The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday gave Equitrans approval to build a pipeline in West Virginia and Pennsylvania that would provide an extra 313,560 Dt/d of capacity for moving Marcellus shale gas to markets in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
In January, Equitrans asked for permission to build the Sunrise Project, which will consist of 41.5 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, several smaller segments of new and replaced pipeline in those states, and a 14,205 hp compressor station in Pennsylvania.
The $272-million project will expand the company's existing pipeline system and will have five interconnections, three with Equitrans' mainline facilities, and two with Texas Eastern Transmission and Dominion Transmission near the new compressor station.
Equitrans has entered into agreements to use 64% of the total capacity of the new line and is continuing to market capacity to producers in the area, FERC said in the order.
FERC found that the project would not degrade service or increase rates for existing customers and would provide these customers with access to a growing supply of gas.
The project would have no impact on existing pipelines and only minimal impacts on landowners, communities and the environment, it said. The order requires the project to be built and made available for service within one year.
