The combination Phase III expansion of the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline and Algonquin Gas Transmission’s HubLine extension went into service last week, starting deliveries of Nova Scotia gas to the Boston area and southeastern Massachusetts.

The new line started up Nov. 24 and will be ramping up over the next several months to total deliveries of about 230 MMcf/d. A spokesman said the new system would also allow customers in other states to benefit through backhaul of Sable Island gas.

Phase III of the 650-mile 1 Bcf/d Maritimes pipeline includes an extension from its southern end running southeasterly through several Massachusetts counties to the Atlantic Coast, where new Algonquin facilities connect and extend offshore down the coast through Boston Bay, tying in with Algonquin’s 1,064-mile, 1.6 Bcf/d existing system at Weymouth on the south side of Boston Harbor. Algonquin is a subsidiary of Duke Energy and Maritimes is 75% owned by Duke.

The Maritimes extension includes 24 miles of 30-inch diameter pipeline and one mile of 24-inch diameter pipeline, at an estimated cost of $134 million. Algonquin’s $127 million HubLine project includes about 29 miles of pipeline. The project taps supplies from the Sable Offshore Energy Project

The expanded line went onstream at about the same time Exxon Mobil Corp. announced gas production has begun at the Alma field, the first Tier 2 production from the Sable project, located 125 miles offshore Nova Scotia. With Alma’s production of 120 MMcf/d, the Sable project total is approximately 500 MMcf/d with 20,000 b/d of associated condensate and natural gas liquids (see related story).

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