Natural Gas Infrastructure in the Southeastern U.S.

MJB&A performed a high-level evaluation of the natural gas infrastructure in the Southeast. The report examines supply dynamics, pipeline infrastructure, storage capacity, and import facilities that are available to serve the region. We concluded that there is substantial existing pipeline and production capacity for natural gas to play an expanded role in the region’s energy mix. The recent pipeline construction activity in both the Southeast and neighboring states has added substantial capacity to the system as well as greater diversity of supplies. Additionally, total underground storage in the region is poised nearly to double in the next few years. Further, pipelines that were originally designed to carry conventional gas from the Gulf region into the Northeast are being evaluated for backhauling shale gas from the Marcellus play to the Southeast. In the longer term, as gas from the Marcellus shale reserve comes to dominate the Northeast market, a greater share of the natural gas produced in both the Gulf region and neighboring states will be available to serve the Southeast markets.