28 natural gas pipeline projects queued up in Louisiana

By 10/12 Industry Report Staff  November 12, 2019   www.1012industryreport.com/pipelines 

Twenty-eight natural gas pipeline projects are completed, under construction or pending in Louisiana this year—many of them designed to provide the necessary infrastructure for LNG export facilities in production or planned along the state’s coastline.

According U.S. Energy Information Administration tracking records reviewed by 10/12 Industry Weekly, seven have already been completed this year: the Westlake Expansion Project lateral by Gulf South Pipeline, the Texas-Louisiana Markets Project and the Stratton Ridge expansions by Texas Eastern Transmission, the St. James Supply Project lateral and the Gulf Connector Expansion Project reversal by Transcontinental Gas Pipeline, the Gulf Xpress reversal by Columbia Gulf Transmission, and the East-West Project lateral by Florida Gas Trans Co.

Four more are under construction; another eight have been approved. The remainder are in various stages—announced, pre-applied, applied or on hold.

Overall, the United States is expected to add between 16 billion cubic feet per day and 17 billion cubic feet of natural gas pipeline capacity in 2019 alone, most of which was built to provide additional takeaway capacity out of supply basins. Of the 134 active natural gas pipeline projects the agency tracks, 46 have entered or are expected to enter service in 2019. These projects will increase deliveries by pipeline to  LNG export facilities in the Gulf Coast region or to Mexico.

More than 40% of this new pipeline capacity—7.2 billion cubic feet per day—delivers natural gas to locations within the South Central region that includes Louisiana. Many of these pipeline projects will provide additional takeaway capacity out of the Permian Basin in western Texas or enable additional Permian natural gas production to reach the interstate pipeline system.