A slight tweak and correction to a story we ran last week in which we speculated that the first four mini-trains at Kinder Morgan’s Elba Island LNG export facility are now up and running (see KM’s Elba Island LNG Makes Rapid Progress, Units 1-4 Now Online). We told you we could not find evidence in the FERC dockets that Unit #2 was in fact up and running, but we assumed it was. It was not. On Monday KM asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for permission to start up Unit #2, saying it would be ready to rock-n-roll beginning tomorrow, Jan. 16. Our timing was just a tad off.
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Category: Kinder Morgan
KM’s Elba Island LNG Makes Rapid Progress, Units 1-4 Now Online
MDN previously reported in mid-December the very first load of Marcellus molecules liquefied at the Elba Island, Georgia LNG export facility was loaded onto a ship and headed to Pakistan (see Elba Island Finally Exported First Marcellus LNG Cargo on Friday). Elba Island is a series of 10 small liquefaction units, and December’s cargo was from one (maybe two) of those units. What’s happened since that time?
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FERC Approves Tennessee Gas Pipe Expansion to Springfield, Mass.
Among a flurry of new approvals, last Thursday the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) gave final approval to Tennessee Gas Pipeline’s “261 Upgrade” project–a project to build approximately 2.1 miles of 12-inch diameter pipeline loop and replace two older, less efficient compressor units with a single new and more efficient compressor unit at the location of Compressor Station 261 in Agawam, Massachusetts.
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Elba Island Finally Exported First Marcellus LNG Cargo on Friday
Last week MDN reported LNG tanker Maran Gas Lindos had docked and was thought to be loading what will be the very first shipment of Marcellus molecules to be exported from the Elba Island, Georgia LNG export facility (see Elba Island Exporting First Marcellus LNG Cargo This Week – Maybe). Although the Elba Island facility is six months or more behind schedule in going online, we’re happy (exhausted, actually) to report that the Maran Gas Lindos left dock Friday evening and is heading to Pakistan with the very first Marcellus LNG shipment.
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Elba Island Exporting First Marcellus LNG Cargo This Week – Maybe
On Oct. 1 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) granted permission to Kinder Morgan to finally begin full export operations for Train #1 at the Elba Island, Georgia LNG (liquefied natural gas) export facility (see FERC OKs Kinder Morgan Elba Island LNG Train #1 to Begin Service). It’s taken over two months, but the very first LNG carrier that will export Marcellus/Utica molecules from the facility is docked and (maybe) loading.
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South Korea Buys 50% Stake in M-U’s UTOPIA Ethane Pipeline
In January 2016, Kinder Morgan committed to building the UTOPIA (Utica To Ontario Pipeline Access) pipeline, a 12-inch ethane pipeline that would run 286 miles across the state of Ohio where it would connect with another pipeline to flow Marcellus/Utica ethane all the way to a cracker plant in Canada (see Kinder Morgan Ready to Move Forward with UTOPIA East Pipeline). In January 2018 UTOPIA went online (see UTOPIA has Arrived! KM OH Pipe Flowing Ethane to Canadian Cracker). Kinder’s 50% joint venture partner in UTOPIA, Riverstone Holdings, announced yesterday it has sold its interest to a consortium of South Korean companies.
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Kinder Morgan: Startup of Elba Island LNG Units 2 & 3 “Underway”
Last Wednesday MDN told you that the first “train” or unit of Kinder Morgan’s Elba Island, Georgia LNG export facility is now up and running (see FERC OKs Kinder Morgan Elba Island LNG Train #1 to Begin Service). On Friday, KM confirmed what we already knew–that unit #1 is now operational. But they went further with an important update on the rest of the units (ten in all).
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FERC OKs Kinder Morgan Elba Island LNG Train #1 to Begin Service
Hallelujah! On Monday the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) granted permission to Kinder Morgan to *finally* begin full export operations for Train #1 at the Elba Island, Georgia LNG (liquefied natural gas) export facility. It has been a loooooong time coming. FERC first approved KM’s request to build the facility back in 2016 (see KM’s Elba Island LNG Export Plant Approved by FERC). Since that time there have been a number of “we’re almost ready to start” string of broken promises. FERC has just authorized the first of 10 trains at Elba Island. The other trains should now come online in fairly rapid succession.
