Port Arthur Pipeline, a subsidiary of Sempra LNG, has begun a binding open season to solicit bids for firm natural gas transportation service on the company’s incremental firm capacity of the proposed Texas Connector project facilities.
The approximately 34.2-mile Texas Connector project, approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, is comprised of two segments of 42-inch diameter pipeline: the 7.6-mile Texas Connector South Segment, extending from the proposed Port Arthur LNG liquefaction facility to interconnections with the facilities of interstate pipelines in Cameron Parish; and the 26.6-mile Texas Connector North Segment extending from the Port Arthur LNG liquefaction facility to interconnections with the facilities of Houston Pipeline Company, Texas Eastern Transmission, and Florida Gas Transmission Company, as well as underground storage facilities in Jefferson County, Texas.
As currently approved, the full 1.9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcfd) capacity of the Texas Connector project has been subscribed. However, due to changes in the upstream interconnections and flow assumptions, it is anticipated that an additional 1.15 Bcfd of capacity may be made available on the Texas Connector North Segment.
The bid period began Sept. 16 on Sept. 30, 2020. It opened the day after Sempra ended a nonbinding open season to solicit interest in natural gas storage service at the proposed Hackberry Gas Storage project.
The proposed Hackberry Gas Storage project, to be located on a 160-acre parcel in Cameron Parish, initiated its pre-filing process with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in July 2020 and is slated to include four storage caverns and associated infrastructure to support the feed gas supply needs of liquefied natural gas facilities in Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas.
When completed, that project is expected to provide approximately 26 billion cubic feet of natural gas storage capacity and interconnect with the Cameron Interstate Pipeline via an approximately 5-mile pipeline and with the proposed Port Arthur Pipeline—Louisiana Connector via an approximately 11-mile pipeline.
