Columbia Pipeline Group

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FERC Approves Columbia East Side Project in SE PA
December 22, 2014December 22, 2014

In March 2013, Columbia Gas Transmission, a subsidiary of Nisource, applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to add then-16 miles (now 19 miles) of new pipeline in southeastern PA and NJ to help fire a natural gas-fired electricity generating plant with cheap Marcellus Shale gas (see Columbia’s SE PA Pipeline Project Includes Compressor Upgrade). The project, called the East Side Expansion, faced some stiff opposition–especially with upgrades to a compressor station in Forks Township, Northampton County (see Columbia Hits Resistance to Compressor Upgrade in SE PA). Last Friday, Columbia announced FERC has approved the project and construction will now begin…
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Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | NiSource

Who Gets the Kids in NiSource/Columbia Gas Divorce?
December 3, 2014December 3, 2014

At the end of September MDN brought you the news that NiSource, owner of Columbia Gas, will be spinning Columbia off into its own company in 2015 (see NiSource Splits in Two: Columbia Pipeline Will be Separate Company). NiSource the utility will remain focused on being a utility, and Columbia Gas will be spun off into it’s own company called Columbia Pipeline Group (CPG) under a master limited partnership (MLP) structure. It’s an amicable divorce. But you know, when people get divorced, they have to split everything–including the kids. Who gets the kids? NiSource and Columbia issued an announcement today detailing which executives will stay with NiSource, and which will go with Columbia–along with a list of who will sit on which board of directors…
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Columbia Pipeline Group | Columbiana County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Hilcorp Energy | NiSource | Ohio | Utica Shale

Hilcorp Begins Drilling the Brinker Field in Columbiana County, OH
November 25, 2014November 25, 2014

Funny how old stories become new again. Back in September 2012 MDN first told you about the Brinker Storage Field, a 35,000-acre area in Columbiana County, OH used by Columbia Gas to store natural gas supplies in the Berea Sandstone formation. They’ve been storing gas in it for more than 50 years. The problem that we highlighted back in 2012 is that landowners, who signed leases to allow that storage, were going to get shafted out of royalties for leases Columbia had signed with Hilcorp to drill Utica Shale wells under the Brinker area (see Columbia Gas & Hilcorp Meet with Landowners in Brinker Field). A few months after a meeting with Columbia and Hilcorp reps, many landowners signed revised leases that cut them in on the action–with a 15% royalty (see Some Brinker Field (OH) Leases Revised, Others in Lawsuit). However, some landowners sued. It appears they lost since Hilcorp has filed for permits to begin active drilling in the Brinker. The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) has already approved 6 of 25 permit applications from Hilcorp, and we expect the others will also be approved…
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Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | NiSource | Northampton County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines

Columbia Hits Resistance to Compressor Upgrade in SE PA
November 11, 2014November 11, 2014

A year and a half ago MDN told you that Columbia Gas, a subsidiary of NiSource, was planning to upgrade a compressor station in Forks Township (Northampton County), PA (see Columbia’s SE PA Pipeline Project Includes Compressor Upgrade). The upgrade is part of Columbia’s East Side Expansion project, a project that includes 16 miles of new pipelines to carry cheap Marcellus Shale gas to a natural gas-powered electric generating plant (and other customers) across the border in New Jersey. Last year we reported that the neighbors of the project were just fine with the upgrade. Today, that’s changed, although how much opposition is yet to be fully determined…
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Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | NiSource

NiSource Splits in Two: Columbia Pipeline Will be Separate Company
September 29, 2014September 29, 2014

NiSource is a very big public utility company (electric & gas) serving 3.8 million customers from the Gulf Coast through the Midwest to New England. Headquartered in Indiana, NiSource is also the parent of Columbia Gas, which owns extensive pipelines and recently announced they would build another two new pipelines in the Marcellus region (see Columbia Gas: $1.75B for 2 Projects to Send Marcellus Gas to Gulf). NiSource has decided and in an unusual move announced yesterday (Sunday) that they are splitting the company in two. NiSource the utility will remain focused on being a utility, and Columbia Gas will be spun off into it’s own company called Columbia Pipeline Group (CPG) under a master limited partnership (MLP) structure. MLPs issue “units” instead of shares of stock–although functionally they are about the same thing. Here’s the details from NiSource…
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Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Jackson County | Marshall County | Noble County | Ohio | Pipelines | West Virginia

