OREANDA-NEWS. Williams (NYSE: WMB) announced that it is initiating an open season from August 26 to September 23, 2014 for the Diamond East Project, an expansion of the Transco interstate pipeline to provide firm natural gas transportation capacity to markets in the northeastern United States by mid-2018. Transco is a wholly owned subsidiary of Williams Partners, L.P. (NYSE: WPZ), of which Williams owns controlling interests and is the general partner.

The Diamond East Project is being designed to provide up to one billion cubic feet per day of new natural gas transportation capacity from receipt points along its Leidy Line in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania and Luzerne County, Pennsylvania to its Market Pool at Station 210 in Mercer County, New Jersey where it can provide supply diversity to Transco's northeast market, including existing Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York local distribution companies and power generators.

Diamond East will consist of additional compression and selected pipeline loop segments along the existing Transco pipeline corridor. Although the final capacity, scope and cost of the project will be determined by the results of the open season, it is anticipated that the project will include approximately 50 miles of pipeline looping and horsepower additions at existing Transco compressor facilities. The capital investment for Diamond East is estimated to be between USD 500 million to USD 800 million, depending on customer participation and volume commitments.

"Diamond East is another example of Williams' commitment to add critical infrastructure that will connect growing Transco markets to abundant, economically-priced Marcellus production," said Rory Miller, senior vice president of Williams' Atlantic-Gulf Operating Area. "Unlike competing projects designed to serve the New Jersey Market Pool, Diamond East is a cost-effective expansion along an existing Transco corridor."

The proposed project will be subject to approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and other agencies. For customer inquiries, contact Jamie Taft at (713) 215-2404.

Diamond East is in addition to the USD 3.3 billion in capital expenditures planned through 2017 on Transco growth projects designed to serve markets in the Northeast. Transco is the nation's largest and fastest-growing interstate natural gas transmission pipeline system. It delivers natural gas to customers through its 10,200-mile pipeline network whose mainline extends nearly 1,800 miles between South Texas and New York City. The system is a major provider of cost-effective natural gas services that reach U.S. markets in 12 Southeast and Atlantic Seaboard states, including major metropolitan areas in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.