Williams subsidiary Northwest Pipeline GP is launching an open season to seek expressions of interest from shippers to participate in its proposed 233 km Opal Market Link project.

The 24 inch diameter pipeline will transport unprocessed natural gas from the Uinta Basin in Utah to the Opal gas processing plant in southwestern Wyoming.

Once expression of interest forms are received, Northwest will determine the design and cost for the project.

Subject to shipper requests and the necessary federal, state and local approvals, service on the Opal Market Link project could be available as early as November 2013.

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Discovery Producer Services LLC, owned by Williams Partners and DCP Midstream Partners, is holding a non-binding open season for its Keathley Canyon Connector pipeline project in the central Gulf of Mexico.

The new deepwater natural gas gathering pipeline will originate in the southeast corner of the Keathley Canyon area in approximately 7,000 feet of water where several large discoveries and prospects have recently been announced.

The gathering pipeline will connect to either Discovery's existing deepwater gathering system or shelf transmission system.

The new gathering pipeline is expected to be between 241 and 322 km long, depending on the final route selection, with capacity of up to 400 MMcf/d of natural gas.

The new pipeline is expected to be in service during 2013.

Meanwhile the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved a proposed 26 km pipeline to connect the existing Transco and FGT natural gas pipeline systems with the new Gulf LNG Clean Energy import terminal being developed near Pascagoula, Mississippi.

Construction on the pipeline is scheduled to begin in April 2011 and the pipeline is expected to be in service in third quarter 2011, alongside the Gulf LNG Clean Energy import terminal, which is currently under development.