3 Big Compressors Coming with Columbia’s OH Pipeline Project
September 8, 2014September 8, 2014

Representatives for Columbia Gas Pipeline are making the rounds and talking with officials in various communities where the planned expansion of their pipeline will happen. Columbia, as MDN previously reported, is spending $1.75 billion on two pipeline projects that will help move Marcellus Shale gas to the Gulf Coast (see Columbia Gas: $1.75B for 2 Projects to Send Marcellus Gas to Gulf). One of those projects is called the Leach Express–starting in Marshall County, WV and ending up in Leach, KY (hence the name). Along the way three new compressor stations will need to be built, which is the focus of this story…
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Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | NiSource | Ohio | Pipelines | Statewide OH | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Columbia Gas: $1.75B for 2 Projects to Send Marcellus Gas to Gulf
August 13, 2014August 13, 2014

Columbia Pipeline Group, a division of NiSource, announced yesterday they have decided to move forward with investing $1.75 billion dollars for two new projects. The first is a pipeline project that will begin in Marshall County, West Virginia, cross Ohio and end up in Leach, Kentucky. Hence, the new project is called the Leach Xpress. Yes, the marketers at Columbia could of/should of come up with a better name than “leach” for a pipeline, but we’ll just have to live with it (as we sigh and shake our heads). The 160-mile pipeline will pump abundant, cheap Marcellus and Utica Shale gas to various sales points along the pipeline (interconnecting with other pipelines). But perhaps most importantly, it will pump gas to Leach, and that’s the second major project. There is an existing pipeline from Leach all the way to the Louisiana Gulf Coast. That pipeline is called the Rayne, for Rayne, LA. The Rayne Xpress project will beef up the pipeline with new compressor stations to add an additional 1 billion cubic feet per day of capacity–Marcellus and Utica Shale gas capacity that will flow to the Gulf Coast…
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Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | NiSource | Pipelines

NiSource 2Q14: Progress on Marcellus/Utica Midstream Projects
August 4, 2014August 4, 2014

NiSource, a major gas & electric utility company operating in the northeast and southwest (and parent of Columbia Gas and Columbia Pipeline), is in the midst of investing 3/4 of a billion dollars investment in five Marcellus and Utica Shale projects (see NiSource: 5 Marcellus/Utica Projects, $744M Investment). Last week NiSource issued second quarter 2014 results, including an update on some of those projects. Here’s relevant portions of the update touching on the Marcellus/Utica:
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OGA 2: Panel Discussion – Marcellus/Utica Midstream Update
May 21, 2014May 20, 2014
Panel I: Marcellus/Utica Midstream Update – 2014 and Beyond
- Discussing how much infrastructure is actually needed in the Marcellus/Utica region and the current balance between supply and demand?
- Targeting methods for managing pricing variation, overcoming takeaway chokepoints in areas with depressed prices
- Detailing NGL takeaway issues and the cost/benefit analysis for pipeline expansion
- Addressing the impact of ethane crackers on the Marcellus/Utica midstream
- Assessing midstream investment in the northeast, looking ahead to the major projects for 2014
- Offering insight to the challenge of sourcing skilled labor with understanding of the midstream sector, highlighting the impact of the midstream sector on the Northeast labor market
- Comparing the differences/unique requirements between wet gas & dry gas gathering infrastructure
Moderator: Michael L. Krancer, Energy, Petrochemical and Natural Resources Practice Group Leader, Blank Rome LLP
Speakers: Brent Breon, Vice President Business Development, Blue Racer Midstream
Tony Blando, Vice President Marketing, NiSource Midstream Services, Columbia Pipeline Group
Aubrey Harper, Vice President Business Development, IPS Engineering / EPC
Brett Nixon, Director of Business Development, PVR Partners
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Accidents | Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Kanawha County | NiSource | Pipelines | West Virginia

NTSB Faults NiSource/Columbia for WV Pipeline Explosion in 2012
March 12, 2014March 12, 2014

On December 11, 2012, a portion of the Columbia Gas Transmission pipeline (owned by Nisource) exploded near Sissonville, WV, 10 miles north of Charleston. The resulting fire burned for more than an hour and shut down a portion of nearby Interstate 77 for days (see Columbia NatGas Pipeline Explodes Near Charleston, WV). It’s been a long time coming, but on Monday the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), that did a full investigation of the explosion, turned in their final report. It was pretty damning for NiSource/Columbia. The conclusions of the investigators are that a) the pipe had corroded in that section–a long time ago, and b) Columbia hadn’t inspected that section of pipeline since (unbelievably) 1988. In other words, it was an accident waiting to happen.

