Memphis – Homeowners in Germantown, TN, who live along the right of way to a natural gas pipeline, received notices in June, from Boardwalk Pipeline Partners about a change in what is running through the pipes. “Due to declining usage on long haul lines we can shut down one of the three pipelines running through the area (Owensboro, KY, to Eunice, LA) and convert it to repurposing liquid products from natural gas production,” said Kyle Stephens, VP for Regulatory Affairs for Boardwalk Pipeline Partners.
But first they need access to the liquid natural gas products coming from the Marcellus and Utica shale deposits in Ohio and Pennsylvania. A new pipeline, now in the permitting phase, will transport ethane, propane and butane from natural gas plants in the Northeast to Boardwalk’s existing facility in Kentucky.
From there, Boardwalk will plug the liquids into the pipeline they are proposing to shut down and ship them to Texas for use in everything from chemical plants to barbeque grills. Stephens is quick to point out that reusing existing pipelines will eliminate the need to build an additional 650 miles of new pipeline and the attendant environmental concerns over new construction. Both the new pipeline and Boardwalk’s proposal to change the use of its existing pipelines are in the permitting stage and if approved could come online in 2015.
