A unit of Williams’ energy services business finished expandinga gas plant in Opal, WY, that boosts cryogenic processing capacityto 735 MMcf/d and gas liquids extraction capacity to 43,000 b/d. Athird cryogenic processing train was added, two existing cryogenictrains were modified, and control systems and field compressionwere enhanced. Total costs exceeded $60 million.

The facility now is one of the largest gas liquids producers inthe country and allows Williams to shut down a 1950s-era lean oilprocessing unit that will remain available for incremental volumesin the future.

“The new cryogenic turbo expander unit alone can process 350MMcf/d of natural gas and extract more than 20,000 barrels per dayof gas liquids like ethane, propane and butane,” said AlanArmstrong, vice president of gathering and processing for Williams’midstream group. “The technology makes Opal an extremely efficientplant and gives our customers an opportunity to obtain additionalvalue from the gas stream. For example, we believe we’re going tosee a 90% ethane recovery rate in the new train.”

The project was prompted in late 1998 after three producersselected Williams’ Opal plant to process new volumes of gas fromthe Jonah field in Sublette County, WY. In November 1999, Williamsalso completed a new 412-mile pipeline that added 45,000 b/d ofcapacity to its gas liquids pipeline system coming out of theRockies. Liquids from the Opal plant can be fed into the pipelinesystem for delivery to Gulf Coast destinations.

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