Portland Natural Gas Transmission System isn’t going to make itssecond start-up deadline this month, but officials are promising tobe in service in early February. The pipeline originally expected152 MMcf/d of Canadian gas would begin flowing to New Englandmarkets last November.

“It’s almost done. We’re looking at welding the pipeline to TQMsometime during the first week in February,” said a spokesman. Thepipeline still requires about 100 tie-ins in northern New Hampshireabout 10 miles south of the border. “Everything is done excepttie-ins and testing the pipe. TQM already has gas in part of theirpipe going to Waterloo in Quebec,” said PNGTS Spokesman RichardAnderson. “The other place we’re working on the pipe is just northof Westbrook, ME. And we have one more horizontal directional drillunder the Great Works River.”

Pipeline construction was held up by heavy rains, a lot ofdifficult stream crossings, environmental concerns and clean-upwork. “We were able to resolve all the issues with FERC,” saidAnderson.

The 292-mile pipeline system will extend to a connection withTennessee Gas Pipeline in northern Massachusetts from a connectionwith an extension of the Trans Quebec & Maritimes Pipeline nearEast Hereford, PQ. Gas volumes are expected to reach 210 MMcf/d byNovember.

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