Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE: WPZ) expects to begin construction soon on
its Hillabee Expansion Project, which the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC) recently approved. The project involves the expansion
of Williams Partners’ Transco pipeline system to serve the growing need
for natural gas in Florida.
Construction is scheduled to begin in May. The first phase of the
project is expected to go into service in May 2017. It will provide
incremental firm capacity from certain receipt points located at
Transco’s Station 85 in Choctaw County, Ala. to a proposed point of
interconnection between Transco and the Sabal Trail pipeline in
Tallapoosa County, Ala. Sabal Trail will acquire by lease 100 percent of
such capacity on a long-term basis.
To be constructed in three phases, the Hillabee Expansion is designed to
add a total of approximately 1.13 million dekatherms per day of pipeline
capacity to the Transco system by May 2021. That’s enough natural gas to
meet the needs of more than 4 million American homes annually.
The expansion involves the construction of approximately 43 miles of
additional pipe segments (called loops) in Alabama, a new compressor
facility in Choctaw County, Ala., as well as modifications to other
existing compressor stations and valve sites. The Hillabee Expansion
project is included in Williams Partners 2016 growth capital funding
plan announced on January 25.
“We’re excited to move forward as planned with this critical piece of
infrastructure to help meet long-term natural gas needs in Florida,”
said Rory Miller, senior vice president of Williams Partners’
Atlantic-Gulf operating area. “The Hillabee expansion is among several
fully contracted interstate pipeline projects Williams Partners is
executing on to connect North America’s abundant natural gas supplies to
demand growth from the local distribution, electric power generation,
industrial and LNG export businesses.”
Transco, a wholly owned subsidiary of Williams Partners, is the nation's
largest and fastest-growing interstate natural gas transmission pipeline
system. It delivers natural gas to customers through its 10,200-mile
pipeline network whose mainline extends nearly 1,800 miles between South
Texas and New York City. The system is a major provider of
cost-effective natural gas services that reach U.S. markets in 12
Southeast and Atlantic Seaboard states, including major metropolitan
areas in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
About Williams Partners
Williams Partners (NYSE: WPZ) is an industry-leading, large-cap natural
gas infrastructure master limited partnership with a strong growth
outlook and major positions in key U.S. supply basins and also in
Canada. Williams Partners has operations across the natural gas value
chain from gathering, processing and interstate transportation of
natural gas and natural gas liquids to petchem production of ethylene,
propylene and other olefins. Williams Partners owns and operates more
than 33,000 miles of pipelines system wide – including the nation’s
largest volume and fastest growing pipeline – providing natural gas for
clean-power generation, heating and industrial use. Williams Partners’
operations touch approximately 30 percent of U.S. natural gas. Tulsa,
Okla.-based Williams (NYSE: WMB), a premier provider of large-scale
North American natural gas infrastructure, owns 60 percent of Williams
Partners, including all of the 2 percent general-partner interest. www.williams.com
Portions of this document may constitute “forward-looking statements”
as defined by federal law. Although the partnership believes any such
statements are based on reasonable assumptions, there is no assurance
that actual outcomes will not be materially different. Any such
statements are made in reliance on the “safe harbor” protections
provided under the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995. Additional
information about issues that could lead to material changes in
performance is contained in the partnership’s annual reports filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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