U.S. approves Enable's proposed Louisiana Gulf Run natgas pipeline

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved U.S. energy company Enable Midstream Partners LP's request to build the Gulf Run natural gas pipeline in Louisiana, according to a filing.

But in what has become a recurring theme in pipeline approvals, the FERC Commissioners differed on how the Commission should consider greenhouse gas emissions from proposed projects.

FERC Chairman Richard Glick and Commissioner Allison Clements said they dissented on the Gulf Run decision in part because they said the Commission should have prepared a supplemental environmental impact statement to examine the effect that greenhouse gas emissions caused by the project will have on climate change.

Most of the gas transported on Gulf Run will go to Qatar Petroleum/Exxon Mobil Corp's Golden Pass liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plant under construction in Texas. The first liquefaction train at Golden Pass is expected to enter service in 2025.

The Gulf Run project includes about 134 miles (216 kilometers) of new pipe and other facilities that will provide about 1.7 billion cubic feet per day of transportation service from Enable’s existing Westdale compressor in Red River Parish, Louisiana, to an interconnect with the Golden Pass Pipeline near Starks, Louisiana.

One billion cubic feet is enough gas to supply about five million U.S. homes for a day.

In its first quarter earnings release in May, Enable estimated the cost of Gulf Run at $540 million and anticipated the project could be placed into service in late 2022, subject to FERC approval.

That is much less than the $1.2 billion cost estimate FERC included in its filing.

Officials at Enable were not immediately available for comment.

(Reporting by Scott DiSavino Editing by Marguerita Choy)

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