Paso Norte Pipeline

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Paso Norte Pipeline is a proposed natural gas pipeline running from the United States to Mexico. As of August 2023, there had been no news about the pipeline for more than two years, and the project was presumed to be shelved.

Location

The proposed pipeline would run from Deming, New Mexico, USA to the El Encino natural gas hub in Chihuahua state, Mexico, crossing the US-Mexico border at Columbus-Port of Palomas, and passing through the communities of Ascensión and Nuevo Casas Grandes in Chihuahua state.

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Project Details

• Operator: Paso Norte Pipeline Group
• Owner: Paso Norte Pipeline Group
• Proposed capacity: 366 million cubic feet per day
• Length: 340 miles
• Diameter: 32 inches
• Status: Shelved
• Start Year: Unknown

Background

The proposed pipeline would deliver natural gas from the United States to the western portion of the State of Chihuahua in Mexico.

The 33-mile long, 32-inch diameter U.S. portion of the Pipeline would originate and interconnect with Kinder Morgan Inc.'s El Paso Natural Gas Southern Pipeline System at Florida Station in Luna County, NM, and would reach the border near the Columbus, NM/Palomas, Chihuahua international crossing. The U.S. portion was considered a greenfield lateral pipeline project by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). At the time of the original proposal, project owner PNP estimated cost of the project at $60 million. with an in-service date in the third quarter of 2019.

In Mexico, the project would be completed in two stages. The first stage would bring service to the port and municipality of Palomas, Ascensión, the Apache Power Park and the Palomas Petrochemical Park in the county of Ascensión. Estimated length of the first stage pipeline was 20 miles from the border to the Apache Power Park. The second stage of the Mexican portion of the pipeline would be from Apache Power Park to the El Encino Hub in Chihuahua City. The estimated length with laterals would be 272 miles. At the El Encino hub, the pipeline would interconnect with other pipelines that supply Chihuahua City, the El Encino Topolobampo Gas Pipeline and El Encino-La Laguna Gas Pipeline.

in December 2020, following a long period with no development, Paso Norte Pipeline Group re-announced its proposal for the pipeline. However, as of August 2023, there had been no further news and the project appeared to be shelved.