Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco), a subsidiary of Williams Partners, filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) seeking authorization to construct a 475 MMcfd (million cubic feet per day) expansion in Texas and Louisiana to connect US natural gas supplies with global LNG (liquefied natural gas) markets.
Constructed in two phases, the Gulf Connector project is designed to deliver 75 MMcfd to Freeport LNG Development, L.P.’s liquefaction project by the second half of 2018, and 400 MMcfd to Cheniere Energy’s Corpus Christi liquefaction terminal in 2019. Pending appropriate regulatory approvals, construction on the first phase of the project will begin in the third quarter of 2017 in order to be placed into service during the second half of 2018.
The Gulf Connector Project involves adding compression and making the natural gas flow bi-directional on a portion of the Transco system between Louisiana and South Texas. The project has been designed to provide incremental firm transportation from Transco’s Station 65 in St. Helena Parish, LA. to mainline interconnects with proposed header pipelines in Wharton County, Texas and San Patricio County, Texas.