Operators of a natural gas pipeline that runs from Nova Scotia to Massachusetts are planning an expansion over the next couple years in Westbrook and other Maine communities.
Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline has requested approval from the federal government and plans to file soon with the state of Maine for extra pipeline and several new compressor facilities, one of which will be in Westbrook.
With an expansion of the pipeline’s capacity, the company is hoping to respond to an increase in demand from industry in Atlantic Canada and the U.S. Northeast. The company is hoping to be able to provide just under a third more natural gas to the market by the end of 2008.
The company informed the city of Westbrook two weeks ago of its intention to request approval from the state and that it was planning to hold a public hearing at the Warren Memorial Library Wednesday, Aug. 30.
If approved by the federal government and the state, the company would build a compressor station to go along with a gas meter station that has existed in Westbrook for just over 15 years. The company would seek approval from the city of Westbrook for the project as well, according to City Administrator Jerre Bryant.
The meter station, which measures the flow of gas through the pipeline, is located off Methodist Road in a remote spot near very few houses, said Bryant. He said the addition of a compressor station, which is the equivalent of a pumping station for natural gas, should not pose a safety hazard. He said the pipeline’s presence in Westbrook has been very quiet and the only potential problems with a compressor station would be bringing noise and possibly light to the quiet area.
“Obviously, we want to make sure people are clear that all safety issues are addressed, and noise and lighting in the area are adequately buffered,” he said. “You wouldn’t want a compressor station in the middle of a neighborhood.”
Company spokeswoman Marylee Hanley said the company would abide by state and local regulations regarding noise and would work with the community to ensure the new structure wouldn’t disturb residents. She said safety concerns should not increase because gas flow would continue as it does, only faster. She said there would be no storage of gas, which could present a target for terrorist acts.
“From the safety standpoint, we’re monitored by the U.S. Department of Transportation,” said Hanley. “And our pipeline is obviously brand-new and state-of-the-art.”
Bryant said he thought the issues would be manageable. “The company has a very good track record in Westbrook and has communicated well with us and the general public,” he said.
Hanley said the company would not be putting the compressor on the same site as the meter but would be purchasing land from Westbrook adjacent to the pipeline’s path through the city. She said the company has already identified several possible areas, although she couldn’t identify them.
The Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, placed in operation on Dec. 1, 1999, runs 670 miles underground from Goldboro, Nova Scotia, to Dracut, Mass., where it connects with the North American Pipeline. The pipeline is owned jointly by Duke Energy, Emera Inc. and ExxonMobil Corporation.
About 530 billion British thermal units per day of natural gas, originating in the Sable Island area off shore of Nova Scotia, travels through the pipeline daily to markets in Atlantic Canada and the U.S. Northeast.
The pipeline was built in the United States in three phases, the first of which placed 100 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline from Westbrook to Dracut, Mass., and began operation in December of 1999.
Two other phases bridged the first section with 24-inch-diameter pipe from Westbrook north 205 miles to the U.S-Canadian border in Baileyville, Maine, and from Dracut, Mass., to Methuen and Beverly, Mass. Along the stretch from Canada to Massachusetts are two compressor stations, one in Baileyville and one in Richmond, Maine.
With this latest expansion, the company is proposing to build five new compressor stations in Eliot, Searsmont, Brewer, Woodchopping Ridge and Westbrook. The addition of the five new compressor stations is expected to increase pipeline capacity from 530 billion Btu to 750 billion Btu per day.
“When we first built in 1999, we expected about 15 percent of the gas would stay in Maine, but now over 50 percent stays in Maine,” said Hanley, who added that the company has numerous customers who access the pipeline along its length in Maine.
If approved, the company expects to spend about two years in construction and hopes to put the new compressor stations into operation by November of 2008.
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