The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted Energy Transfer Partners LP permission to begin service at a mainline compressor station for the 3.25-Bcf/d, 511-mile Rover Pipeline LLC project that provides an outlet for Marcellus and Utica shale gas production.

On Feb. 21, FERC granted Rover's request to begin service at Mainline Compressor Station 2 in Ohio. Rover had asked for the authorization by Feb. 16 but added to its original request.

The new Rover facilities will increase its mainline capacity to just over 2 Bcf/d. FERC began to authorize service on parts of the system in August 2017, and on Dec. 8, 2017, the commission allowed Rover to start service on compressor units at its Mainline Compressor Station 1 in Carroll County, Ohio. FERC said Rover could begin delivering up to 1.7 Bcf/d to the Berne, Seneca and Clarington laterals and the Clarington, Seneca and Cadiz compressor stations in Ohio on Dec. 15, 2017.

Full commercial service on the entire $4.2 billion pipeline is still expected to begin at the end of the first quarter, at which point the project will help shippers reach Midwest and Canadian markets.

FERC placed holds on horizontal directional drilling, levied after spills of drilling fluid in 2017 and drilling fluid losses in January 2018. The commission gradually released the 2017 and 2018 holds at various drilling locations, but the holds delayed the project. (FERC docket CP15-93)