FERC Thursday issued certificates for a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal project in Southeast Texas and for an expansion of an existing LNG terminal in Georgia, as well as for associated pipeline projects. The two LNG projects combined will provide more than 2 Bcf/d of additional regasification capacity in the United States.

Getting the green light was Calhoun LNG LP’s and Point Comfort Pipeline LP’s proposal to build a 1 Bcf/d LNG terminal on the southeastern shore of Lavaca Bay, south of Point Comfort in Calhoun County, TX, and a 27.1-mile, 36-inch diameter pipeline from the terminal to pipeline interconnects southwest of Edna, TX. Calhoun LNG is a subsidiary of Houston-based Gulf Coast LNG Partners LP.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission also gave the go-ahead to El Paso Corp. affiliates Southern LNG Inc., Elba Express Co. and Southern Natural Gas pipeline to double the storage and sendout capacity of Southern LNG’s import terminal in Georgia and build a new gas pipeline to move nearly 1.2 Bcf/d of revaporized LNG to growing Southeast markets.

The proposed Calhoun terminal would accommodate up to 120 LNG tankers per year and have two full-containment LNG storage tanks, each with a nominal working volume of about 160,000 cubic meters, and associated vaporization and processing equipment.

The pipeline, which is estimated to cost $62.6 million, would have a quarter-mile, eight-inch diameter lateral connecting with the Formosa Hydrocarbons Co.; and would transport gas to four intrastate pipelines and five interstate pipeline, including Florida Gas Transmission, Gulf South Pipeline, Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line and Tennessee Natural Gas Co. The pipeline would end at a connection with Tennessee Gas approximately three miles southwest of Edna in Jackson County, TX.

The Calhoun terminal project and associated pipeline are required to be completed and in operation within five years, according to the FERC order [CP05-91, CP05-380].

As for the second LNG project, Southern LNG seeks to expand its existing LNG terminal on Elba Island in Chatham County, GA. The project would involve construction of two new LNG storage tanks that would increase total storage capacity by 8.44 Bcf; construction of additional vaporization facilities to provide 900 MMcf/d of additional sendout capacity, and modification of marine facilities to accommodate larger LNG tankers and speed simultaneous unloading of two tankers [CP06-470]. The expanded facilities would provide service to Shell NA LNG and BG LNG Services LLV.

El Paso expects to complete the Elba terminal expansion in two phases, with phase one in service in June 2010 and phase two completed in December 2012. The estimated cost of both phases is $509.2 million. To accommodate the increased LNG load, affiliate Elba Express seeks to acquire an interest in Southern Natural’s pipe facilities, as well as build a new pipeline [CP06-471, CP06-472].

FERC granted Southern Natural the authority to transfer to Elba Express an undivided ownership interest of a volume equal to 1.175 Bcf/d in Southern’s Twin 30s Pipeline facilities, which extend from the Elba Island LNG terminal to an interconnection with Southern’s pipeline system in Port Wentworth, GA.

Moreover, the Commission conditionally authorized Southern to acquire an additional undivided interest in Elba Express’s proposed pipelines facilities from Port Wentworth to Rincon, GA, equal to 500 Mcf/d. Elba Express’s proposed 190-mile, 42-inch and 36-inch diameter interstate pipeline would run from Port Wentworth to an interconnect with Transcontinental in Georgia and South Carolina. The new pipeline would transport up to 1.175 Bcf/d.

©Copyright 2007Intelligence Press Inc. All rights reserved. The preceding news reportmay not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, in anyform, without prior written consent of Intelligence Press, Inc.