Below we have the press release from the NTSB with their high level findings, then the full 32-page report released Monday, and finally, the lame response issued by NiSource/Columbia “thanking” the NTSB for just ripping them a new one…
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Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Millennium Pipeline | NiSource | Pennant Midstream

NiSource 3Q13: Income Doubled, Progress on NE Midstream Projects
November 1, 2013November 1, 2013

NiSource, a huge midstream and utility company in the northeast/Midwest and parent of Columbia Gas, released their third quarter operations and financial update yesterday. They report income nearly doubled from a year ago (up 198%), and is on track to invest a massive $2 billion this year in upgrades and expansion projects. NiSource is a major midstream player in the Marcellus/Utica region through NiSource Midstream, Columbia Gas, Millennium Pipeline and Pennant Midstream–together what they consider their Columbia Pipeline Group (CPG).

Here’s relevant portions from yesterday’s update that concern the NiSource’s midstream operations in the Marcellus/Utica region:
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Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | NiSource

NiSource: 5 Marcellus/Utica Projects, $744M Investment
August 5, 2013August 5, 2013

NiSource, a major gas & electric utility company operating in the northeast and southwest (and parent of Columbia Gas and Columbia Pipeline), is increasingly a major midstream–pipeline and processing plant–player in the Marcellus and Utica Shale region.

Here’s a handy roundup of the projects NiSource and its subsidiaries have underway in the Marcellus/Utica, representing roughly 3/4 of a billion dollars of investments:
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Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Hilcorp Energy | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | NiSource | Ohio | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Statewide OH

OH Hickory Bend Pipeline/Plant Makes Excellent Progress
July 17, 2013July 17, 2013

An update on the Pennant Midstream “Hickory Bend” pipeline and cryogenic processing plant being built in eastern Ohio. The local labor union boss says excellent progress is being made as the project now enters its second phase, in spite of distractions from anti-drillers (see Slight Delay for Hickory Bend Processing Plant, Permit Appealed)…
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Allegheny County | Armstrong County | Butler County | Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Indiana County | Industrywide Issues | NiSource | PennEnergy Resources | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Westmoreland County | XTO

NiSource Big Pine Gathering Pipeline Goes Online in SW PA
June 19, 2013June 19, 2013

NiSource and Columbia Pipeline Group announced yesterday their new Big Pine Gathering System is now online and running in PA’s Marcellus Shale. Big Pine is a 57-mile pipeline gathering system serving southwestern PA: Allegheny, Butler, Armstrong, Indiana and Westmoreland counties. NiSource has a long-term contract with XTO Energy to deliver XTO’s natural gas to three different pipeline transmission systems. In addition to XTO, NiSource recently signed PennEnergy Resources as another customer for the new pipeline.

Details from the NiSource press release:
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Centre County | Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Pipelines

Columbia Gas Sues State College, PA for Blocking NatGas Pipeline
June 11, 2013June 11, 2013

Unbelievable. The main campus of Penn State University, located in State College, PA, wants to convert an electrical-generating steam plant from burning coal to burn clean natural gas–and the Borough of State College refuses to let Columbia Gas run a pipeline underneath an uppity neighborhood (appropriately named “the Highlands”) to provide said clean-burning natural gas to Penn State. So Columbia has filed a lawsuit against State College, calling their action just what it is: “arbitrary, capricious, unreasonable and against applicable law …”

The lawsuit, however, is on temporary hold for a month while Columbia and Penn State attempt to see if they can concoct a new pretzel-like route to reach the university, avoiding any uppity neighborhoods…
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Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide PA

Columbia Gas Seeks Approval for 2 PA Marcellus Pipeline Projects
May 16, 2013May 16, 2013

Columbia Gas Transmission submitted applications to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last Friday to get approval for two pipeline upgrade projects to take advantage of the huge production coming from the Marcellus. In the case of one of the projects (Smithfield III Expansion), Columbia wants to reverse the flow of the pipeline and start sending gas from north to south. That includes replacing certain fittings and building a new compressor station in Washington County, PA. The other proposed new project (Line 1570) includes replacing 18.5 miles of pipeline in southwest PA and upgrading an existing compressor station.
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