The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved the construction of the Mountainer XPress and Gulf XPress gas pipeline projects developed by Canadian energy infrastructure operator TransCanada. The company plans to invest $3.2bn in the projects, which will ship shale gas from the Utica and Marcellus plays to key markets across the United States.
Mountainer XPress is scheduled to deliver 2.6 bcf/d (around 27 bcm/year) to the TCO and Leach pools on the Columbia gas transmission system, while Gulf XPress will ship 0.8 bcf/d (8 bcm/year) to Southeast and Gulf Coast supply markets. Both projects are expected to be commissioned by the end of 2018.
Besides, TransCanada commissioned the 257-km long Leach XPress in January 2018, which will transport around 1.5 bcf/d (42 mcm/d, i.e. more than 15 bcm/year) of gas from the Marcellus and Utica supply basin to higher-value Midwest and Gulf Coast markets.