Williams, which operates more than 30,000 miles of pipelines across the Lower 48 and into the deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM), struck an upbeat tone on the future of U.S. natural gas and the company’s potential in the year ahead.

The Tulsa-based company’s executives said demand for natural gas continues to mount, with 2020 gathering volumes up 7% in the Northeast alone and continued momentum expected this year. The company also continues to expand its Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line LLC, aka Transco.

Among other projects, Williams this month won Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval to move forward with its Leidy South expansion in Pennsylvania, which is designed to carry about 600 MMcf/d of natural gas capacity to Atlantic Seaboard markets. The project is now under...