Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co. LLC has begun sending gas on its Gulf Trace expansion project, which is expected to fully enter service Feb. 1, to Cheniere Energy Inc.'s Sabine Pass LNG export terminal.

The pipeline delivered 646,858 Dth on Jan. 23 and 601,458 Dth on Jan. 24, according to SNL Energy pipeline flow data. FERC in August 2015 cleared the Transco expansion and Cheniere affiliates' related East Meter pipe project in an environmental assessment. At full capacity, the projects would provide 1.2 MMDth/d of additional firm gas transportation capacity from Transco Station 65 in St. Helena Parish, La., to Sabine Pass. Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC and Sabine Pass LNG LP were approved by FERC on Jan. 18 to place into service the East Meter Pipe project. (FERC dockets CP15-482, CP15-29)

Deliveries to the Louisiana terminal from the Cheniere Creole Trail Pipeline Co. LP and Natural Gas Pipeline Co. of America LLC pipelines have been mostly climbing since the first liquefaction train was completed in May 2016. FERC in October 2016 authorized train 2 to enter service, and train 3 is being commissioned after Cheniere was approved in August 2016 to begin introducing gas to its systems. Train 4 is under construction and is expected to reach substantial completion later in 2017.

Construction on train 5 began in June 2015 and is expected to enter service in the second half of 2019. Train 6 is fully permitted but does not yet have a final investment decision. Each liquefaction train is developed to have an LNG production capacity of about 4.5 million tonnes per annum. (FERC dockets CP11-17, CP13-2)

Flows on the two existing pipelines ramped as high as 1.66 MMDth in a single day in late December, surpassing November's 1.59-MMDth/d peak as the highest level since the facility began taking gas.

Transco is owned by Williams Partners LP.