Two recently completed expansions of the Transco pipeline have increased natural gas transportation capacity by 460 MMcf/d, enabling the record to be achieved in December 2013.
The nation’s largest-volume natural gas transmission system, Transco delivered a record-breaking 9,704 MMcf/d in its Zones 4-6 market area, stretching from Mississippi to New York City on 12 December 2013. The record volume represents enough gas to heat nearly 50 million US homes.
Vice President and General Manager of Williams’ Transco pipeline Frank Ferazzi said “This recent record was primarily driven by increased natural gas demand for home heating by local distribution companies, along with power generation.
“As intended, the timely completions this year of two recent Transco expansion projects are helping meet growing demand in some of the fastest growing markets in the country.”
On 1 November 2013, Williams Partners placed into full-service its Northeast Supply Link, after bringing half the capacity into service three months ahead of schedule in response to customer demands. The project marks the first major expansion of the Transco natural gas pipeline designed specifically to connect Marcellus natural gas supply with north-eastern markets. The expansion provides 242 MMcf/d per day of incremental firm natural gas transportation capacity from Marcellus supplies direct to nearby customers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.
The Transco pipeline is a 16,400 km pipeline system that transports natural gas to markets throughout the north-eastern and south-eastern US. Current system capacity is approximately 9,849.92 MMcf/d, which is enough natural gas to serve the equivalent of more than 42 million homes.