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KM Evacuates Elba Island LNG Ahead of Dorian, More Delays
Disappointingly, Kinder Morgan’s Elba Island LNG export facility is still not up and running. According to “frustrated” KM CEO Steve Kean, “We were making very good progress on Elba, and then Hurricane Dorian happened.” Sure, blame it on the hurricane. KM wisely evacuated personnel working on the Elba project to avoid Dorian–we have no issue with that. But let’s be honest, this project is WAY behind schedule, originally supposed to be online last year. And it’s one of the smaller LNG projects!
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KM’s Elba Island Train #1 Now Producing LNG for Export?
Kinder Morgan, the largest pipeline company in the U.S., has left a string of broken promises about the date for which the first Elba Island LNG export plant “mini-train” would begin producing and shipping LNG. We’ve chronicled the journey extensively. According to an official update from KM in July, Elba was “in advanced stages of the commissioning and start up process, including LNG production” (see KM Says Elba Island in “Advanced Stage” of Commissioning/Startup). Very quietly, on Friday, Aug. 9, KM sought permission from FERC to begin operations on the first mini-train, asking to start no later than Friday, Aug. 16. Did it happen?
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Landowner Wins Fed Case to Get More $ from Pipeline Using PA Law
A landowner in Pike County, PA called King Arthur Estates LP, challenged Kinder Morgan’s Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP) over the amount of money they should receive to have a pipeline cross its land–and has won the right to use PA’s more generous laws on compensation rather than the federal government’s more stingy laws on “just” compensation. The decision sets a precedent for all PA landowners.
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KM Says Elba Island in “Advanced Stage” of Commissioning/Startup
Kinder Morgan (KM), perhaps the largest pipeline company in the United States, was first out of the chute yesterday with a financial and operational update for the second quarter. While KM maintains a number of pipelines in the northeast, primarily the Tennessee Gas Pipeline, our main focus in reviewing yesterday’s update is for new information about the long-delayed Elba Island LNG export facility along the coast of Georgia. Elba Island will export Marcellus/Utica molecules.
We updated this post on 7/19/19 with new information.
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Rhode Island Indians Take FERC to Court re Massachusetts Pipeline
In March 2016, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved Tennessee Gas Pipeline’s (TGP) Connecticut Expansion project (see FERC Approves TGP Connecticut Expansion Pipeline Project). The project involves building 13.42 miles of new pipeline loops in three states: Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York. When completed, the new looping will serve an additional 72,100 dekatherms of (mostly) Marcellus Shale gas to three utility companies in Connecticut.
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Elba Island LNG Export Terminal Startup Delayed…Again
Something is not going well at Elba Island in Georgia. Kinder Morgan has left a string of broken promises about the date for which the first Elba Island LNG export plant “mini-train” will begin producing and shipping LNG. We’ve chronicled the journey extensively.
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Court Gives Antis Hope re Forcing FERC to Consider Global Warming
Ever notice how leftists force their will on the American people via leftist judges–because they can’t win at the ballot box? It’s frustrating that we elected President Trump to do a job, and his administration is doing their darnedest, and at every turn there’s a lib Dem judge waiting to make life miserable. Such is the case with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, which just rendered a decision (by three Dem-appointed leftist judges) in an Appalachian pipeline lawsuit that is actually a win for the pipeline–but also a warning shot that the lib Dem judges want the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to bow to their demands that FERC consider mythical man-made global warming when evaluating future pipeline projects.
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Con Ed Deal May End Westchester, NY Gas Moratorium…in 2023
Good news for residents and politicians in Westchester County, NY! (Yes, we’re being facetious.) Consolidated Edison, the local electric and gas utility for parts of New York City and its suburbs, says they’ve cut a deal with Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP) to get more gas supplies flowing to Westchester County (northern suburb of NYC) and they will potentially lift their moratorium on new natgas customer hookups…four years from now in 2023.
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