The Blue Flame Building. The building was headquarters for El Paso Natural Gas from 1954 to 1996. | |
Company type | Natural Gas Pipeline |
---|---|
Industry | Pipeline |
Area served | Natural Gas Distribution: California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Northern Mexico. |
El Paso Natural Gas (EPNG) is an American company and a 10,140-mile pipeline system consisting of a system of natural gas pipelines that brings gas from the Permian Basin in Texas and the San Juan Basin in New Mexico and Colorado to West Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, California, and Arizona. It also exports some natural gas to Mexico.
El Paso Natural Gas is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado and is owned by Kinder Morgan, Inc. of Houston, Texas.
History
Historically, EPNG's primary market was California, though the growth of competing pipelines into that market and lack of increased demand since 2001 has led to a decrease in its business there, especially in Southern California. At the same time, EPNG's shipping into Arizona has increased, largely because it was the only pipeline into the fast-growing Phoenix area until the TransWestern Phoenix Lateral came in service Q1 2009.
Its largest customers are:
- Southern California Gas Company (a Sempra Energy subsidiary);
- Southwest Gas Corporation; and
- Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
Its FERC code is 33.
October 1945: In light of depletion of reserves in California by the war and expected future growth. EPNG proposed building 720 miles of 26-inch pipeline ($19.8m) to supply California markets with gas from the Permian Basin in Lea County, New Mexico, work to be finished in the spring or summer of 1947. Line were to end at the Colorado River where it was to connect to the Southern California Gas Company system. Additionally planned were 117 miles (24-inch), 32 miles (18-inch) and 14.5 miles (14-inch) of gathering pipelines ($3.4m), a 105,000,000 cubic feet/day compressor station, dehydration and purification plant at Jal, New Mexico ($2.2m). A limit of 300,000,000 cubic feet/day with additional compressor stations. total cost $25.4m. The line became operational on 13 November 1947.
In the 1970s, EPNG became the El Paso Company. In 1983, the company was acquired by Burlington Northern, Inc.. In 1992, Burlington spun off the company as a publicly traded corporation. In 1996 and 1999, the company purchased Tenneco Energy from Tenneco and Sonat, Inc., respectively.
Innovations
The company pioneered:
- High-pressure, long-distance pipelines
- Innovative pipeline-welding methods
- The of use large, gas-turbine-driven centrifugal compressors.
- Treating natural gas to remove impurities.
For many years, the company had more gas-treating capacity than all of other interstate pipelines combined.
In 1967, El Paso joined with the federal agencies to test the use of a nuclear device to fracture or create fractures in gas-bearing formations:
- United States Atomic Energy Commission
- Bureau of Mines of the Department of the Interior
The experiment, called Project Gasbuggy, was considered a success in terms of its objectives. However, it was considered not to be commercially feasible.
Pipelines
- Tennessee Gas Pipeline: Acquired by EPNG in 1996.
- Ruby Pipeline: In 2010, created as a subsidiary and as a planned partnership with Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and Pacific Gas & Electric. However, the Ruby Pipeline filed for bankruptcy in 2022.
See also
References
- ^ "Natural Home Page".
- "FERC: Natural Gas - Three Digit Pipeline Code List for Index of Customers (Form 549B)". 2013-01-20. Archived from the original on 2013-01-20. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
- "EPNG Proposes Building 750 Mile Pipeline". American Gas Journal. October 1945. p. 49.
- "Texas-California Pipeline Completed To Los Angeles". American Gas Journal. December 1947. p. 11.
- The Pipeliners: The Story of El Paso Natural Gas, by Frank J Mangan, January 1, 1978, ISBN 978-0-930208-06-6
- ^ Association, Texas State Historical. "El Paso Natural Gas Company". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ Tenneco Agrees to Sell Energy Unit to El Paso - WSJ
- El Paso Energy to Buy Sonat, Creating Gas Pipeline Giant - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
- Yuvraj_ong (2015-12-23). "Ruby Pipeline Project, United States of America". Oil&Gas Advancement. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
- Klein, Jonathan Randles and Jodi Xu. "Kinder Morgan's Ruby Pipeline Files for Bankruptcy". WSJ. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
External links
Categories:- Natural gas companies of the United States
- Kinder Morgan
- Natural gas pipelines in the United States
- Natural gas pipelines in Mexico
- Companies based in Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Energy in Colorado
- Energy in New Mexico
- Petroleum in California
- Petroleum in Texas
- American companies established in 1928
- Non-renewable resource companies established in 1928
- 1928 establishments in Colorado
- Natural gas pipelines in Texas
- Natural gas pipelines in New Mexico
- Natural gas pipelines in Colorado
- Natural gas pipelines in Nevada
- Natural gas pipelines in California
- Natural gas pipelines in Arizona