EIA report: new projects seek to increase takeaway capacity of natural gas in Utica region

New pipeline projects in Ohio’s Utica shale region could add up to 6.8 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas pipeline takeaway capacity in the region by late 2018 if all projects are approved, according to a new report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Key projects that are undergoing a review by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) include: the Rover pipeline, which is designed to transport 3.25 Bcf/d of natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica shale areas; the Leach Xpress project, which could add up to 1.5 Bcf/d of natural gas takeaway capacity along the Columbia Pipeline Group’s network; the Rayne Xpress project, which will augment the Leach Xpress project to add an additional 0.6 Bcf/d in takeaway capacity from Columbia’s network to Gulf Coast markets; and the Nexus Gas Transmission project, which is designed to deliver 1.5 Bcf/d of natural gas supplies from the Utica region to markets in northern Ohio, southeastern Michigan, the Chicago hub in Illinois and Ontario, Canada.

Any construction of a new interstate natural gas pipeline in the United States requires prior approval from FERC, which can be a lengthy process from start to completion. Construction usually begins after the final environmental impact statement is issued, pending that project receives permits from the Clean Water Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, Clean Air Act, and other necessary permits.