Rest of Midcontinent Express Pipeline placed in service

HOUSTON - Construction of the 500-mile Midcontinent Express Pipeline (MEP) is complete and natural gas transportation service began on Aug. 1, on the pipeline from Delhi, La., to Transcontinental Pipe Line's Station 85 in Butler, Ala. It was the last leg of the pipelines that was placed in service. Interim service had begun on the pipeline from Bennington, Okla., to Delhi in April.
MEP is a joint venture of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. and Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.
"We are delighted that the final leg of the Midcontinent Express Pipeline is in service," said Steve Kean, president of Kinder Morgan's Natural Gas Pipelines group. Kinder Morgan constructed and will operate the pipeline.
"The completion of this final segment of MEP affords shippers and producers in the Barnett Shale, Bossier Sands and other producing regions access to markets in the eastern United States," said Lee Hanse, senior vice president of Energy Transfer's Interstate Pipeline group.
MEP has multiple receipt and delivery points along the pipeline system, which originates in southeast Oklahoma, crosses northeast Texas, northern Louisiana and central Mississippi and ends in Alabama. Capacity is currently up to 1.25 billion cubic feet (Bcf) per day in Zone 1, which interconnects with the Columbia Gulf Transmission system in Delhi and up to 0.84 Bcf per day in Zone 2, which interconnects with the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line system in Butler.