Gas flows recover on key Haynesville pipeline

Market: Natural gas
20/05/26

Natural gas flows on DT Midstream's 2.1bn ft³/d LEAP pipeline, a key intrastate conduit to Louisiana's LNG export corridor, recovered on Wednesday after recipient pipelines reported the end of quality issues in the gas stream.

Shippers nominated to deliver 1.1bn ft³ of gas on 20 May onto select interstate pipelines from LEAP, a 221-mile pipeline system running from northwest Louisiana to the Gillis hub north of Lake Charles, pipeline data show (see chart). Flows fell to just 590mn ft³ on 18 May, down from the average 1.3bn ft³/d over 1-17 May, because of excessive water vapor in the gas stream.

The Williams-operated Transco pipeline told customers on 19 May that the quality issue was resolved and that receipts from LEAP would resume that evening. US LNG producer Cheniere, which operates the 33mn t/yr Sabine Pass LNG export facility and the Creole Trail pipeline, issued a similar notice on 20 May.

LEAP is a crucial pipeline connecting gas from the Haynesville shale with LNG export terminals on Louisiana's Gulf coast. About 690mn ft³/d of Sabine Pass LNG's 4.7bn ft³/d of feedgas from 1-17 May originated on LEAP. The terminal's Creole Trail pipeline also has other less-utilized connections with pipelines at the Gillis hub, such as Enterprise Products' Acadian pipeline, Energy Transfer's Trunkline, Enbridge's Texas Eastern Transmission and Transco.

Sempra's 15mn t/yr Cameron LNG export terminal also receives gas from LEAP via the Cameron Interstate pipeline, but flows have been minimal since the terminal began maintenance on one of its three liquefaction trains on 30 April. Cameron received about 25mn ft³/d of gas from LEAP over 1-17 May, down from about 100mn ft³/d in April.

By Tray Swanson

Select pipeline receipts from LEAP bn ft³

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