Rockies Express Pipeline Explained

Rockies Express Pipeline
Type:natural gas
Country:United States
Operator:Tallgrass Development
Partners:Tallgrass Development
Phillips 66
Sempra U.S. Gas & Power
Length Mi:1679
Discharge:3.6e9cuft/d
Direction:west-east (Zones 1 and 2)
bi-directional (Zone 3)
Est:2009
Start:Meeker, Colorado
Finish:Clarington, Ohio
Through:Wyoming
Nebraska
Kansas
Missouri
Illinois
Indiana

The Rockies Express Pipeline is a 1679miles long high-pressure natural gas pipeline system from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado to eastern Ohio. The pipeline system consists of three sections running through eight states.[1] [2] It is one of the largest natural gas pipelines ever built in North America.[3] [4] [5]

History

The final section of the pipeline was completed on 12 November 2009.[6]

Technical description

The diameter of 1679miles long pipeline system varies between 36inchesand42inchesin (andin), being primarily 42inches. The capacity of the pipeline is 3.6e9cuft/d. It operates at a maximum allowable operating pressure of . The initial cost of the pipeline was around US$5 billion.[1] [7] [8]

REX Entrega (Zone 1)

REX Entrega is the 328miles long former Entrega Pipeline between the Meeker Hub in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, and the Cheyenne Hub in Weld County, Colorado. Construction of this pipeline was authorized in August 2005. The pipeline project was acquired by Rockies Express Pipeline, LLC in February 2006. The 136miles long segment from the Meeker Hub to the Wamsutter Hub in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, is a 36inches pipeline, which has been in service since February 2006. The 192miles long segment from the Wamsutter Hub to the Cheyenne Hub in Weld County, Colorado, is a 36inches pipeline, which has been in service since February 2007.[9]

REX West (Zone 2)

REX West is a 713miles long 42inches pipeline from Weld County, Colorado, to Audrain County, Missouri.[9] It has a 5miles long 24inches branch connecting pipeline with the Williams Energy owned Echo Springs Processing Plant.

On 31 May 2006, the Rockies Express Pipeline filed an application to construct and operate this section. The construction approval was issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on 20 April 2007.[10] The first 503miles long segment of this pipeline was commissioned on 27 December 2007, and the second 214miles long segment was commissioned on 16 May 2008. It is in full service since 16 May 2008.[11]

REX East (Zone 3)

REX East is a 638miles long 42inches pipeline from Audrain County, Missouri, to Clarington in Monroe County, Ohio.[9] The Rockies Express Pipeline filed an application to construct and operate this section on 30 April 2007 and the FERC issued approval on 30 May 2008.[12] [13]

In June 2014, REX placed the Seneca Lateral into initial service and in January 2015, the Seneca Lateral was placed into full service with the ability to move approximately 0.6e9cuft/d onto the REX mainline in Zone 3. On August 1, 2015, REX placed its Zone 3 East-to-West Project into service, making Zone 3 of the mainline fully bi-directional with the ability to move approximately 1.8e9cuft/d of Appalachian production to Midcontinent markets.

The diameter of 1679miles long pipeline system varies between 36inchesand42inchesin (andin), being primarily 42inches.The capacity of the pipeline is 3.6e9cuft/d. It operates at a maximum allowable operating pressure of . The initial cost of the pipeline was around $5 billion.[7] [8]

REX has filed with FERC for a 0.8e9cuft/d expansion of its Zone 3 east-to-west capacity, via compression additions. This project is anticipated to be completed in Q4 2016.

Partnership

The pipeline is operated by Rockies Express Pipeline, LLC, a partnership between Tallgrass Energy Partners, Phillips 66 and Sempra Energy.[14] In February 2006, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners and Sempra Energy acquired Entrega Gas Pipeline Inc., from EnCana Corporation.[7] In June 2006, ConocoPhillips acquired 24% of the project.[15] ConocoPhillips spun off the downstream part of its business in May 2012.

Environmental concerns

The pipeline project has raised some environmental concerns. Ohio officials have asked to avoid crossing the Big Darby Creek in Pickaway County and the Little Miami River in Warren County within Caesar Creek State Park because of the risk of harming fish and other wildlife posed by drilling the pipeline beneath the rivers.[2]

A Lawsuit by American Energy Corporation was filed against REX over the disruption of coal mine owned by AEC beneath REX. In light of past pipeline accidents, where subsiding abandoned mines have caused pipelines to fail, the wisdom of the location of that part of the REX pipeline is of concern to pipeline industry critics.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Ill. County Board Unanimously Okays Pipeline Resolution . Mary . Tallon . Downstream Today . . 2008-07-25 . 2008-07-28.
  2. News: Rockies Express East Must Avoid Creek, Park - Ohio Officials . Mary Beth . Lane . Downstream Today . 2008-07-06 . . 2008-07-28.
  3. News: Kinder Morgan Energy Partners and Sempra Pipelines & Storage begin open season for Rockies Express Pipeline projects . PDF . Kinder Morgan Energy Partners . 2005-11-09 . 2008-07-28 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090103052654/http://www.kindermorgan.com/business/gas_pipelines/rockies_express/NewsRelease_RockiesOpenSeason.pdf . January 3, 2009 .
  4. News: Rockies Express Gets OK to Proceed with Entrega Portion of Project . Rigzone . 2006-08-08 . 2008-07-28.
  5. News: Dominion sets open season for Rocky Mountain natgas . Eileen . Moustakis . . 2007-11-16 . 2008-07-28.
  6. News: Final leg of Rockies Express line enters service . Christopher E. . Smith . . . 2009-11-13 . 2009-11-14.
  7. News: Rockies Express Construction Hits Union Snag . Chris . Lusvardi . . Downstream Today . 2008-07-21 . 2008-07-28.
  8. News: Huge Pipeline Delivers Bonanza to Towns on Route . Ann . Davis . . 2009-10-03 . 2009-10-03.
  9. News: Segment of Rockies Express natgas line begins service . . 2007-02-14 . 2008-07-28.
  10. News: FERC Gives Nod to Rockies Express Pipeline . Downstream Today . 2007-05-20 . 2008-07-28.
  11. News: Rockies Express begins US section service . . . 2008-05-19 . 2008-07-28 . subscription .
  12. News: FERC Authorizes REX-East . Downstream Today . 2008-06-02 . 2008-07-28.
  13. News: FERC oks pipeline to move Rocky Mountain natgas . . 2008-05-30 . 2008-07-28 . Tom . Doggett.
  14. News: Sempra To Acquire Stake In Williams-TransCanada Gas Pipeline . Cassandra . Sweet . Downstream Today . . 2008-06-16 . 2008-07-28.
  15. News: ConocoPhillips Completes Rockies Express Acquisition . Rigzone . 2006-06-30 . 2008-07-28.