Natural gas pipeline takeaway capacity in the Permian Basin will increase as the Matterhorn Express pipeline is expected to start operating this month, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Tuesday.
Matterhorn, a joint venture with Whitewater, EnLink Midstream, Devon Energy, and MPLX, will transport natural gas from the Permian Basin to Katy near Houston, Texas. The pipeline has a capacity of 2.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d).
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
The EIA suggests that the Matterhorn pipeline could help narrow or eliminate the price difference between Waha and Henry Hub by increasing natural gas takeaway capacity from the Permian Basin.
The Permian basin in West Texas and eastern New Mexico is the nation’s biggest and fastest growing oil-producing shale basin, is also a major source of natural gas.
CONTEXT
In addition to Matterhorn, three new Permian Basin pipeline projects have been approved and are being developed, the EIA said.
These projects are called Apex Pipeline, Blackcomb Pipeline, and Saguaro Connector Pipeline, and have a combined capacity of 7.3 Bcf/d.
Pipeline operators have also announced additional projects totaling 7.0 Bcf/d of capacity to move natural gas from the Permian Basin to key markets in Mexico and along the Texas Gulf Coast, the EIA said.
These projects, if realized, could become operational between 2025 and 2028.
BY THE NUMBERS
The lowest price recorded for spot natural gas at the Waha Hub this year was -$6.41 per million British thermal units on August 29, the agency said.
(Reporting by Rahul Paswan in Bengaluru; Editing by Franklin Paul)