FERC has given a favorable environmental assessment (EA) to two related expansions proposed by Texas Eastern Transmission (Tetco) to carry Rocky Mountain natural gas to Northeast markets.

“Approval of the proposed projects, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment,” staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said of the proposed Texas Eastern Market Area Crossing (TEMAX) and Texas Eastern Incremental Market Area Expansion III (TIME III) projects [CP09-68].

The TEMAX expansion would provide an additional 395,000 Dth/d of natural gas transportation from a receipt point with the Rockies Express Pipeline LLC (REX) system in Clarington, OH, the termination point for the 1,678-mile REX line, to an interconnect with Transcontinental Gas Pipeline (Transco) in York County, PA. The final phase of the REX line is expected to be completed and in service by Nov. 1 (see Daily GPI, June 30).

The TIME III project would provide additional transportation capacity of 60,000 Dth/d from a receipt point in Oakford, PA, to the same interconnect with Transco, the EA said (see Daily GPI, Nov. 30, 2007). The projected in-service date for both expansions is November 2010, according to Tetco, a subsidiary of Spectra Energy.

The projects call for the replacement of 25.9 miles of various diameter pipeline, construction of 9.6 miles of loop, the construction of a 26.5-mile pipeline lateral, the addition of 85,633 hp of compression at four existing compressor stations and the abandonment of 9,500 hp at one compressor station, the EA said.

Tetco also proposes to uprate the maximum allow operating pressure of its existing Lines 1 and 2 to 1,112 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) from 1,000 psig for 268 miles between its Uniontown and Marietta Compressor Stations. The proposed facilities will be located in Greene, Bedford, Franklin, Adams, Lancaster and York counties in Pennsylvania.

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