Spire STL Pipeline route – click for larger version
In February 2016, MDN told you about an exciting new market for Marcellus and Utica Shale gas that may open up one day in the Midwest (see New Midwest Pipeline to Tap REX’s Marcellus/Utica Gas). Laclede Group, a St. Louis-based natural gas utility, said they want to build a ~65-mile pipeline from St. Louis through southwest Illinois and connect to the Rockies Express (REX) and Panhandle Eastern Pipeline. The new pipeline would bring low-cost Marcellus and Utica Shale gas from REX to the utility–not only for resale to gas customers, but also potentially for new natgas-powered electric plants planned to replace retiring coal-fired plants. A year later (February 2017) Laclede was renamed Spire and the Spire STL Pipeline filed an official application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to build the 24-inch diameter pipe that would flow 400 million cubic feet (MMcf) per day of yummy Marcellus/Utica gas from REX to St. Louis (see Spire Files Plan with FERC to Flow Marcellus/Utica Gas to St. Louis). The original timeline showed Spire thought FERC would approve the project in December 2017. Never happened. Then Spire said FERC approval should come along in “early 2018” (see Spire Expects Early 2018 FERC Approval for M-U Gas to St. Louis Pipe). That never happened either. Finally, last Friday, before FERC Commissioner Rob Powelson slips out the door in another week or so to leave behind him a hopelessly deadlocked 2-2 FERC (thanks Rob), the agency finally issued a full, final approval for the Spire STL project. The new “in-service” date has been recalculated to be “late 2019″…
