Williams Partners LP is holding a nonbinding open season through June 28 for expansion of its Transco pipeline to provide incremental firm service to markets in northern Georgia and Alabama by 2016.

The Dalton Expansion Project is being designed to provide up to 600,000 Dth/d of incremental firm transportation service on Transco from interconnections accessing Marcellus Shale gas production at its Zone 6 Station 210 pooling point.

“The Transco pipeline is uniquely positioned to provide power generators and local distribution companies located in the southeastern United States with direct access to substantial Marcellus natural gas supplies,” said Randy Barnard, president of Williams Partners’ gas pipeline business.

The capacity, scope and cost of the project will be determined by the results of the open season. The project will be subject to approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and other agencies. For information, contact Toi Anderson at (713) 215-4540.

Transco transports gas to markets throughout the northeastern and southeastern United States. Current system capacity is 9.6 million Dth/d. Williams owns 68% of Williams Partners, including the general partner interest.

In April Williams management touted multiple Transco projects during an earnings conference call (see Shale Daily, April 27).

Numerous pipeline projects are in various stages to take advantage of increasing supplies of Marcellus gas.

On Tuesday FERC issued a certificate for Tennessee Gas Pipeline’s Northeast Upgrade Project, which would expand the company’s existing 300 Line system in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to provide an additional 636,000 Dth/d of Marcellus Shale gas to Northeast markets (see Shale Daily, May 31).

TransCanada’s ANR Pipeline Co. is mulling expansion of receipt capacity on its Lebanon Lateral in eastern Indiana and western Ohio to carry growing production from the Marcellus and Utica shales (see Shale Daily, May 22).