FERC has issued a favorable environmental assessment (EA) of Petal Gas Storage LLC’s proposal to expand the working gas capacity at its storage facility in Forrest County, MS.

“We believe that the project as described and with the implementation of our recommendations would not have a significant impact on resources within the defined project area, and that approval of this proposal would not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment,” the staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said in the EA [CP08-66].

Petal, a subsidiary of Enterprise Products Partners LP, currently has an estimated working storage capacity of about 20.9 Bcf in four caverns, with development of a fifth cavern under way, the EA said. The proposed project would increase the overall capacity of the Petal facility by about 19.4 Bcf of working gas, it noted.

The proposed expansion calls for the construction of two new salt dome storage caverns; three new compressor units totaling 15,000 hp at the existing Petal No. 3 Compressor Station; an additional compressor station control room; and associated pipeline facilities. Petal said it plans to begin construction this summer and complete the project by May 2010 (see Daily GPI, Feb. 20).

Petal offers shippers the ability to reach growth markets in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions through bidirectional interconnects to Tennessee Gas Pipeline, Gulf South Pipeline, Hattiesburg Gas Storage and, through the Petal Pipeline, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line, Southern Natural Gas and Destin Pipeline, according to Enterprise.

The company earlier this year said Petal anticipates future interconnects with the Southeast Supply Header, Mid-Continent Express and Gulf Crossing pipelines. These new interconnects would give customers access to gas supplies originating in the growing Barnett Shale, Woodford Shale and Bossier Sands production areas, thus providing additional storage injection opportunities at Petal.

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