Sierra Club Home Page New Jersey Chapter
Raritan Valley Group   > Archive > Transco Pipeline
Explore, enjoy and protect the planet
Transco Pipeline - Leidy Southeast Expansion Project
Overview | News | Background | Glossary | Contacts

Overview:
A 10,200-mile pipeline system, extends from South Texas to New York City, owned by Transcontinental Pipe Line Company, LLC a division of Williams Energy.
Transco plans to expand pipeline capacity in Pennsylvania and New Jersey ( The Leidy Southeast Expansion Project) to accommodate the increasing volume of natural gas coming from Marcellus Shale wells (fracking) throughout Pennsylvania's Northern Tier.

On October 22 Sierra Club, Food and Water Watch, and Environment New Jersey filed a joint application for intervenor status, a move that would allow the groups to track the filings between Williams Co. and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on this project.
See Environmental groups file to become intervenors in application for Princeton gas pipeline | NJ.com

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Docket No. PF13-5: Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company, LLC; Leidy Southeast Expansion Project.
28 miles of 42-inch pipeline will be constructed.
The two sections in New Jersey are:

NJ Somerset / Hunterdon 6.83 miles of 42-inch pipe (Pleasant Run Loop)
NJ Somerset / Mercer 6.36 miles of 42-inch pipe (Skillman Loop)
Transco pipeline, New jersey, map, Pleasant Run Loop, Skillman Loop, Leidy Southeast Expansion Project, Franklin Township, Princeton Township, Hunterdon, Mercer, Somerset They are in Princeton and Montgomery Townships.
Source: Leidy Southeast | Expansion of Williams' Transco natural gas pipeline in New Jersey and Pennsylvania

Transco Environmental Review Wrong, Ignores Impacts | Sierra Club

See also Proposed Compressor Station

What is a Loop:
A loop is a section of pipe parallel to another section.
It reduces the pressure drop in that section of pipe, resulting in an increased flow rate at the same pressure or the reduction in horsepower at the pumping station.
See What is pipeline looping? at Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline


Current News:
  • March 11, 2015
    The Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has issued an administrative stay requested by environmental groups to stop tree cutting for the Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company's (Transco) Leidy Southeast Expansion project pending the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network (DRN)..
    Environmental groups are fighting the pipeline's expansion on the basis the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) allowed the company to segment the expansion of its pipeline system into several pieces to avoid considering the cumulative effect on the environment.
    See:
    Environmental group throws legal wrench into Luzerne County pipeline construction - News - The Times-Tribune
    Transco Leidy Southeast Expansion Project on Hold Until Federal Court Reviews Case - Planet Princeton
  • March 9, 2015
    FERC granted Transco permission to start work on the pipeline in PA and NJ. The DEP, however, has not yet issued permits.

    Transco stated its intent to begin felling trees. The DE Riverkeeper filed a motion to stay the order until the DEP issues permits. FERC denied the stay, claiming that Transco has enough other permits to begin the work and that permission from the DEP is not required.
    See Transco Leidy Southeast Expansion Project on Hold Until Federal Court Reviews Case - Planet Princeton

  • December 18, 2014
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the pipeline.
    See Feds approve Transco pipeline, environmentalists push back | NJ.com

  • On December 6, 2012 the State House Commission voted to approve the diversion of public land in Franklin Township (Hunterdon) for the Transco Northeast Supply Link Project.This pipeline expansion project will have significant impacts on the environment and clean energy future of not only the township and Hunterdon County, but the entire state.
    "This project puts a bull's eye on New Jersey's open space. It is cheaper to put the pipeline on public lands than negotiating with private landowners and Transco is trying to take advantage of that to push down project costs.
    The money would go towards purchasing replacement land, but this is only for the "permanent" land diversions.The Township is not receiving any compensation for the almost 2 acres of "temporary" impacts.Transco should purchase replacement land for the use of this land because the impacts will not be temporary but rather could take decades to recover."
    "The 2010 U.S. Energy Information Administration /International Energy Outlook/ found that between 1999 and 2009, total natural gas consumption for all sectors decreased by 13.3% in New Jersey and 10.4% in New York. This project will allow for more fracking by providing more export capacity to gas wells in Pennsylvania."
    Source: Transco Pipeline Diversions Approved by State House Commission, Sierra Club - 6 Dec. 2012.

Background:
The price for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in Asia is $12 per per million British thermal units (MMBTU) compared to $3.60 per MMBTU (Henry Hub spot price) in the U.S..
Many think the purpose of this project is to improve transportation of gas from fracking wells in Pennsylvania to ports in New York, so it can be exported.
As we start exporting LNG, domestic supplies will be reduced and the price may go up.
Note: The spot price amounts to a wholesale price. Retail (July 2013) is about $5.40 per MMBPU.
See:
Environmentalists Intervene to Oppose Pipeline Expansion Project
Fuel Fix | Asian nations eagerly eye cheap US natural gas

A joint press release on 28 Feb., 2013 "Coalition Voices Opposition to Natural Gas Pipeline Expansion in Princeton Area" by the Sierra Club, the Delaware Riverkeeper and Food & Water Watch says,
"There is no need for this pipeline other than to promote fracking and the burning of fossil fuels that impact clean water and promote climate change."

The company hopes to begin construction in Fall 2014 and have the project completed by December 2015.

See Comments filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) thru July 1, 2013 at, elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/search/eSave.asp?fd=10/01/2012&td=05/14/2035&cat=submittal,%20issuance&dkt=pf13-5&ft=fulltext&dsc=description

Glossary:
BTU - British thermal units
FERC - Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
CCF - Hundred Cubic Feet (my meter reading)
Fracking - Hydraulic fracturing of shale by pumping water laced with chemicals amd sand 7-10,000 feet into shale deposits to release LNG
Henry Hub - A distribution hub on the natural gas pipeline system in Erath, Louisiana, owned by Sabine Pipe Line LLC, a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation.
LNG - Liquefied Natural Gas (predominantly methane, CH4)
M - Thousand [Roman Numeral] (see FAQs - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA))
MM - Million
Mcf - Thousand cubic feet
MMBTU - Million British thermal units
Therm = 100,000 BPU 1.042 therms per CCF
Transco - Transcontinental Pipe Line Company, LLC a division of Williams Energy


Contacts:
Laura Lynch, Land Use Issues Coordinator, New Jersey Chapter Sierra Club, njsierraclub@gmail.com
Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper 215 369 1188 ext 102 (Office & Cell) keepermaya@delawareriverkeeper.org
Links:
Leidy Southeast | Expansion of Williams' Transco natural gas pipeline in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
Sierra Club Press releases
Report of May 9 meeting of community and environmental groups with John Wellinghoff, FERC Chair
Transco Pipeline Diversion Approved by State House Commission - New Jersey Chapter - Sierra Club
Transco | Williams
Natural Gas Prices - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Retail LNG Prices

Updated Mar. 12, 2015