Local Pipeline Projects Moving Forward; Ellisburg Tour Set

Two major gas pipeline projects are moving forward as distribution and supply companies prepare to meet greater demands for natural gas, generated in part from Marcellus Shale formations in the region. Completing a major pipeline is a time-consuming process involving government oversight, business alliances, and millions of dollars.

One of the pending developments, National Fuel Gas (NFG) Supply Corporation’s Northern Access Project, will be the subject of a site review on Thursday, April 14. The session includes a tour of the Ellisburg Compressor Station in northern Potter County. That facility has been targeted for expansion. Thursday’s tour is open to the public. Those planning to attend should meet at the Westgate Inn lobby in Coudersport at 8 am.

NFG Vice President Ron Kramer said the Northern Access Project will allow the company to transport gas produced from Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale to the TransCanada Pipeline at Niagara Falls, N.Y. Preliminary environmental and engineering studies have been completed. Both National Fuel and Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. have since applied for Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approval. Tennessee owns the Niagara Spur Loopline, which is part of this project, in addition to the “300 Line,” an interstate transmission line which traverses Potter County and interconnects with the National Fuel Gas line in Ellisburg. The project will include the addition of two compressor units totaling approximately 9,500 HP at the Ellisburg Compressor Station. The company expects FERC approval by October and will begin site work then.

On a related note, members of the Potter County Natural Gas Task Force will participate in a workshop, titled Understanding Pipeline Infrastructure, on Monday morning at the Potter County Education Council office in Coudersport, starting at 10 am.