The federal environmental review comment period for Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline's proposed Texas Access Project has closed. FERC's environmental assessment concludes that the $112 million project, with recommended mitigation measures, would not significantly affect the environment.
What FERC reviewed
The assessment examines the impacts of building and operating the pipeline. It is a regulatory milestone, not a construction authorization or a new project announcement. The close of comments is another step toward a federal decision on infrastructure serving natural gas transportation along the Gulf Coast.
The project
Kinder Morgan is proposing a natural gas pipeline expansion that would connect Southeast Texas to Southwest Louisiana to support growing LNG export demand. The Texas Access Project would add about 3 miles of 48-inch pipeline. That includes a crossing beneath the Sabine-Neches Waterway. The plan also calls for new pipeline connections and modifications to existing infrastructure.
Construction would take place mainly in Jefferson County, Texas, and in Cameron and Calcasieu parishes, Louisiana.
Capacity and commitments
The project is designed to move up to 1.3 million dekatherms of natural gas per day. One billion cubic feet per day of that is already committed under a long-term customer agreement.
We reported earlier that a Kinder Morgan unit filed a $139 million Texas pipeline expansion with FERC; see Kinder Morgan unit files $139 million Texas pipeline expansion with FERC.
