AGL Resources to Build Natural Gas Storage Facility in Beaumont
Golden Triangle Storage offers 12 Bcf initial capacity to serve growing market
demand
HOUSTON, Dec. 7 -- AGL Resources (NYSE: ATG)
announced today that it is planning to build a $180 million natural gas
storage facility in the Spindletop salt dome in Beaumont, Texas, providing 12
billion cubic feet (Bcf) of working gas capacity in its first phase and with
potential future expansion up to 36 Bcf.
Golden Triangle Storage, a wholly owned subsidiary of AGL Resources, will
give customers high-deliverability storage at a liquid market point; easy
access to multiple supply sources, including liquefied natural gas imports;
and potential interconnections with up to eight existing and planned pipelines
serving diverse markets with counter-seasonal demand.
AGL Resources' Houston-based Pivotal Energy Development expects to
finalize engineering plans and obtain regulatory permits to begin construction
in 2008. The first salt dome cavern is slated to begin operations in 2010,
with a second 6 Bcf cavern to be in commercial operation in 2012. The facility
is located on approximately 90 acres of private land over the Spindletop salt
dome at the southern end of Beaumont.
"The Golden Triangle Storage project is an attractive option to serve
customers' growing needs for natural gas storage in the region," said Dana
Grams, president of Pivotal Energy Development. "Because of its proximity to
new sources of supply and its ability to serve diverse, counter-seasonal
markets with high deliverability, the project offers customers significant
market advantages. The initial response has been very positive."
Golden Triangle Storage will provide firm and interruptible storage,
including parking, loaning and wheeling services. The $180 million project
will offer multiple injection and withdrawal cycles with up to nine turns per
year and 900 million cubic feet per day (mmcf/d) of deliverable capacity and
450 mmcf/d of injection capacity. The project will provide nearly 9.4 Bcf/d of
direct market access as well as an additional 4.5 Bcf/d of capacity on planned
expansions serving local petrochemical facilities and the Houston Ship Channel
through Texas intrastate pipelines and serving markets in the Northeast, Mid-
Atlantic and Southeast via interstate pipelines.
Depending on customer interest, potential interconnects may include
Florida Gas Transmission, TETCO, Centana Pipeline, Houston Pipe Line Co.'s
Texoma line, Sabine Pipeline, Kinder Morgan Texas, ExxonMobil's Golden Pass
Pipeline (under construction) and Enbridge's planned Clarity pipeline.
On the supply side, Golden Triangle Storage offers easy access for East
Texas onshore production, including Barnett Shale gas, as well as deepwater
supplies. In addition, the facility is conveniently located near 8 to 11 Bcf/d
of LNG imports from terminals along the Sabine-Lake Charles corridor.
Interested parties should submit non-binding bids for firm storage by Jan.
15, 2007, for the initial 6 Bcf of working gas capacity with an expected in-
service date of first quarter 2010. For more information about the project and
the bid process, contact Ed Gottlob at 832-397-1798 or Rob de Cardenas at
832-397-3881, or visit the Golden Triangle Storage Web site at
www.goldentrianglestorage-texas.com or www.gts-texas.com.
About AGL Resources
AGL Resources (NYSE: ATG - News), an Atlanta-based energy services holding
company, serves 2.2 million customers in six states through its utility
subsidiaries - Atlanta Gas Light, Elizabethtown Gas in New Jersey, Virginia
Natural Gas, Florida City Gas, Chattanooga Gas, and Elkton Gas in Maryland.
Ranked by Forbes as one of the 10 Best Managed Utilities and No. 250 in
the Forbes Platinum 400 as well as No. 647 on the Fortune 1000 and No. 40 in
the Fortune gas and electric utilities sector in 2006, AGL Resources reported
revenue of $2.7 billion and net income of $193 million in 2005. The company
also owns Houston-based Sequent Energy Management, an asset manager serving
natural gas wholesale customers throughout the East and Midwest. As a 70
percent owner in the SouthStar partnership, AGL Resources markets natural gas
to consumers in Georgia under the Georgia Natural Gas brand. AGL Networks, the
company's telecommunications subsidiary, owns and operates fiber optic
networks in Atlanta and Phoenix. The company also owns and operates Pivotal
Jefferson Island Storage & Hub, a high-deliverability natural gas storage
facility near the Henry Hub in Louisiana. For more information, visit
www.aglresources.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain expectations and projections regarding our future performance
referenced in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-
looking statements involve matters that are not historical facts and because
these statements involve anticipated events or conditions, forward-looking
statements often include words such as "anticipate," "assume," "can," "could,"
"estimate," "expect," "forecast," "future," "indicate," "intend," "may,"
"outlook," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "seek," "should,"
"target," "will," "would," or similar expressions. These forward-looking
statements may include statements regarding the cost, timing, capacity and
benefits of the proposed project, as well as anticipated future financial and
operating performance and results, including estimates of future growth and
expected returns. Our expectations are not guarantees and are based on
currently available competitive, financial and economic data along with our
operating plans. While we believe our expectations are reasonable in view of
the currently available information, our expectations are subject to future
events, risks and uncertainties, and there are several factors - many beyond
our control - that could cause results to differ significantly from our
expectations.
Such events, risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to,
changes in price, supply and demand for natural gas and related products; the
impact of changes in state and federal legislation and regulation; actions
taken by government agencies on rates and other matters; the inability of the
company to obtain regulatory and other approvals necessary to complete the
proposed project, resulting in a delay in project completion, or in the
imposition of conditions that could have a material adverse effect on the
company or cause the company to abandon the project; actions by competitors,
suppliers, customers or others that might result in a delay in project
completion or abandonment of the project; concentration of credit risk;
utility and energy industry consolidation; impact of acquisitions and
divestitures; direct or indirect effects on AGL Resources' business, financial
condition or liquidity resulting from a change in our credit ratings or the
credit ratings of our counterparties or competitors; interest rate
fluctuations; financial market conditions and general economic conditions;
uncertainties about environmental issues and the related impact of such
issues; the impact of changes in weather upon the temperature-sensitive
portions of the business; impacts of natural disasters such as hurricanes upon
the supply and price of natural gas; acts of war or terrorism; the timing and
success of business development efforts; and other factors which are provided
in detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which we
incorporate by reference in this press release. Forward-looking statements
are only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake to update these
statements to reflect subsequent changes.
SOURCE AGL Resources
CONTACT: Keith Poston of AGL Resources, +1-404-584-4189, or cell,
+1-404-290-2166, or kposton@aglresources.com
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