Over two-and-a-half years after the project was announced, Gulfstream Natural Gas System LLC reported that it has received FERC approval to commence mainline pipeline construction in Florida. With this approval, Gulfstream said it now has all major segments of its 753-mile pipeline project under construction and on schedule to deliver natural gas in June 2002.

“A primary reason the project is on schedule is because of the timely reviews and approval we have received from the staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [FERC], as well as other federal and state agencies,” said Guy Buckley, Gulfstream senior vice president of business functions. “This is a good example of government and private enterprise working together to ensure the necessary energy infrastructure is in place.”

Construction on the $1.6 billion pipeline that will travel under the Gulf of Mexico from Mississippi and Alabama to Florida began in early June (see Daily GPI, June 4). Once construction is completed, natural gas deliverability in the state will increase by 1.1 Bcf/d. Gulfstream will be the largest pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico and the first new natural gas transportation system to serve Florida in more than 40 years. Florida Gas Transmission currently is the only pipeline into the state.

“This approval for onshore construction comes at a time when half of the offshore construction is complete and means that we remain on schedule to meet our scheduled June 2002 in-service date,” said Nancy Schultz, Gulfstream senior vice president of technical functions.

Gulfstream provided an update of the construction progress through Oct. 1; it includes:

Gulfstream Natural Gas System LLC is a joint venture of Williams and Duke Energy, which received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Feb. 22. The new pipeline is designed primarily to serve Florida utilities and power-generation facilities in the state.

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