CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — Dominion Energy is at the beginning of what could be a massive project to move Marcellus Shale natural gas from West Virginia to points south. The Southeast Reliability Pipeline Project is in the initial planning phase.
“We are at the very preliminary stages of the project. We are sending letters to land owners to let them know we’ll be on their property to survey, to identify the best route possible for the project,” explained Jim Norvelle, a spokesperson with Dominion.
The starting point for the pipeline would be in Harrison County. Norvelle said it’s still undecided which route the pipeline could take to make it to the Virginia state line and then into North Carolina, the final destination. He said it would add up to about 500 miles of pipeline.
“If we decide as a company to go forward with this project and we get all the permits we need from the federal government the construction could take into the 2016, 2017 and 2018 time period,” according to Norvelle.
Currently many nearby areas get their natural gas from the Gulf Coast. Norvelle said that could all change with this project.
“There are parts of this country, North Carolina, Virginia, parts of West Virginia, that are hungry to get some of this abundant natural gas into their territories, into their states, for economic development,” explained Norvelle.
The proposed pipe would measure 42-inches in diameter. That’s considered large in the natural gas industry. But Norvelle said every drop will be used, that’s how in demand natural gas will be by 2016.
The company went before the Lewis County Commission Tuesday to talk about the project and to assure landowners if they have any concerns they should contact Dominion.
Norvelle stressed,”We’ve got a while to go here. This is just beginning the conversation.”