The Rockies Express Pipeline is one of the largest natural gas pipelines constructed in North America. It consists of three parts: Rockies Express Entrega, Rockies Express-West (REX-West) and REX-East. The entire pipeline will span 2,702 km from Rio Blanco County, Colorado, to Monroe County, Ohio.

REX is being developed by Rockies Express Pipeline LLC, a joint development of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, ConocoPhillips, and Sempra Pipelines & Storage – a subsidiary of Sempra Energy.

The 42 inch diameter pipeline will have a capacity of 1.6 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas with a potential to increase to 1.8 billion cubic feet per day.

The REX-East Pipeline will provide energy to markets in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio with access to natural gas supplies from the Rocky Mountain supply basins.

Article continues below…

The project includes the construction of five compressor stations along the route, as well as two new stations along the REX-West, where the gas will be re-pressurised and moved through the system. The compressor stations will be located in Audrain County, Missouri; Christian County, Illinois; Putnam County, Indiana; Warren County, Ohio and Muskingum County, Ohio.

The United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) deemed the project environmentally acceptable in its final Environmental Impact Statement in April 2008. The FERC approved construction of the REX-East Pipeline in June 2008.

The FERC concluded that the project design was consistent with federal resource management plans, limiting environmental impact and promoting restoration of all disturbed areas during construction and operation of the project. More than 59 per cent of the pipeline route follows existing rights-of-way.

Currently, the portion of the pipeline from Audrain County, Missouri, to Warren County, Ohio, is already in service. The entire pipeline is expected to be in service by 1 November 2009.