Columbia Pipeline Group

Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation | TC Energy/TransCanada | Transco | Virginia | Williams

Columbia, Williams SE Va. Pipe Projects Get FERC Approval to Build
November 20, 2023November 20, 2023

In August 2022, Columbia Gas Transmission (a subsidiary of TC Energy) filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to build the Virginia Reliability Project (VRP), which includes two new compressor units and the replacement of existing pipeline (see Columbia Files w/FERC to Replace 48 Miles of Pipe in Southeast Va.). VRP will add 100 MMcf/d of incremental capacity on Columbia’s system to service delivery points in southeast Virginia, namely for Virginia Natural Gas. The Columbia project works hand-in-glove with another project by a different company. Williams’ Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line (Transco) asked FERC if it could add new pipeline in an existing right-of-way and one new compressor station (see Transco Pipe Seeks to Build New Compressor Boosting Flows in Va.). The Commonwealth Energy Connector Project, as it is called, will build six miles of new pipeline within Transco’s existing right-of-way in Virginia, expand a meter station, and build a 30,500 hp electric motor-drive compressor. Both projects (considered together by FERC) were approved by FERC’s commissioners in an order issued last Thursday.
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Berkeley County | Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Maryland | Pipelines | TC Energy/TransCanada | West Virginia

Maryland Loses Fight to Block Tiny Pipe Under Potomac River
October 13, 2023October 13, 2023

We finally have some good news to share concerning Columbia Gas’ project to build a tiny 3.37-mile, 8-inch pipeline under the Potomac River from Maryland to West Virginia. The project, called the Eastern Panhandle Expansion, has been blocked repeatedly by leftwing wackos in Maryland (see Fed Judge Upholds Maryland Decision to Block Pipe Under Potomac). Maryland used the same flawed legal argument that New Jersey used to block the PennEast Pipeline — that eminent domain can’t be used against land owned or controlled by a state. PennEast won its case against NJ in the U.S. Supreme Court in 2021 (see PennEast Pipeline Squeaks Out 5-4 Supreme Court Victory Over NJ). The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (4th Circuit) ruled on Wednesday, using the PennEast case as precedent, that Maryland could not claim immunity from eminent domain.
Read More “Maryland Loses Fight to Block Tiny Pipe Under Potomac River”
Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Pipelines | TC Energy/TransCanada

TC Energy Completes Sale of 40% Interest in Columbia Pipe to GIP
October 5, 2023October 5, 2023

TransCanada Corporation, which renamed itself TC Energy in 2019, bought out/merged in U.S.-based Columbia Pipeline Group (now Columbia Gas Transmission) in 2016 (see TransCanada and Columbia Pipeline Tie the Knot Today). TransCanada paid $13 billion for Columbia, including the assumption of $2.8 billion of debt. In July, TC Energy announced it was selling a 40% stake in Columbia for US$3.9 billion (C$5.2 billion) to investment firm Global Infrastructure Partners (see TC Energy Sells 40% Interest in Columbia Pipeline to Investor GIP). TC will retain majority ownership and operate the Columbia assets, which include 11,899 miles of pipeline extending from New York state to the Midwest and Southeast, along with dozens of storage fields in multiple states. As of yesterday, the deal is done and TC has a new partner.
Read More “TC Energy Completes Sale of 40% Interest in Columbia Pipe to GIP”
Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide VA | TC Energy/TransCanada | Transco | Virginia | Williams

Columbia, Williams SE Va. Pipeline Projects Get FERC Favorable EIS
September 26, 2023September 26, 2023

Map showing the existing Columbia system and the sections being upgraded or replaced as part of VRP (click for larger version)

In August 2022, Columbia Gas Transmission (a subsidiary of TC Energy) filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to build the Virginia Reliability Project (VRP), which includes two new compressor units and the replacement of existing pipeline (see Columbia Files w/FERC to Replace 48 Miles of Pipe in Southeast Va.). VRP will add 100 MMcf/d of incremental capacity on Columbia’s system to service delivery points in southeast Virginia, namely for Virginia Natural Gas. The Columbia project works hand-in-glove with another project by a different company. Williams’ Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line (Transco) asked FERC if it could add new pipeline in an existing right-of-way and one new compressor station (see Transco Pipe Seeks to Build New Compressor Boosting Flows in Va.). The Commonwealth Energy Connector Project, as it is called, will build six miles of new pipeline within Transco’s existing right-of-way in Virginia, expand a meter station, and build a 30,500 hp electric motor-drive compressor. Both projects (considered together by FERC) recently received a favorable final environmental impact statement (EIS).
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Statewide VA | TC Energy/TransCanada | Virginia

