The Gulf Coast Southbound natural gas pipeline system by Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America (NGPL) in the US is undergoing phase two expansion to increase the transportation capacity by 300,000 dekatherms of per day (Dth/d).
Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America (NGPL) is a joint venture partnership between Kinder Morgan and Brookfield Infrastructure Partners.
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The phase one expansion of the Gulf Coast Southbound pipeline system which entered service in 2018 was designed to add 460,000Dth/d of natural gas capacity on NGPL’s Gulf Coast Mainline System.
The phase two expansion will increase the total natural gas transportation capacity of the Gulf Coast Southbound system to 760,000Dth/d.
NGPL announced a non-binding solicitation interest for the phase two expansion of the gas pipeline project in October 2016. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an environmental assessment for the expansion in October 2019.
The company obtained a 7c certificate from the FERC in February 2020 and a construction permit was issued a month later.
Estimated cost approximately £173m ($220m), the pipeline expansion project will boost the gas transportation capacity without involving the construction of additional miles of pipelines.
NGPL plans to bring the Gulf Coast Southbound phase two expansion project into service in June 2021.
Gulf Coast Southbound phase two expansion details
The second phase of expansion will allow NGPL to supply natural gas from a primary receipt point at the existing interconnection with Alliance Pipeline in Grundy County, Illinois, to a delivery interconnection between NGPL and Cheniere Corpus Christi Pipeline in San Patricio County, Texas.
The Cheniere Corpus Christi pipeline is a 37km-long, 48in-diameter pipeline line that supplies feed gas to the Corpus Christi LNG export terminal in South Texas.
The phase two expansion involves additional compressor units at the existing compressor stations as well as modifications to auxiliary facilities at two existing compressor stations.
One new electric motor-driven compressor unit rated 10,000hp will be built at compressor station 300 in Victoria County, Texas. Additional cooling equipment along with a filter separator will also be installed at the compressor station.
Compressor station 301 in Wharton County will see the installation of one 15,900hp Solar Mars 100 gas-fired, turbine compressor, additional cooling equipment, and replacement of two filter separators.
NGPL will install two 23,470hp Solar Titan 130 gas-fired turbines along with cooling equipment and filter separators at compressor station 304 in Harrison County, Mississippi.
The expansion project also includes the installation of an additional gas cooler and filter separator at existing compressor station 303 in Angelina County, Texas, and at compressor station 394 in Cass County, Indiana.
Gas supply from the Gulf Coast Southbound natural gas pipeline
The phase two expansion of the Gulf Coast Southbound natural gas pipeline is intended to supply 300,000Dth/d of natural gas supply for the 4.5Mtpa third liquefaction train at the Corpus Christi liquefaction facility in Texas.
Previously, NGPL signed a 20-year gas transportation contract with Corpus Christi Liquefaction, a subsidiary of Cheniere Energy to supply 385,000Dth/d of natural gas from its southbound capacity to the Corpus Christi liquefaction facility in September 2015.
Gulf Coast Southbound pipeline phase one expansion
NGPL filed an application with the FERC for the phase one expansion in August 2016 and received a positive environmental assessment in April 2017.
A part of the project was commissioned with a capacity of 75,000Dth/d in April 2017, while the remaining capacity of 385,000Dth/d was placed in October 2018.
The project is designed to increase the natural gas supply from several interstate pipeline interconnects in Illinois, Arkansas, and Texas, to delivery points on NGPL’s Gulf Coast Southbound pipeline system to meet growing demand.
The project included the construction of new compressor stations, valves, pipeline facilities.
Gulf Coast Southbound pipeline phase three expansion
NGPL further solicits interest in phase three expansion of the Gulf Coast Southbound project to serve the increasing industrial and export demand.
Phase three intends to transport 260,000Dth/d of natural gas from NGPL’s new interconnects in Illinois and Iowa including Rockies Express Pipeline (REX), PEPL, Alliance, at the Northern border to Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast.
