Startup

Iroquois Gas Transmission System said it will pursue development of the Wright Interconnect Project (WIP), an expansion of its existing compression and metering facilities in Wright, NY. Last week Constitution Pipeline Co. said that a finalized route it will propose for a Marcellus pipeline included an agreement with Iroquois to expand the compressor station, which would eliminate the need for Constitution to build a 32,0000-hp compressor facility in Schoharie County, NY (see Shale Daily, Jan. 22). The WIP project will enable delivery of up to 650,000 Dth/d of natural gas from the terminus of the proposed Constitution Pipeline in Schoharie County into both Iroquois and the Tennessee Gas Pipeline under a 15 year capacity lease agreement with Constitution, Iroquois said. WIP is targeted for an in-service date of March 2015 to coincide with the startup of the Constitution Pipeline.

With $2.375 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) is working on two projects with Northwestern University researchers and a startup they have created, NuMat Technologies to develop lightweight, affordable natural gas vehicle (NGV) fuel tanks for passenger cars, along with natural gas compressors that can fuel the vehicles in the home or office settings. The projects are part of DOE’s Methane Opportunities for Vehicular Energy program. GTI plans to develop “a low-pressure adsorbent material” to be used in gas storage tanks designed exclusively for NGVs to overcome the current heavy, large tanks that must withstand pressures of up to 3,600 psi, which adds to the cost and weight of the NGVs compared to gasoline and diesel vehicles. GTI received $1.5 million from DOE to develop the advanced adsorbed natural gas technology for fueling tanks and $875,000 to develop a unique low-pressure NGV fueling technology.

With an eye for the developing shale potential in Kansas, Irvine, CA-based startup New Western Energy Corp. said Wednesday it has obtained a 90% working interest in the 550-acre Smith Oil & Gas Lease in Chautauqua County, KS. The interest is in acreage that sits adjacent to 1,700 acres that New Western holds in the B&W Oil & Gas Lease.

Eagle Rock Energy Partners LP said there were no injuries or fatalities from Monday afternoon’s explosion and subsequent fire at a natural gas processing facility in the Texas Panhandle. It is investigating the incident.

With the startup of its U.S. operations, Gazprom Marketing & Trading Ltd. has achieved its “goal of bringing the world’s largest gas company into the world’s largest gas market,” said CEO Vitaly Vasiliev Thursday.

With the startup of its U.S. operations, Russian-based Gazprom Marketing & Trading Ltd. has achieved its “goal of bringing the world’s largest gas company into the world’s largest gas market,” said CEO Vitaly Vasiliev last Thursday.

DCP Midstream LLC announced the startup of new facilities servicing the Anadarko-Woodford Shale resource play development in Oklahoma’s Blaine and Canadian counties. The installation of a new high-pressure booster with associated gathering and discharge pipelines is the first phase of DCP Midstream’s development in central Oklahoma. Initially, 15 MMcf/d of capacity will be added. New gas volumes will be delivered to DCP Midstream’s Okarche plant for processing and extraction of natural gas liquids. Producers are positioning themselves in the Anadarko-Woodford Shale and initial production rates are quite promising, the company said.

Imperial Oil Ltd. CEO Tim Hearn said Thursday that a 2010 targeted startup for the proposed C$7 billion ($5.6 billion) Mackenzie Valley pipeline may be in jeopardy because of continuing regulatory delays.

Imperial Oil Ltd. CEO Tim Hearn said Thursday that a 2010 targeted startup for the proposed C$7 billion ($5.6 billion) Mackenzie Valley pipeline may be in jeopardy because of continuing regulatory delays.