Rockies Express Pipeline

Rockies Express Pipeline, LLC
Company type	Joint venture
Industry	Natural gas transmission
Founded	February 2006; 20 years ago
Founder	Tallgrass Energy Partners, Phillips 66, Sempra Energy
Headquarters	United States
Area served	Eight U.S. states from Colorado to Ohio
Products	Natural gas transportation
Parent	Tallgrass Energy Partners, Phillips 66, Sempra Energy

The Rockies Express Pipeline constitutes a high-pressure natural gas transmission system stretching from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado to eastern Ohio. Composed of three segments traversing eight states, it ranks among the most extensive natural gas pipelines in North America. The pipeline became fully operational on 12 November 2009.

Partnership

Operation of the pipeline is managed by Rockies Express Pipeline, LLC, a joint venture involving Tallgrass Energy Partners, Phillips 66, and Sempra Energy. In February 2006, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners and Sempra Energy purchased Entrega Gas Pipeline Inc. from EnCana Corporation. Subsequently, in June 2006, ConocoPhillips acquired a 24% interest in the project before divesting its downstream assets in May 2012.

Environmental concerns

Concerns have been voiced regarding the pipeline’s alignment, particularly within Ohio. Authorities urged avoidance of crossings beneath Big Darby Creek in Pickaway County and the Little Miami River located in Warren County inside Caesar Creek State Park to protect aquatic ecosystems from drilling-related impacts. Additionally, American Energy Corporation initiated legal action against REX due to disturbances affecting a coal mine situated beneath the pipeline, underscoring industry apprehensions about pipeline integrity over subsiding abandoned mining areas.

Technical description

The pipeline’s diameter varies but is predominantly . It has a throughput capacity of and operates under a maximum allowable pressure of . The initial capital expenditure amounted to approximately US$5 billion.

REX – Entrega (Zone 1)

The REX – Entrega segment consists of the 328-mile former Entrega Pipeline linking the Meeker Hub in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, with the Cheyenne Hub in Weld County, Colorado. Construction approval was granted in August 2005, and Rockies Express Pipeline, LLC acquired it in February 2006. The 136-mile portion from Meeker to Wamsutter Hub in Wyoming is a 36-inch pipeline that has been operational since February 2006. The subsequent 192-mile stretch from Wamsutter to Cheyenne Hub also features a 36-inch diameter and commenced service in February 2007.

REX – West (Zone 2)

REX – West comprises a 713-mile, 42-inch pipeline extending from Weld County, Colorado, to Audrain County, Missouri. It includes a 5-mile, 24-inch lateral connecting to Williams Energy's Echo Springs Processing Plant.

The construction application was submitted by Rockies Express on May 31, 2006, with FERC granting approval on April 20, 2007. The initial 503-mile section was placed into service on December 27, 2007; the remaining 214 miles became operational on May 16, 2008. Since that date, the pipeline has been fully functional.

REX – East (Zone 3)

Spanning 638 miles with a diameter of 42 inches, REX – East runs from Audrain County, Missouri, to Clarington in Monroe County, Ohio. Rockies Express filed for construction authorization on April 30, 2007; FERC approval followed on May 30, 2008.

In June 2014, the Seneca Lateral commenced initial operations and achieved full capacity by January 2015, delivering roughly 0.6 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) onto the mainline within Zone 3. On August 1, 2015, the Zone 3 East-to-West Project enabled complete bi-directional flow of approximately 1.8 Bcf/d of Appalachian gas production toward Midcontinent markets.

Altogether, the Rockies Express system extends about 1,679 miles with diameters ranging primarily between 36 and 42 inches. It supports a capacity near 3.6 Bcf/d and functions at a maximum allowable pressure of 1,480 psi. The initial funding totaled close to $5 billion.

Rockies Express has submitted filings with FERC for a compression expansion initiative aimed at increasing Zone 3 east-to-west throughput by around 0.8 Bcf/d, with completion anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2016.

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