WB Xpress Gas Pipeline

This article is part of the Global Fossil Infrastructure Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.

Sub-articles:

FrackSwarm portal Coal terminals Coal transport and infrastructure Oil and gas pipelines LNG terminals Pipeline construction costs Methodology and data notes

WB Xpress Gas Pipeline is an operating natural gas pipeline.

Location

The pipeline runs from Braxton County, West Virginia to northern Virginia. The East Phase includes West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland. The West Phase includes the rest of the West Virginia pipeline.

Loading map...

{"type":"ROADMAP","minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"types":["ROADMAP","SATELLITE","HYBRID","TERRAIN"],"mappingservice":"googlemaps3","width":"400px","height":"300px","centre":{"text":"","title":"","link":"","lat":39.404871,"lon":-78.100671,"icon":""},"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[{"text":"","title":"","link":"","strokeColor":"#FF0000","strokeOpacity":"1","strokeWeight":"2","pos":[{"lat":39.221273,"lon":-78.433383},{"lat":39.404871,"lon":-78.100671}]},{"text":"","title":"","link":"","strokeColor":"#FF0000","strokeOpacity":"1","strokeWeight":"2","pos":[{"lat":38.802986,"lon":-79.938505},{"lat":39.221273,"lon":-78.433383}]}],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"visitedicon":"","wmsoverlay":false,"zoom":6,"layers":[],"controls":["pan","zoom","type","scale","streetview","rotate"],"zoomstyle":"DEFAULT","typestyle":"DEFAULT","autoinfowindows":false,"resizable":false,"kmlrezoom":false,"poi":true,"cluster":false,"clustergridsize":60,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clusteraveragecenter":true,"clusterminsize":2,"imageoverlays":[],"kml":[],"gkml":[],"searchmarkers":"","fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":false,"locations":[]}

Project Details

• Operator: Columbia Pipeline Group
• Parent Company: TC Energy
• Current capacity: 1300 million cubic feet per day
  • East Section: 500 million cubic feet per day
  • West Section: 800 million cubic feet per day
• Length: 29 miles / 46.7 km
• Cost: US$780,000,000
• Status: Operating
• Start Year: 2018

Background

The WB Xpress Gas Pipeline is operated by Columbia Pipeline Group, which is owned by TC Energy. The pipeline would pick up gas around Braxton County, West Virginia, and deliver 500 MMcf/d eastbound into interconnects with Cove Point Pipeline and Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line as well as sending 800 MMcf/d westbound into interconnects with Tennessee Gas at Broad Run and existing Columbia infrastructure including Columbia Gas Appalachia Pool. Columbia Pipeline Group applied to FERC to build the pipeline in January 2016 and received FERC approval in November 2017.

The pipeline's eastern and western builds were commissioned in October 2018 and November 2018 respectively. Both came online by the end of 2018 with a total capacity of 1,300 MMcf/d and 93.4 kilometers.

Opposition

In February 2016 Appalachian Mountain Advocates filed a protest and motion to intervene in FERC's review of the proposed pipeline. “The WB XPress would fragment prime forest habitat, endanger family farms and homes, and amplify the threats to drinking water and air quality in communities plagued by fracking operations,” explained Ben Luckett, Staff Attorney with Appalachian Mountain Advocates. “We’re also highly concerned that this project will increase the pressure to build the Mountaineer XPress, which would have even more destructive impacts throughout our region."