Transwestern Pipeline Moves Closer to Expanding its San Juan Pipeline

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Transwestern Pipeline Company (Houston, Texas), a subsidiary of CrossCountry Energy LLC has announced that it has filed with the Federal Regulatory Commission (FERC) to construct the first phase of the Sun Devil Project on its San Juan lateral in San Juan, New Mexico (PEC 42000304).

For more information on Transwestern see IIR Industry Alert: Enron's Pipeline Business Regroups and Dusts Off Natural Gas Expansion Plans

Transwestern plans to construct 72.6-miles of 36" diameter pipeline looping to expand the capacity of the lateral by 375 mmscfd of natural gas over its current capacity of 860 mmscfd. Transwestern will construct and operate 63.3-miles of 36" diameter pipeline loop starting at milepost (MP) 8.9 on the existing San Juan Lateral in San Juan County and will extend in a south southwesterly direction to an existing mainline valve at MP 71.9. An additional 9.3-miles of 36" diameter pipeline loop will be constructed beginning at MP 87.8 in McKinley County and will terminate at the existing Gallup Compressor Station (PLANT 1019583). Along with expanding the pipeline, Transwestern will modify three of its existing compressor stations by adding compression, up-rating units and changing out compressors & prime movers for those compressor units.

At Gallup Compressor Station, Transwestern will remove an existing compressor (compressor only, not the motor) and install a new 12,000 horsepower rated centrifugal compressor and up-rate the existing 10,000 horsepower electric-drive motor to operate at 12,000 horsepower. At Bloomfield Compressor Station (PLANT 1034827), Transwestern will install and operate one new 15,000 horsepower electric-drive compressor unit, remove an existing 7,000 horsepower electric-drive motor on unit #4 and install a new 8,000 horsepower electric-drive motor. At the Bisti Compressor Station (PLANT 1027723), Transwestern will either replace an existing 10,000 horsepower electric-drive motor with a 12,000 horsepower electric-drive motor or will replace the motor & compressor unit in its entirety and rebundle the existing compressor unit.

Transwestern expects to receive regulatory approval from the FERC and will select a general Contractor for separate aspects of the project in late 2004 and begin construction shortly thereafter. Completion for the first phase of the Sun Devil project is slated for June 1, 2005.