Loop

Williams Partners LP’s Northwest Pipeline GP has received authorization from FERC to place its 30-inch diameter mainline loop, known as the Sundance Trail Expansion, into service.

Phase I of Iroquois Gas Transmission System LP’s 08/09 Expansion — a 1.6-mile pipeline loop in Newtown, CT — began flowing gas on Nov. 14. The three-phase 08/09 Expansion will allow Iroquois to receive an additional 200 MMcf/d at its interconnect with Algonquin Pipeline in Brookfield, CT, and deliver the volumes to National Grid’s KeySpan system at South Commack in Long Island. Iroquois will act as a middleman between Algonquin and KeySpan. Algonquin has entered into a precedent agreement with KeySpan for 175,000 Dth/d of firm service effective Nov. 1 and an additional 25,000 Dth/d commencing Nov. 1, 2009. Because pressure in the Iroquois mainline prior to the expansion was substantially higher than the pressure in the Algonquin pipeline at Brookfield, Iroquois was able to only deliver gas into, but not receive gas from, the Algonquin system. The proposed expansion will allow Iroquois to receive gas from Algonquin. Phase II of the expansion, which entails installation of two 10,300 hp compressors in Milford, CT, is under way with a targeted in-service date of Jan. 1. The third phase, installation of a second 10,300 hp compressor at Iroquois’ existing Brookfield Compressor Station in Brookfield, CT, is expected to begin by year’s end.

Phase I of Iroquois Gas Transmission System LP’s 08/09 Expansion — a 1.6-mile pipeline loop in Newtown, CT — began flowing gas on Nov. 14. The three-phase 08/09 Expansion will allow Iroquois to receive an additional 200 MMcf/d at its interconnect with Algonquin Pipeline in Brookfield, CT, and deliver the volumes to National Grid’s KeySpan system at South Commack in Long Island.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday issued a certificate to Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp. to loop part of its natural gas transportation system in Burlington County, NJ.

Columbia Gas Transmission, a unit of NiSource Inc., said service was completely restored last week to the handful of residential customers in West Virginia who lost service following the rupture of a 30-inch diameter looping line carrying about 600 MMcf/d of gas through a rural area near Charleston. The pipeline rupture caused a fire last Monday at 11 p.m., but no injuries were reported. Gas transportation service was diverted onto a parallel pipeline. No mainline deliveries were curtailed, a spokesman said.

Columbia Gas Transmission, a unit of NiSource Inc., said a 30-inch diameter looping line carrying about 60 MMcf/d of gas in West Virginia ruptured Monday at 11 p.m., causing a fire but no injuries.

FERC last week gave a preliminary nod to Questar Pipeline’sapplication to build a 75.6-mile, 272,000 Dth/d pipeline looprunning from northeastern Utah to the north central part of thestate. The proposed facilities would transport to western marketsthe growing coal-seam natural gas production near Price, UT, andthe volumes delivered to Questar from Colorado Interstate Gas’sUinta Basin Lateral at Natural Buttes.

FERC yesterday gave a preliminary nod to Questar Pipeline’sapplication to build a 75.6-mile, 272,000 Dth/d pipeline looprunning from northeastern Utah to the north central part of thestate. The proposed facilities would transport to western marketsthe growing coal-seam natural gas production near Price, UT, andthe volumes delivered to Questar from Colorado Interstate Gas’sUinta Basin Lateral at Natural Buttes.

A very divided FERC last week dealt a potentially crippling blowto the controversial Independence Pipeline and associatedSupplyLink and MarketLink expansion projects, requiring them toshow documented proof of binding, long-term contracts for more thantwo-thirds of their project’s firm capacity before they can beginconstruction, as well as to satisfy more than 100 environmentalconditions. The Commission dismissed a major affiliate contract,casting doubt on the market support for the eastward-boundIndependence and SupplyLink projects.