95-mile natural gas pipeline approved

The Bureau of Land Management has approved construction of a 95-mile natural gas liquids pipeline that will help meet the long-term demands of regional energy producers and in the short term employ hundreds of construction personnel.

Enterprise Mid-America Pipeline is expected to start construction by the end of the year on what’s called the Western Expansion Project II pipeline, which will travel through western Colorado and eastern Utah, the BLM said in a news release. The project is expected to take about six months to complete and involve about 400 to 450 workers, including Enterprise employees and contractors, and construction inspection and environmental monitoring staff.

The BLM said the pipeline is anticipated to go into service by late summer of next year.

It will transport natural gas liquids such as propane, butane and benzene from Wyoming and Colorado to Hobbs, N.M. From there, the liquids can be shipped elsewhere in the country to be separated out at fractionation facilities and sold.