| | | | | |

Williams Files to Expand Marcellus Pipeline in Broome County, NY

Two years ago the newly completed Laser Northeast Gathering pipeline, a 33-mile pipeline stretching from Susquehanna County, PA across the border into Broome County, NY where it connects to the Millennium Pipeline, was sold by Delphi Midstream Partners to Williams Partners (see Laser Northeast Pipeline Selling to Williams for $750M). There is “new news” to share about the formerly named Laser, now named the “New York Mainline,” courtesy of MDN friend Andy Leahy, writing on his excellent NY Shale Gas Now! blog.

Sifting through a pile of digital paperwork, Andy found that in early December Williams filed a request to expand the Laser/NY Mainline by adding an additional 16″ pipeline loop–right here in the good old Town of Windsor, NY (where MDN is written!). The new pipeline loop will expand the capacity of Marcellus Shale gas flowing out of northeast PA and into the Millennium pipeline. Here’s Andy’s report…
Continue reading

| | | | | | | |

More Good News for Windsor, NY Taxpayers from Shale Gas Pipeline

Last October, MDN told you about the Town of Windsor (where we write from!) in Broome County, NY, along the border of Pennsylvania. Windsor saw a new 9-mile section of natural gas pipeline and a compressor station go online, and the tax revenue from that small project was enough to lower the property and school taxes for everyone in the town. We asked/continue to ask the question–when was the last time you heard about school and property taxes in any NY community going down? Yeah, we’ve never heard of it either.

Well, more good news for those of us fortunate enough to live in the Town of Windsor: A regional gas distribution company is building smaller pipelines locally and by 2014, the local high school, one of the local elementary schools and the town hall will all be hooked up and heating with natural gas. Estimated savings to taxpayers: $350,000 per year. Thank you Marcellus Shale and the miracle of hydraulic fracturing. And thank you pipelines and compressor plants…
Continue reading

| | | | | | | |

Laser Northeast Pipeline Selling to Williams for $750M

Laser Northeast Gathering, a 33-mile natural gas pipeline that cost $55 million to build and stretches from the very active Marcellus Shale drilling area of Susquehanna County (in northeastern PA) to Broome County (in New York’s Southern Tier), connecting to the interstate Millennium Pipeline, announced yesterday the company is selling itself to Williams Partners for $750 million. The deal covers Laser’s contracts to expand the pipeline and commitments from customers already signed on. When the project is fully completed it will have 75 miles of pipeline. Laser is a subsidiary of Delphi Midstream Partners.

Continue reading

| | | | |

PA Pipeline Allowed to Withdraw Public Utility Application

Laser Northeast Gathering is a 30-mile, $55 million pipeline being built from Susquehanna County, PA to across the border in Broome County, NY. When complete, the pipeline will connect wells in Susquehanna County with the Millennium Pipeline which runs through Broome County. As MDN previously reported, Laser  Northeast had filed for public utility status and then eventually withdrew that application when the need for eminent domain was no longer necessary.

The final chapter in that story is now written. The PA Public Utility Commission (PUC) on Thursday voted to officially allow Laser Northeast to withdraw the application they had once submitted.

Continue reading

| | | | | | |

Laser Pipeline Withdraws Request to Become PA Public Utility

In a split 3-2 decision in May of this year, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) voted to confer public utility status on Laser Northeast Gathering, a 30-mile, $55 million pipeline that stretches from Susquehanna County, PA to Broome County, NY (see MDN story here). When complete, the pipeline will connect wells in Susquehanna County with the Millennium Pipeline in Broome County. The Millennium is an interstate pipeline that transports gas from Steuben County in western NY to Rockland County, near New York City, hooking in with several other large interstate pipelines along the way. Laser sought public utility status so it would have the power of eminent domain—the power to run the pipeline under property even if landowners object. At the time, MDN objected.

Continue reading

| | | | | |

Three Mud Spills in PA Creek from Laser Pipeline Construction

Laser Northeast Gathering recently broke ground is quickly working to complete a new 30-mile shale gas pipeline, called the Susquehanna Gathering System, that spans much of Susquehanna County in northeastern Pennsylvania and crosses the southeast corner of Broome County in New York State where the pipeline will connect to the larger Millennium interstate pipeline (see this MDN story).

But Laser is having troubles with drilling underneath Laurel Lake Creek, a waterway considered to have “exceptional value” by the PA Department of Environmental Protection. In the span of just a few weeks, drilling under the creek resulted in three separate incidents of non-toxic drilling mud being spilled into the creek, the latest incident occurring on Monday.

Continue reading

| | | | |

New Shale Gas Pipeline Breaks Ground in Broome County, NY

The new Susquehanna Gathering System natural gas pipeline broke ground on Wednesday in Broome County, NY. The first phase of the pipeline is expected to be done in the next few months and will bring shale gas from northeastern PA to the Millennium Pipeline that cuts across New York State. From the official Laser Northeast press release:

Continue reading

| | | | |

PA Public Utility Commission Grants Utility Status to Pipeline Company Giving it Eminent Domain Powers

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) has voted to grant Laser Northeast Gathering, a natural gas pipeline company, status as a public utility. The decision will grant Laser the power to condemn private property by eminent domain. That is, Laser will have the power to run pipelines under people’s property even if they don’t want it.

Continue reading

| | | | | | | |

PA Marcellus Gas Coming to Broome County, NY via New Gathering Pipeline

Laser NY-PA Gathering LineThe Town of Windsor, located in Broome County, NY is about to get a new natural gas pipeline built that will connect gas wells across the border in PA (where drilling is happening) to the Millennium Pipeline which runs through Broome County. Yesterday the New York Public Service Commission (PSC) gave the green light for construction to begin*. The pipeline, being built by Laser Northeast Gathering Company, will be about 9.8 miles long on the New York side of the border, out of a total 33 miles.
Continue reading