Williams to begin construction on Hillabee expansion project in the US in May

Williams Partners has announced plans to begin construction on its Hillabee expansion project in the US in May 2016.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the project, which will involve the expansion of the company’s Transco pipeline system to meet the growing need for natural gas in Florida.

The first phase is set to become operational in May 2017 and will provide capacity from certain receipt points at Transco’s Station 85 in Choctaw County to a proposed point where Transco and the Sabal Trail pipeline interconnect in Tallapoosa County in Alabama.

The project will supply gas to the proposed 515-mile Sabal Trail interstate natural gas pipeline, which will be built by Sabal Trail Transmission, a joint venture of Spectra Energy, NextEra Energy and Duke Energy.

Planned to be constructed in three phases, the Hillabee expansion will add a total of 1.13 million dekatherms per day of pipeline capacity to the Transco system by May 2021.

Under the expansion, 43 miles of additional pipe segments will be constructed in Alabama.

In addition, a new compressor facility in Choctaw County will be constructed and modifications will be made to other existing compressor stations and valve sites.

Williams Partners Atlantic-Gulf operating area senior vice-president Rory Miller said: "We are excited to move forward as planned with this critical piece of infrastructure to help meet long-term natural gas needs in Florida.

"The Hillabee expansion is among several fully contracted interstate pipeline projects Williams Partners is executing on to connect North America’s abundant natural gas supplies to demand growth from the local distribution, electric power generation, industrial and LNG export businesses."

Williams Partners’ wholly owned subsidiary Transco pipeline system has a 10,200-mile pipeline network and its mainline extends nearly 1,800 miles between South Texas and New York.