Williams Partners L.P. yesterday reported that construction is nearing completion on the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline project – a critical expansion of the existing Transco natural gas pipeline to connect abundant Marcellus gas supplies with markets in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern US.
The project sponsors report that the project is targeted for mechanical completion beginning in August 2018, with full service (1.7 billion ft3/d) anticipated to commence in the second half of August 2018, assuming timely receipt of the remaining regulatory approvals. A portion of the mainline component of the project (550 million ft3/d) has already been placed into service.
The mechanical completion date is based upon current contractor schedules and may be affected by weather.
Greenfield construction on the Pennsylvania portion of the project began in September 2017. The project has featured the installation of approximately 200 miles of large diameter pipeline, two greenfield compressor stations and compressor station modifications in five states. The segment of the project known as the Central Penn Line will be jointly owned by Transco and a third party.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorised the project in February 2017, concluding that environmental impacts associated with the project would be reduced to “less than significant levels” with the implementation of mitigation measures proposed by the company and FERC.