Northwest Pipeline Corporation Studies Pipeline Expansion Project in the Rocky Mountains

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Northwest Pipeline Corporation (Salt Lake City, Utah), a subsidiary of Williams Companies Incorporated (NYSE:WMB ) (Tulsa, Oklahoma), is studying the possibility of expanding its natural gas pipeline system in the Rocky Mountains. The proposed Basin Expansion Project will entail looping the existing pipeline from the Muddy Creek compressor station near Kemmerer, Wyoming, to the Blanco hub in New Mexico. The pipeline expansion will be designed to export natural gas from the production basins of Piceance and Uintah to markets to the south.

Still in the infancy of its conception, the Basin Expansion Project would entail the construction of between 100 miles and 300 miles of 30-inch diameter pipeline looping additions and several new laterals to connect with supply sources. Compression will be included in the scope of the project, but it is still too early to speculate on the exact or approximate amount of new horsepower or the type of units that will be needed to support the project. The capital expenditure for such a pipeline proposal could vary from $200 to $400 million, but then, again, so many things can change from now until final project definition.

Northwest Pipeline hopes to file with the FERC some time in late 2005 and select equipment and construction vendors in late 2006. Construction is set to begin in early 2007, with a completion date targeted for November of 2007 and the winter heating season. The Northwest Pipeline system is currently comprised of 4,158 miles of natural gas transmission pipeline supported by numerous compressor stations and supplies the major markets in the Seattle and Portland areas.

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