2022 Top 500 Sourcebook: Owners Boost Capacity on Three US Gas Pipelines
TC Energy seeks a $335-million upgrade of its Gas Transmission Northwest pipeline from Idaho to Oregon.
Photo: TC Energy
60%
Proportion of 82 surveyed North American oil and gas producers that boosted their capital spending in Q1 2022
—Evaluate Energy July 2022 economic report
Pipeline owners are meeting growing demand for natural gas by expanding capacity on existing infrastructure.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued on June 30 a draft environmental review of a proposed capacity expansion of TC Energy’s Gas Transmission Northwest pipeline between Idaho and Oregon (pictured) that found minor, temporary and localized effects. The $335-million project would increase capacity by about 150 million cu ft/day on the 1,377-mile pipeline by increasing compression, replacing turbines and other upgrades to enable transport of more Canadian natural gas to the Pacific Northwest in late 2023.
FERC in April also approved a capacity expansion on TC Energy’s 86-mile North Baja Express that includes upgrades to one compressor station and two meter stations in Arizona and California. Set to boost capacity by 0.5 billion cu ft/day, the project would be complete in 2023.
Whitewater Midstream announced in May a boost for the 450-mile Whistler Pipeline in the Permian Basin in Texas by adding three new compressor stations. They will increase its mainline capacity to about 2.5 billion cu ft/day. Delayed during the pandemic, the expansion is set to be in service in September 2023. It received a $325-million construction investment from Global Infrastructure Fund in 2020.
11.6 Million
Barrels of U.S. crude oil produced per day in April, compared to record high 12.3 million bpd in 2019. Monthly gross natural gas production in the lower 48 states rose to 107.3 billion cu ft/day in April, its highest since December 2021
—U.S. Energy Administration July 8 report
Wood
Cameron LNG Pushes Expansion
Cameron LNG awarded to engineering firm John Wood Group PLC on June 30 the owner’s engineering services contract for a fourth train at its production and export facility in Hackberry, La., on the Calcasieu ship channel. Wood also will provide services to boost production from the existing three trains that now provide 12 million tons per year, the Cameron announcement said.
Design of the fourth train, with planned capacity of 6.75 million tons per year, was amended to include use of electric drives that would cut emissions and provide the option of carbon sequestration.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said in April it is evaluating project environmental effects. Sempra Infrastructure, Mitsui & Co., Mitsubishi Corp., TotalEnergies and NYK Line are the owners of Cameron LNG. They did not disclose the expansion project cost but said final investment decision was expected in the second half of 2023, when project development work is set to finish.
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