FERC Issues Draft EIS For Ruby Pipeline

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has prepared a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed Ruby Pipeline L.L.C. facilities to be located in Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and Oregon to transport up to 1.5 MMDth/d of natural gas.

The FERC staff concludes that construction and operation of the project would result in some adverse environmental impacts. However, most of these would be reduced to less-than-significant levels with the implementation of Ruby’s proposed mitigation measures; additional measures and agreements being discussed by Ruby and other agencies related to permitting or conservation agreements; and the additional measures recommended by staff  in the EIS Docket No. CP09-54-000 – 2-. 

The FERC invited comments and held public meeting earlier this month to address concerns about the project.

El Paso Corporation, parent company of Ruby Pipeline L.L.C., has awarded construction of the $3 billion, 680-mile Ruby Pipeline project to U.S. Pipelines, Houston, Rockford Corp., Hillsboro, OR and Precision Pipeline, LLC, Eau Claire, WI. As planned, the 42-inch pipe will originate at the Opal Hub in Wyoming and terminate at the Malin, OR, interconnect, near the California northern border. The line’s initial designed capacity of 1.3 Bcf/d and 1.5 Bcf/d, depending on final commitments, will be expandable to 2 Bcf/d.

El Paso has received binding commitments for more than 1.1 Bcf/d from customers under 10 to 15-year contracts for the Ruby project. The planned in service date is March 2011.