Equitrans gets positive FERC EIS for Ohio Valley Connector expansion

Equitrans LP has received a final environmental impact statement (EIS) for its 350-MMcfd Ohio Valley Connector expansion project from the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), declaring that approval with recommended mitigation measures would not result in significant adverse impacts. Commission staff concluded that most adverse environmental impacts would be temporary or short-term during construction and would have minimal effects on existing land use, as work would be completed within an area already characterized by energy production and transmission.

The expansion is intended to increase natural gas deliveries from central Appalachian basin producers to midcontinent and Gulf Coast destinations and will include Equitrans’ acquisition and operation of the existing non-jurisdictional Cygrymus compressor station in Greene County, Pa., and installation of two new turbines at the site. Equitrans also would install one additional compressor unit each at the existing Corona compressor station in Wetzel County, WV and Plasma compressor station in Monroe County, Ohio, which currently operate a combined 40,000 hp.

Total additional compression of the three sites would be 60,900 hp. Roughly 23,000 hp will be added to Plasma and 15,900 hp to Corona. Existing compression will be removed at Cygrymus, with two 22,000-hp turbines installed for a net increase of 22,000 hp.  

In addition to the compression, Equitrans would build a total of 5.5 miles of 24-, 16-, and 12-in. OD pipeline in various segments in Greene County, Pa., and Wetzel County, WV. The company plans to begin work on the compressor stations in second-quarter 2023 and on the pipeline segments in fourth-quarter 2023, targeting first-half 2024 startup (OGJ Online, Nov. 3, 2022).  

The 37-mile Ohio Valley Connector’s current capacity is 850 MMcfd.