Dominion Resources Plans Gas Pipeline from WV to North Carolina

Dominion exploring construction of gas pipeline from WV to NC

From an Article by Peter Bacque, Richmond Times-Dispatch, May 27, 2014

RICHMOND — Dominion Resources Inc. is considering building an approximately 450-mile-long natural gas transmission pipeline from West Virginia through Virginia to southern North Carolina that would go into service by the end of 2018.

The new pipeline, called the Dominion Southeast Reliability Project, would extend from the natural-gas rich Marcellus and Utica shale production regions in the Appalachians to markets in Virginia and North Carolina.

Such a pipeline could cost as much as $2 billion to build, based on current construction prices for large U.S. gas pipelines.

As envisaged, the pipeline would run along a corridor from an interconnection with a Dominion Transmission pipeline in Harrison County, W.Va., through Virginia to Greensville County and on to Lumberton, N.C.

The proposal features a 70-mile spur line in Greensville County to Hampton Roads, and a short connection to the 1,358-megawatt, natural-gas fueled Brunswick Power Station near Lawrenceville in Brunswick County. In North Carolina, spurs would run to the Raleigh and Fayetteville areas.

Dominion Transmission Inc., the Dominion Resources’ interstate gas transmission and storage subsidiary, anticipates building the pipeline during 2017-18 and putting it into service as early as the end of 2018.

Pipeline companies seeking to construct natural gas pipeline facilities must obtain approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Dominion Transmission issued what’s termed a non-binding open-season notice for the project April 16.

Dominion Transmission stores and transports large quantities of natural gas for major customers, such as utilities and power plants. Dominion Transmission also is a producer and supplier of natural gas liquids at facilities in West Virginia and Maryland.

Environmentalists are concerned about the proposal’s impacts.

“This cannot happen without long-term damage to the ecologic and hydrologic integrity of the Allegheny Highlands, among the best and least altered natural landscapes in the eastern U.S.,” said Rick Webb, a senior scientist with the University of Virginia’s Department of Environmental Science, “and it will add to the factors that are driving environmentally irresponsible gas drilling practices.”

Tagged as: Dominion Resources, drilling, fracking, marcellus shale, natural gas, NC, pipelines, transmission, VA, wv