The gas industry’s own version of Manifest Destiny continued to unfold Tuesday as the companies behind two Rockies-related pipeline projects sought permission from FERC to place facilities into service.

TransColorado Gas Transmission Co. wants to place its Blanco to Meeker expansion in service by the end of December. And Rockies Express (REX) Pipeline LLC asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to allow it to place into service Phase II of its REX/Entrega project, also by the end of December.

TransColorado’s project will support flows into the massive REX pipeline and permit TransColorado to transport up to an additional 250,000 Dth/d of gas from the Blanco Hub area in San Juan County, NM, through its existing pipeline to REX at an existing point of interconnection located at the Meeker Hub in Rio Blanco County, CO.

REX is sponsored by Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP, Sempra Pipelines & Storage and ConocoPhillips. Kinder Morgan also operates the 317-mile TransColorado system, which serves Colorado and New Mexico.

Phase II of REX/Entrega consists of three compressor stations: Meeker, Big Hole and Wamsutter. REX has been granted an extension until June 30, 2009 to place the Big Hole Station into service. REX placed the 20,620 hp Wamsutter Station in service Monday after receiving the go-ahead from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Dec. 14 (see Daily GPI, Dec. 17).

“Rockies Express now has completed construction of the entire REX/Entrega Phase II Project, except the Big Hole Compressor Station,” the company told FERC in its filing Tuesday. “Rockies Express hereby requests authorization to commence service on the entire REX/Entrega Phase II Project, except the Big Hole Compressor Station.”

The current capacity of the 327-mile REX/Entrega line is 1.5 Bcf/d, said REX spokesman Allen Fore. The throughput will increase to approximately 1.8 Bcf/d when all three compressors are in service.

The REX-Entrega project was approved by FERC in August 2005, and called for the 327-mile line to be built in two phases. Phase I of the pipeline extends from the Meeker Hub in Rio Blanco County, CO, northward to the Wamsutter Hub in Sweetwater County, WY, and then southeastward to the Cheyenne Hub in Weld County, CO. This part of the pipeline was placed into service in early 2006.

With completion of both Phase I and II, the facilities will connect at Cheyenne Hub with the REX-West portion of the pipeline system, which would extend to Audrain County, MO. There, the REX-West, which is scheduled for completion by Jan. 1, would interconnect with a number of major interstate pipeline systems that would take natural gas eastward. The next leg of the pipeline, REX-East, would terminate at Clarington, OH. It currently is in the permitting stage.

TransColorado’s Blanco to Meeker expansion as originally proposed consists of two new compressor stations, additional compression at one existing station, piping changes at three other existing compressor stations and approximately 1,300 feet of 24-inch diameter receipt pipeline and a meter south of the Blanco Compressor Station. The pipeline said Tuesday it no longer intends to construct a proposed compressor unit at Greasewood and will seek, through a separate certificate amendment, to construct the unit at an alternative location at the north end of the pipeline. Also, plans for the meter south of the Blanco Station have been scrapped.

“With these modifications, TransColorado has completed construction of the Blanco to Meeker Expansion Project as authorized by the April 19 Order and requests authorization to commence service,” the pipeline said in its filing.

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