Matterhorn Express Pipeline Begins Moving Gas from Permian

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--After nearly a year and half of construction, the Matterhorn Express natural gas pipeline in Texas has been completed and is now moving small amounts of gas. The project was built by WhiteWater Midstream (Austin, Texas) in a joint venture with EnLink Midstream (NYSE:ENLC), MPLX LP (NYSE:MPLX) (Findlay, Ohio) and Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN) (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma).

The Matterhorn Express runs about 500 miles from the Waha Hub in West Texas to Katy, Texas, in the Houston area, where it connects to other pipelines. The pipeline also includes a 75-mile lateral that includes direct connections to processing facilities in the Midland Basin. The pipeline has design capacity of 2.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas. The pipeline will provide a much-needed outlet for the natural gas that is viewed by many producers as a byproduct to oil production from the Permian, the U.S.' largest producing formation. Several times recently, natural gas prices at the Waha Hub have turned negative as the gas had nowhere to go.

At the moment, Matterhorn is moving about 0.3 Bcf/d of gas onto Williams Companies Incorporated's (NYSE:WMB) (Tulsa, Oklahoma) Transco pipeline system. Construction work on the Matterhorn began early last year, with general contractor Pumpco Incorporated (Giddings, Texas) heading up the work. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Pipeline Project Database can learn more by viewing the related project reports. The pipeline's completion represents a significant milestone for Whitewater and its joint venture partners, but the company is not done with its quest to transport gas out of the Permian.

Whitewater intends to launch construction of a further pipeline from the Katy area later this year. The Blackfin natural gas pipeline will traverse 193 miles from near Katy to Jasper, Texas, near the Texas-Louisiana border. The pipeline will be able to transport up to 3.5 Bcf/d of natural gas and is expected to take about a year to construct, putting it on track for completion in late 2025. Three grassroot compressor stations will be built in conjunction with the pipeline. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.

Whitewater is involved in another joint project with MPLX, Enbridge Incorporated (NYSE:ENB) (Calgary, Alberta) and Targa Resources Corporation (NYSE:TRGP) (Houston, Texas). Whitewater will head up construction and operate the Blackcomb pipeline when completed. The companies made a positive financial investment decision on the project in late July. Like the Matterhorn, the Blackcomb Pipeline also will carry 2.5 Bcf/d of natural gas from the Permian to the Gulf Coast, this time in a more southerly direction from a point near Ozona, Texas, to the Agua Dolce Gas Hub near Corpus Christi. Construction on the 42-inch-diameter pipeline is expected to begin next year and be completed in 2026. The pipeline also will include a 55-mile lateral connecting Rankin, Texas, to Midkiff, Texas. Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Project Database can learn more by viewing the related project reports.

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Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).