Northwest Gas Pipeline
| Part of the Global Gas Infrastructure Tracker, a Global Energy Monitor project. |
Northwest Gas Pipeline is an operating natural gas pipeline in the northwestern United States. [1]
Location
The pipeline runs bidirectionally from Sumas, Washington, to La Plata County, Colorado.[2]
Project Details
Main Line
- Operator: Northwest Pipeline Co[3]
- Owner: Williams[4]
- Capacity: 3,800 MMcf/d[4]
- Length: 3,900 mi[4]
- Status: Operating[4]
- Start Year: 1965[4]
Trail West/N-Max
- Operator: Northwest Pipeline Co[3]
- Owner: Williams[4]
- Capacity: 450 MMcf/d[3]
- Length: 106 mi[3]
- Diameter: 30 in[3]
- Status: Cancelled[3]
- Start Year: 2023[5]
- Cost: US$800 million[3]
Kalama Lateral Project
- Operator: Northwest Pipeline Co[3]
- Owner: Williams[4]
- Capacity: 320 MMcf/d[6]
- Length: 3 mi[3]
- Diameter: 24 in[3]
- Status: Cancelled[3]
- Start year: 2022[3]
- Cost: US$22.8 million[3]
Kelso-Beaver Reliability Project
- Operator: Northwest Pipeline Co[3]
- Owner: Williams[1]
- Capacity: 183 MMcf/d[3]
- Length: 0 mi[7]
- Status: Proposed[3]
- Start Year: 2028[3]
Wild Trail Project
- Operator: Northwest Pipeline Co[3]
- Owner: Williams[1]
- Capacity: 83 MMcf/d[3]
- Length: 0 mi[7]
- Status: Proposed[3]
- Start Year: 2027[3]
Background
Main Line
The Northwest Pipeline system is a primary artery for the transmission of natural gas to the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain Region. It began as a 1,500-mile pipeline and has since expanded into a 3,900-mile bi-directional transmission system crossing the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. Northwest’s bi-directional system provides access to British Columbia, Alberta, Rocky Mountain and San Juan Basin gas supplies. [1]
Trail West/N-Max
The Trail West/N-Max project would deliver more gas to the Portland area from a major existing pipeline in Central Oregon. The new 30-inch diameter gas pipeline was designed to transport 450 million cubic feet per day with an option to double that amount in the future. The industry believed that it could go into service by late 2023.[8]
According to the July 2023 update of the EIA database the project status is on-hold/cancelled.[3]
Kalama Lateral Project
The Kalama Lateral Project was proposed in 2016 to transport natural gas to a proposed Northwest Innovation Works methanol plant in Washington, United States.[6] FERC issued extensions to Northwest Pipeline Co in 2018 and 2019, and in April 2022 it granted a third extension to the required in-service date out to April 2022. The methanol plant was cancelled in 2021, effectively cancelling the lateral project despite the permit extension.[9]
Kelso-Beaver Reliability Project
The proposed Kelso Beaver Reliability Project aims provide a total of approximately 183,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of pipeline capacity to the Northwest Pipeline system by the third quarter of 2028. The project involves acquiring the existing 18-mile KB pipeline and installing a new compressor station. The project does not involve new pipeline construction.[3][7]
Wild Trail Project
The proposed Wild Trail project will increase transportation capacity within the existing Northwest Pipeline system, moving resources from the Wild Horse Receipt Point to the Kern River Muddy Creek and Ignacio Delivery Points. The project includes a new compressor station, adjacent to the existing Northwest Pipeline Clay Basin Meter Station. No new pipelines are proposed in this project. The project will add 57,955 Dth/d plus contract for another 25,000 dth/d for a total project capacity of 82,955 Dth/d.[3]
Articles and resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Northwest Pipeline" Williams Companies January 2018
- ↑ "Northwest Pipeline". Rextag Corporation Store. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 "Natural Gas - Pipeline Project". eia.gov. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 "Northwest Pipeline | Williams Companies". Williams Companies. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
- ↑ "Trail West Pipeline". Bark Out. Retrieved 14 August, 2023.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Northwest Pipeline gets 2 more years to put gas lateral in service". www.spglobal.com. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Kelso Beaver Reliability | Williams Companies". Williams Companies. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
- ↑ Eric De Place, Despite Inslee’s Opposition, Gas Industry Still Plans Big Expansion in the PNW, Sightline Institute, June 6, 2019
- ↑ "EIP Oil & Gas Watch". oilandgaswatch.org. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
