Williams and Boardwalk Move Forward with Bluegrass Pipeline Concept Designed to Move Gas Liquids to the Gulf Primarily

摘要

On March 6 Williams and Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP said they executed a letter of intent to form a joint venture that would develop a pipeline project to transport natural gas liquids (NGLs) from the infrastructure-constrained Marcellus and Utica shale plays in the northeastern U.S. to the expanding petrochemical and export complex on the U.S. Gulf Coast, as well as the developing petrochemical market near the producing areas. Their proposed “Bluegrass Pipeline” is designed to permit 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) of mixed NGLs take-away capacity in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The proposed pipeline could be increased to 400,000 bpd to meet market demand, primarily by adding additional liquids pumping capacity. It would deliver mixed NGLs from these producing areas to proposed new fractionation and storage facilities, which would have connectivity to petrochemical facilities and product pipelines along the coasts of Louisiana and Texas.