Natural gas pipeline project in Mississippi, Alabama winding its way through approval process

• The 208-mile pipeline will start in Greenville, Mississippi, before ending near Butler, Alabama.

A proposed 208-mile natural gas pipeline stretching from Mississippi into Alabama is slowly winding its way through the approval process, according to paperwork the company filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in June.

Known as the Mississippi Crossing Project, the project is expected to transport 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily when operational. Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP) Company is listed as the owner.

The pipeline will start in Greenville, Mississippi, before ending near Butler, Alabama. It will connect with other TGP and third-party pipelines along the way, including a lateral interconnection with Texas Eastern Transmission and Texas Gas Transmission near Kosciusko, Mississippi.

According to the FERC filing, approximately 180 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline will travel through Humphreys, Sunflower, Washington, Attala, Holmes, Clarke, Leake, Newton, Lauderdale, and Neshoba counties. For about six miles 36-inch diameter pipelines go through Humphreys and Sunflower counties.

The third and final section of the project is a 22-mile-long 36-inch pipeline passing through Clarke County, Mississippi, and Choctaw County, Alabama.

TGP said the pipeline will increase the natural gas supply to the southeastern part of the U.S.

“This transformative project will benefit the Southeast region as it will provide incremental access to diverse sources of supply,” said Sital Mody, President of Natural Gas Pipelines at Kinder Morgan, TGP’s parent company.

The natural gas would be used mainly in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.

The $1.4 billion project is scheduled for completion in November 2028.

The Mississippi Crossing Project includes three compressor stations of 183,000 in horsepower, located in Humphreys, Attala, and Lauderdale counties. It will also include four meter stations, which will interconnect with other pipeline systems.

FERC filings show company officials are working to meet federal and state obligations. Of key importance are various surveys.

“TGP continued to contact landowners for survey notifications and permissions for civil, biological, cultural, bat, noise, and aquatic surveys. Noise surveys have been completed for the new compressor station locations,” the filings read.

In May, officials attended the Governor Tate Reeves’ “Mississippi Power Play” event as part of the company’s outreach efforts.

A spokesperson for the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality said the state has received a Pre-Construction Notification related to the project, as required by the department’s regulations. She added that for the compressor stations construction, air permits may be required.

Natural gas prices are often boom or bust. As of Wednesday, August futures of natural gas were down nearly 5 percent to $3.175 from the day’s opening at $3.348 Bcf. However, several Wall Street analysts are bullish on the energy source, saying upheaval in the Middle East is good for domestic energy sources.

“The fundamentals in the natural gas market are robust, with significant growth expected over the next five years from LNG exports, exports to Mexico, and power generation,” said Kinder Morgan CEO Kim Dang.