Kinder Morgan starts Gulf Coast Express Pipeline operations

US-based energy infrastructure firm Kinder Morgan has started full commercial operations of the Gulf Coast Express Pipeline Project (GCX).

The natural gas transmission pipeline will move two billion cubic feet (bcf) of natural gas a day from the Waha hub in West Texas to the Agua Dulce hub in South Texas.

The pipeline became operational ahead of schedule and helps to relieve natural gas takeaway constraints and reduce flaring in the Permian Basin.

Kinder Morgan Natural Gas Midstream president Sital Mody said: “We are pleased to place GCX in service safely and ahead of schedule for our customers, helping to unlock tremendous value for the State of Texas.

“We had over 3,000 contractors deployed at times and more than six million contractor hours worked, all without a major safety incident during the construction phases of the project.

“With natural gas supplies projected to rise over the next 20 years from supply basins such as the Permian, our strong network of pipelines provides the ability to connect this supply to the growing markets along the Gulf Coast.”

Kinder Morgan subsidiary Kinder Morgan Texas Pipeline operates GCX with a 34% interest.

The pipeline is a joint venture (JV) between Kinder Morgan, DCP Midstream and Targa Resources. Construction of the pipeline commenced in May 2018.

In June, Kinder Morgan received approval to begin work on the $2bn Permian Highway Pipeline (PHP) Project after the Travis County District Court dismissed all claims made against the gas pipeline.

Last year, the company reported a $1.48bn profit on $14bn of revenue.