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2001 News Releases
Date: April 18, 2001
Initial
Gulfstream Natural Gas System Pipe Shipment Arrives in Alabama
HOUSTON - Gulfstream Natural Gas
System, L.L.C. has received the first shipment of pipe for
construction of its 753-mile natural gas pipeline system. The
pipe was delivered to Liberty Port in Mobile, Ala. and
transported to a concrete weight coating facility in Theodore,
Ala.
"This is the largest pipeline project in the Gulf of
Mexico. When you see this first shipment of pipe arrive - all
23,000 tons of it - and realize we still have 12 more shipments
coming, it underscores just how enormous this project really
is," said Nancy Schultz, Gulfstream senior vice president
and general manager, technical functions. "It is exciting
to have reached this milestone, which marks the imminent start
of physical construction."
The pipe, purchased from Berg Steel Pipe Corporation in Panama
City, Fla., arrived by ship from Bremen, Germany, where it was
manufactured by Berg's parent company, Europipe. Each section of
36-inch diameter pipe, with a wall thickness of up to 1.375
inches, is approximately 40 feet in length and weighs up to
eight tons.
One hundred seventy two miles of 36-inch pipe will be stored in
Alabama until the scheduled start of construction in June.
Additional steel pipe manufactured at Berg's pipe mill in Panama
City, Fla., is scheduled to be delivered to Port Manatee, Fla.,
on May 28.
Gulfstream Natural Gas System, L.L.C. is a joint interstate
natural gas pipeline development of Williams (NYSE:WMB) and Duke
Energy (NYSE:DUK) approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission Feb. 22, 2001. The proposed 753-mile pipeline project
will extend from Mississippi and Alabama across the Gulf of
Mexico to Florida. It is designed primarily to serve Florida
utilities and power-generation facilities that will use
high-efficiency natural gas turbines to meet the demand for
electric energy. The project has an initial in-service date of
June 2002.
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