In 2022, 897 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of interstate natural gas pipeline capacity was added collectively from five projects, according to our latest State-to-State Capacity Tracker, which contains information on the capacity of natural gas pipelines that cross state and international borders. In 2022, the least interstate natural gas pipeline capacity was added since we began data collection in 1995. However, capacity was added to intrastate pipelines and to existing FERC-administered interstate pipelines as expansions that increased intrastate capacity in 2022.
Interstate capacity additions were low in 2022 for two primary reasons:
In prior years, interstate pipeline capacity was added from looping and compressor station projects that were designed to accommodate growing Appalachia production. These types of projects were the most common for developing new interstate pipelines, but all of the planned projects are mostly completed. Since 2017, about 70% of the growth in natural gas production has come from the Permian and Haynesville regions, located near liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals along the Gulf Coast. In Texas and Louisiana, intrastate projects, rather than interstate projects, have increased takeaway capacity and connected natural gas production to LNG export terminals.
Building large-scale, commercial natural gas pipelines that cross state boundaries involves a number of contractual, engineering, regulatory, and financial requirements. These requirements may involve more coordination and can take longer to complete compared with intrastate pipeline projects.
In 2022, five projects increased interstate capacity to transport natural gas. The projects focused primarily on upgrading compressor stations, with only one project adding a relatively small amount of new pipe:
Principal contributor: Stephen York
Tags: natural gas, pipelines, states, capacity