Northern Natural Gas Seeks FERC Approval for Permian Basin Pipeline Expansion
According to Oklahoma Energy Today, Northern Natural Gas Company has filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) seeking authorization for its Permian Basin Expansion Project — a pipeline construction package in New Mexico and Texas that will serve a new power generation facility.
Northern Natural Gas, a major interstate pipeline and storage operator and subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, is proposing to install 15.1 miles of 24-inch diameter and 1.1 miles of 16-inch diameter new pipelines in Lea County, New Mexico and Gaines County, Texas. The project also includes constructing a new compressor station, building an interconnect with Transwestern Pipeline Company at the Phillip 66 Linam Ranch Plant, installing a receiver at Northern’s existing launcher facility, and establishing a delivery point at the Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS) Gaines County Generating Station.
The project will provide peak day firm transportation service of approximately 361,600 dekatherms per day to the new SPS generation facility, while improving reliability and system flexibility across Northern’s existing network.
The proposed Hobbs Compressor Station in Lea County will be outfitted with a 7,700 hp Solar Taurus 60 gas turbine tied into Northern’s existing 26-inch NMM10101 B-line. Auxiliary equipment will include suction scrubbers, gas coolers, fuel gas heaters, fuel gas coalescers, seal gas filters, condensate tanks, lube oil coolers, fuel meters, and numerous actuated valves.
Northern’s major Oklahoma operations are concentrated in Cheyenne, Hammon and Beaver in the western part of the state. Gas Compression magazine reported the filing.
What It Means for Subcontractors
A FERC application of this scope — 16 miles of large-diameter pipe across two counties plus a new compression facility — represents a significant construction package for Permian Basin field crews:
- Pipeline crews in southeastern New Mexico and West Texas should watch the FERC docket for right-of-way work, trenching, hydrostatic testing, and tie-in scopes on the 24-inch and 16-inch lines
- Compressor station builders will find a full-build scope at Hobbs: foundation work, turbine installation, process piping, electrical, and instrumentation for a 7,700 hp unit and its auxiliary systems
- Interconnect specialists with experience at multi-operator custody-transfer facilities can anticipate work at the Linam Ranch Plant where Northern ties into Transwestern’s system
- Power generation contractors serving SPS’s Gaines County station may see coordination opportunities as the delivery point infrastructure takes shape
FERC applications typically move through a review period of several months before construction authorization is granted. Subcontractors in the Permian should monitor the docket for open season announcements and pre-qualification requests from Northern’s construction contractors.
