National Fuel Gas Supply Corp. asked FERC staff to drop the pre-filing proceeding for its 78-mile West to East-Overbeck to Leidy Project in Pennsylvania because of scheduling issues with Marcellus Shale producers and other potential anchor shippers.

"National Fuel has halted environmental document preparation due to uncertainty over the production schedule and in-service timing requirement of potential anchor shippers," the company said. "National Fuel believes that substantially more time will be required to resolve this timing uncertainty. Therefore, National Fuel requests that the Commission staff terminate this pre-filing proceeding."

National Fuel, a subsidiary of National Fuel Gas Co., said it would contact FERC to resume the preparation of environmental documents in the pre-filing process "when project timing has been determined."

In May 2010, FERC gave notice it would prepare an environmental assessment for the proposed West to East-Overbeck to Leidy Project. National Fuel had proposed to construct 78.4 miles of 24-inch pipeline and related facilities in Elk, Jefferson, Clearfield, Cameron, and Clinton counties in Pennsylvania. The project would include two compressor stations with a combined 25,000 horsepower and a meter station. The project would provide about 425,000 Dth/d of gas as firm transportation from producers in the Marcellus Shale region in central Pennsylvania to the interstate pipeline hub of Leidy.

According to FERC documents, the proposed construction would have disturbed about 1,025 acres, and about 425 acres would have been permanently maintained for project facilities. Most of the proposed pipeline route, about 97%, would run along existing pipeline, utility or road rights of way. More than 71% of the route would cross public lands managed by the Allegheny National Forest, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry and the Pennsylvania Game Commission. (PF10-14)

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(Originally published May 7, 2012, in SNL Daily Gas Report.)