Infrastructure

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LPsubsidiary Texas Gas Transmission LLC has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for authorization to place its Southern Indiana Lateral Project into service by June 17. The project was designed to serve two industrial customers in southern Indiana, one of which subsequently dropped out of the project. The project includes 30.6-miles of 10-inch diameter pipeline lateral with a capacity of 53,500 MMBtu/d. The pipeline extends from an interconnection with Texas Gas’ existing Robards Junction facilities in Henderson County, KY, to an interconnection with SABIC Innovative Plastics Mt. Vernon in Posey County, IN.

Northern natural gas and thermal oilsands production will be able to grow in step as a result of approval granted Thursday for a C$1.29 billion (US$993 million) set of pipeline additions in Alberta and British Columbia.

FERC has approved Kinder Morgan Inc.’s (KMI) plan to add liquefaction and export capability to the existing Elba Island LNG Terminal near Savannah, GA, as well as make modifications to existing pipelines in support of the project.

Environmentalists alleging that FERC is biased towards approving natural gas pipelines because of the agency’s fee-based funding structure are “profoundly mistaken,” the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) told a federal court in a brief filed this week.

On Tuesday FERC granted a hearing for an ANR Pipeline Co. rate case reflecting “a substantial increase” in the pipeline’s cost of service. The Commission also will consider a “preferred case,” proposed by ANR, which would cut its rate structure from seven to four zones. Judging by filings in the docket so far, there will be plenty to talk about.

The proposed Access Northeast expansion by Algonquin Gas Transmission and Maritimes & Northeast pipelines is still in the prefiling stage with FERC, but groups are already weighing in on both sides of the project.

The Ohio-Louisiana Access Project of Boardwalk Pipeline Partners’ Texas Gas Transmission LLC was approved to enter full service last week as FERC allowed operations to begin at the greenfield Bosco Compressor Station in Ouachita Parish, LA.

Rosemead, CA-based Edison International (EI) CEO Ted Craver will retire Sept. 30, and the current head of its Southern California Edison Co. (SCE), Pedro Pizarro, will succeed him as CEO. EI independent director William Sullivan will become a non-executive chairman. In the interim, Pizarro will be president and a board member of EI, replacing Craver in the president’s role ahead of his retirement. A senior vice president at SCE, Kevin Payne, becomes president of the utility on Wednesday, replacing Pizarro. In addition, EI CFO Jim Scilacci will retire Sept. 30, replaced at that time as senior vice president and CFO by Maria Rigatti, the current SCE CFO. Current SCE Vice President and Treasurer William Petmecky will succeed Rigatti as the utility CFO at that time.

The first train of the Sabine Pass Liquefaction (SBL) project in Cameron Parish, LA, is being handed over to the company by contractor Bechtel, months ahead of schedule, Bechtel and SBL affiliate Cheniere Energy Partners LP said Tuesday. The “substantial completion” of Train 1 follows the sendout of numerous commissioning cargoes (see Daily GPI,May, 27;May 4). Under a sale and purchase agreement with BG Gulf Coast LNG LLC, the date of first commercial delivery for Train 1 is expected to occur in November 2016, upon which the agreement’s 20-year term commences. Under the agreement BG has certain rights to early cargoes produced from Train 1. “Now that Train 1 has achieved substantial completion, financial results from its LNG sales going forward will be reflected in the statement of operations,” Cheniere said.