Rover Pipeline, LLC has signed a contract with Vector Pipeline and its affiliates for firm transportation capacity to deliver gas to markets in Michigan and the Union Gas Dawn Hub in Ontario, Canada, as part of the Rover Pipeline project. This arrangement continues to allow Rover to offer seamless transportation service to its shippers from the Marcellus and Utica production areas to markets in the Midwest, Great Lakes and Gulf Coast regions of the United States, and to the Union Gas Dawn Hub.
The capacity arrangement with Vector eliminates the need for Rover to build its pipeline through Michigan’s Shiawassee, Genesee, Lapeer, Oakland St Clair and Macomb counties. This new development is consistent with Rover’s ongoing efforts to minimise the project’s footprint. It is also consistent with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s guidelines and expectations, which encourage companies to evaluate alternative routes that maximise the use of existing utilities and utilise existing rights-of-way, where possible. Through this agreement, Rover will eliminate 110 miles of pipeline through Michigan, and will eliminate the Canadian portion entirely.
The scope of the Rover Pipeline project continues to be designed to transport 3.25 billion ft3/d of natural gas with up to 1.3 billion ft3/d being transported into Michigan and/or Canada. Plans are underway to make the necessary modifications to the proposed project route and to file the final alignment with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in mid-February 2015. Pending regulatory approval, Rover is still expected to be in service from the production areas to the Midwest Hub near Defiance, Ohio, by the end of 2016, and from the Midwest Hub to markets in Michigan and the Union Gas Dawn Hub by mid-2017.
Adapted from press release by Rosalie Starling