, LA; modify the existing Gulf South-Bosco receipt meter station to allow bidirectional gas flow; and make certain yard and station piping modifications at the Dillsboro, Columbia, Pineville and Eunice compressor stations to add north-to-south capability, while retaining the ability to flow south to north.

“The bidirectional flow capability and additional compression created by the project will provide access to new supply sources, thereby diversifying available supply sources for existing customers, as well as provide additional transportation capacity that existing customers will be able to use to reach new markets,” FERC said. “Based on all the above, the Commission concludes that there will be no adverse impacts from the project on Texas Gas’s existing customers.”