Lefties Say Columbia Virginia Reliability Pipe Project is Racist
September 13, 2023September 13, 2023

In August 2022, Columbia Gas Transmission (a subsidiary of TC Energy) filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to build the Virginia Reliability Project (VRP), which includes two new compressor units and the replacement of existing pipeline (see Columbia Files w/FERC to Replace 48 Miles of Pipe in Southeast Va.). VRP will add 100 MMcf/d of incremental capacity on Columbia’s system to service delivery points in southeast Virginia, namely Virginia Natural Gas. In April of this year, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a draft Environmental Impact State (dEIS) that finds the project won’t hurt Mom Nature (see Columbia Virginia Reliability Pipe Project Gets Favorable dEIS). Like mind-numbed robots, the radical left continues to spout nonsense that VRP is racist.
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CNG/LNG | Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Maryland | TC Energy/TransCanada

Columbia Pipe Explosion in Va. Reduces Flows to Cove Point LNG 50%
July 27, 2023July 27, 2023

click for larger version

Tuesday morning, a portion of the Columbia Gas Transmission pipeline in rural western Virginia exploded and caught fire (see Columbia Gas Pipeline Near Interstate 81 in Va. Explodes, Big Fire). Fortunately, the blast did not hurt nearby residents, nor were there any injuries among first responders who helped extinguish the fire. However, Columbia shut down flows in that region, including reducing flows to Columbia Gas’ Loudoun LNG interconnect to zero. That outage has affected gas heading to the Maryland coast and the Cove Point LNG export facility.
Read More “Columbia Pipe Explosion in Va. Reduces Flows to Cove Point LNG 50%”
Accidents | Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | TC Energy/TransCanada | Virginia

Columbia Gas Pipeline Near Interstate 81 in Va. Explodes, Big Fire
July 26, 2023July 26, 2023

click for larger version

Talk about bad luck. On Monday, TC Energy announced it had sold a 40% stake in its Columbia Gas Transmission pipeline subsidiary to Global Infrastructure Partners for $3.9 billion (see TC Energy Sells 40% Interest in Columbia Pipeline to Investor GIP). Yesterday, a portion of the Columbia Gas Transmission pipeline in rural western Virginia–in Shenandoah County near Interstate 81–exploded and caught fire. Fortunately, the blast did not hurt nearby residents, nor were there any injuries among first responders who helped extinguish the fire.
Read More “Columbia Gas Pipeline Near Interstate 81 in Va. Explodes, Big Fire”
Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | TC Energy/TransCanada

Stock Market Doesn’t Like TC Energy’s 40% Sale of Columbia Pipe
July 26, 2023July 26, 2023

Columbia Gas Transmission pipeline is in the news–all over the place. Yesterday we told you about TC Energy’s plan to sell a 40% stake in the Columbia Pipeline (owned by TC) to Global Infrastructure Partners for $3.9 billion (see TC Energy Sells 40% Interest in Columbia Pipeline to Investor GIP). Today’s lead story on MDN is about an explosion along the Columbia Pipeline in Virginia (see Columbia Gas Pipeline Near Interstate 81 in Va. Explodes, Big Fire). This post is about investors who are unhappy with TC Energy.
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Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Pipelines | TC Energy/TransCanada

TC Energy Sells 40% Interest in Columbia Pipeline to Investor GIP
July 25, 2023July 25, 2023

TransCanada Corporation, which renamed itself TC Energy in 2019, bought out/merged in U.S.-based Columbia Pipeline Group (now Columbia Gas Transmission) in 2016 (see TransCanada and Columbia Pipeline Tie the Knot Today). TransCanada paid $13 billion for Columbia, including the assumption of $2.8 billion of debt. Yesterday TC Energy announced it is selling a 40% stake in Columbia for US$3.9 billion (C$5.2 billion) to investment firm Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). TC will retain majority ownership and operate the Columbia assets, which include 11,899 miles of pipeline extending from New York state to the Midwest and Southeast, along with dozens of storage fields in multiple states.
Read More “TC Energy Sells 40% Interest in Columbia Pipeline to Investor GIP”
Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | M&A | TC Energy/TransCanada

Court: Columbia Pipe Shareholders Shafted in Sale, TC Energy Liable
July 3, 2023July 3, 2023

TransCanada Corporation, which renamed itself TC Energy in 2019, made a play for and bought out/merged in U.S.-based Columbia Pipeline Group in 2016 (see TransCanada and Columbia Pipeline Tie the Knot Today). TransCanada paid $13 billion for Columbia, including the assumption of $2.8 billion of debt. TransCanada paid Columbia shareholders $25.50 per share in cash. However, some Columbia shareholders were not happy with the price paid and said the deal was all hush-hush until it was simply popped on everyone at the last minute. Nobody else had a chance to bid up the price, and the price did not reflect the company’s true value, according to the disgruntled shareholders. So they sued. And on Friday, they won.
Read More “Court: Columbia Pipe Shareholders Shafted in Sale, TC Energy Liable”
Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Medina County | Ohio | Pipelines

