The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gave Nexus Gas Transmission LLC permission to proceed with certain drilling activities in Ohio for its 1.5-Bcf/d natural gas pipeline project that would deliver Appalachian shale supplies through the Midwest to Ontario.

In a Feb. 16 notice, commission staff authorized horizontal directional drilling activities at 11 locations in Ohio, which were previously exempt from the project's certificate approval.

FERC approved the project on Aug. 25, 2017, and allowed the developers, Enbridge Inc. and DTE Energy Co., to begin building the pipeline in October 2017. The 256.6-mile project will include a 36-inch-diameter greenfield pipeline, four compressor stations and will interconnect with Kinder Morgan Inc.'s Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. system. (FERC docket CP16-22)