Underground Infrastructure - November 2023 - 15

U.S. Midstream
which filed for state regulatory approval
in February, takes a different approach.
Although
Blackfin
would
originate
at the eastern edge of the Eagle Ford
shale, it would primarily serve as an
extension of the 580-mile Matterhorn
Express Pipeline that was sanctioned in
May 2022 by a joint venture of WhiteWater,
EnLink Midstream, Devon Energy
and MPLX.
The greenfield Matterhorn Express
is scheduled to be in service in the
third quarter of 2024 and will provide
2-2.5 Bcf/d of Permian takeaway capacity
to the Katy area west of Houston.
Blackfin would link with Matterhorn to
help debottleneck the Katy area and,
like Apex, deliver volumes east to the
Texas-Louisiana border area.
" These Permian projects are getting
pipe closer to the actual LNG liquefaction
projects rather than some of these
other pipes that we've seen historically -
Gulf Coast Express, Permian Highway,
DECADES OF
EXPERIENCE...
Pipeline Construction
Maintenance Services
Facilities Construction
Whistler, for example - that get you
nearby, but you still need additional
pipes or an existing pipe network to get
you into that LNG facility, " Kim said.
" So, there is a trend right now toward
developing connectivity projects
such as Whitewater Midstream's
Blackfin project, as well as Targa's Apex
Pipeline, which would be delivering
from essentially the Midland Basin all
the way directly into that Port Arthur
area, " he said. " These Permian pipes are
similar to the Haynesville pipes, which
are north-to-south pipes that are directly
connecting into the LNG demand
centers. Now, the Permian pipes taking
a similar approach. "
The two other natural gas capacity
expansions out of the Permian are being
accomplished via compressor expansions,
which can increase capacity
quickly, but at a higher operating cost,
because squeezing out that extra deliverability
with higher compression requires
more fuel. Since fuel rates are based off a
percentage of product prices, the downturn
in natural gas prices since last year's
highs will bring some cost benefit.
WhiteWater
announced
in
May
2022 that it would expand the Whistler
Pipeline's mainline capacity through the
installation of three new compressor stations.
The new compressor stations will
increase the pipeline's mainline capacity
by 500,000 MMcf/d, to 2.5 Bcf/d from
2 Bcf/d). The expansion is scheduled to
be in service in September 2023. The
Whistler Pipeline is owned by a consortium
including MPLX, WhiteWater and
a joint venture between Stonepeak and
West Texas Gas Inc.
Kinder Morgan's Permian Highway
Pipeline (PHP) expansion project has
been sanctioned to increase capacity by
550 MMcf/d. The project adds compression
on PHP to increase natural gas deliveries
from the Waha area to multiple
mainline connections and Gulf Coast
Pipeline Construction
Maintenance and Integrity Work
Gas Compressor Stations
Pump Stations
Gas / Oil Separation Facilities
Metering or Mainline Valve Stations
Petrochemical Plant Facilities
Electrical Power Generation Plants
HOUSTON HEADQUARTERS
24275 Katy Freeway
Suite 500
Katy, TX 77494
713.780.7500
ANCHORAGE DIVISION
301 W. Northern Lights Blvd.
Suite 300
Anchorage, AK 99503
907.278.4400
www.pricegregory.com
UndergroundInfrastructure.com | NOVEMBER 2023 15
http://www.pricegregory.com http://www.UndergroundInfrastructure.com
Underground Infrastructure - November 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Underground Infrastructure - November 2023