Columbia Gas Building New Gas Feeder Pipe in Cleveland, OH Suburb
May 9, 2023May 9, 2023

Hinckley Township (Medina County), Ohio

We don’t have many details, but we’ll share what we know about a new natural gas pipeline project in Hinckley Township, Ohio (Medina County, a suburb of Cleveland). Columbia Gas of Ohio announced it will build a new (short) main line to replace a pipeline that connects to a current supplier that is going away. Columbia has some 2,400 customers in the area that are at risk of not having natural gas for the 2023-2024 heating season unless action is taken now to replace the supplier that is disappearing.
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Accidents | Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | TC Energy/TransCanada

Fire at Miss. Compressor Station Reduces M-U Flows to Gulf Coast
May 1, 2023May 1, 2023

click for larger version

It’s interesting that a single point of failure, one compressor station, can impact an entire region. Last Friday morning around 1 am, storms moved through Alcorn County, Mississippi. Lightning struck a “vertical gas pipe” at the Columbia Gulf Transmission Corinth natural gas compressor station, releasing and igniting natural gas. One local news station characterized it as a “massive gas fire” that “prompted county-wide response.” The fire burned for over four hours until firefighters could put it out. Some 2.2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of Marcellus/Utica molecules flow through that compressor station on their way to the Gulf Coast.
Read More “Fire at Miss. Compressor Station Reduces M-U Flows to Gulf Coast”
Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation | Virginia

Columbia Files w/FERC to Replace 48 Miles of Pipe in Southeast Va.
November 3, 2022November 3, 2022

Last December, Columbia Gas Transmission pre-filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to build the Virginia Reliability Project that will add 100 MMcf/d of incremental capacity on Columbia’s system to serve delivery points in southeast Virginia, namely Virginia Natural Gas (see Columbia Seeks to Replace 48 Miles of Pipe in Southeast Va.). Columbia’s project includes two new compressor units and will replace 48 miles of existing pipeline. Just coming to light (for us) now is that Columbia made a full, official filing for the project with FERC on August 24th.
Read More “Columbia Files w/FERC to Replace 48 Miles of Pipe in Southeast Va.”
Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation | TC Energy/TransCanada

FERC Extends Deadline for La. XPress Compressor Construction
July 27, 2022July 27, 2022

In October 2020, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finally, after months of dithering, approved TC Energy to begin construction on its Louisiana XPress project to beef up flows along the existing Columbia pipeline system by an additional 850 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) by adding three new compressor stations and expanding a fourth compressor in Louisiana (see FERC Finally Approves Louisiana XPress Compressor Construction). The work was supposed to be done and dusted no later than Sept. 17th of this year. FERC just granted TC/Columbia an extra three months to get it done.
Read More “FERC Extends Deadline for La. XPress Compressor Construction”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Maryland | Pipelines | Statewide MD | Statewide WV | TC Energy/TransCanada | West Virginia

WV Legislators Look for Solution to Maryland Blocking Potomac Pipe
June 16, 2022June 16, 2022

Columbia Gas, a subsidiary of Canada-based TC Energy (formerly TransCanada), wants to build a tiny 3.37-mile, 8-inch pipeline under the Potomac River from Maryland to West Virginia. The Eastern Panhandle Expansion, as it is called, is being blocked by the lefties in Maryland (see Fed Judge Upholds Maryland Decision to Block Pipe Under Potomac). West Virginia House of Delegates members recently debated what could be done to overcome Maryland’s illegal blockade of the pipeline.
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation | TC Energy/TransCanada | Transco | Williams

Biden EPA Bashes Two Southeast Virginia Pipeline Projects at FERC
April 4, 2022April 4, 2022

In July 2020 Dominion Energy announced it was canceling the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP)–a 600-mile Marcellus/Utica pipeline project from West Virginia through Virginia and into North Carolina (see Dominion Cancels Atlantic Coast Pipe, Sells Pipe Biz for $9.7B). Two very small and separate pipeline upgrade projects in southeast Virginia proposed in December 2021 would substitute, at least to some degree, for the absent gas volumes from ACP. However, the Biden EPA is bashing both projects based on irrational global warming fears. Another attack of the Bidenistas against the oil and gas industry.
Read More “Biden EPA Bashes Two Southeast Virginia Pipeline Projects at FERC”