OREANDA-NEWS.  Constitution Pipeline Company, LLC, a limited liability company owned by subsidiaries of Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE:WPZ), Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE:COG), Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc. (NYSE:PNY), and WGP Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:WGL), today announced it has filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) seeking approval to construct a 122-mile pipeline connecting domestic natural gas production in northeastern Pennsylvania with northeastern markets by spring 2015.

 The Constitution Pipeline has been designed to transport up to 650,000 dekatherms of natural gas per day (enough natural gas to serve approximately 3 million homes) from Williams Partners' gathering system in Susquehanna County, Pa., to the Iroquois Gas Transmission and Tennessee Gas Pipeline systems in Schoharie County, N.Y. The capital cost of the project is estimated to be USD683 million.

 "The Constitution Pipeline would become a key piece of natural gas infrastructure in the region, supporting the overall reliability and diversification of energy infrastructure in the northeastern United States and helping our nation realize the full benefit of these abundant, clean-burning natural gas supplies," the Constitution members said in a joint statement.

 Since last spring Constitution Pipeline Company has been involved in the FERC pre-filing process, soliciting input from citizens, governmental entities and numerous other interested parties to identify and address issues with the proposed pipeline alignment. The pipeline route filed with the FERC this month reflects changes to more than 50 percent of the original pipeline alignment – most as a direct result of stakeholder input.

 The 30-inch underground transmission pipeline would stretch from Susquehanna County, Pa., into Broome County, N.Y., Chenango County, N.Y., Delaware County, N.Y., and terminate in Schoharie County, N.Y.

 Williams Partners owns a 41 percent share of Constitution Pipeline and, through its affiliates, will provide construction, operation and maintenance services for the new pipeline. Through their subsidiaries, Cabot owns a 25 percent share, Piedmont Natural Gas owns a 24 percent share and WGL owns a 10 percent share of the company.