The request to the energy regulator was made following the mechanical completion of the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline project.
The new pipeline project has been designed to deliver an additional 1.7 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas from the Marcellus gas supplies in Pennsylvania to the Mid-Atlantic markets, which includes the Cove Point LNG facility, and the Southeastern US.
Once commissioned, the Atlantic Sunrise Project is expected to supply enough natural gas to cover the daily requirements of over seven million American homes.
Williams broke ground on the greenfield portion of the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline project in Pennsylvania in September 2017.
In February 2017, the project got the initial authorization from the FERC which came to the conclusion that that environmental impacts associated with it will be reduced to less than significant levels by adhering to mitigation measures proposed by both the company and the regulator.
The pipeline expansion project has involved the installation of nearly 298km of new natural gas pipeline along with construction of two new compressor stations and modifications of compressor stations across five states.
In Wyoming County, Compressor Station 605, a 30,000-horsepower facility was built by VEC in Clinton Township. On the other hand, LMC Industrial Contractors constructed Compressor Station 610, a new 40,000-horsepower facility in Orange Township in Columbia County.
The pipeline expansion project also involved the construction of two new pipeline segments – Chapman Loop and Unity Loop with a total length of around 19.31km, namely Chapman Loop and Unity Loop. The two new segments have been looped to the existing Transco Leidy Line in Pennsylvania.
Overall, the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline project construction comprised eight different construction spreads, out of which six of them will simultaneously operate in eight Pennsylvanian counties.
The Pennsylvanian segment of the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline project named as the Central Penn Line will be owned jointly by Transco and a third party.
According to Williams, the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline project has supported about 8,000 jobs supported and is expected to generate $1.6bn in additional wages, revenues and investments to both the regional and state economies.
