Williams Partners Receives FERC Approval to Provide Additional Natural Gas Service to Southeast

TULSA, Okla., Aug. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE: WPZ) announced today that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved a proposal to expand its Transco natural gas pipeline to provide an additional 225,000 dekatherms of incremental firm natural gas transportation capacity to serve growing markets in the Southeast region.

The Mid-South Expansion project is designed to provide service on the Transco natural gas pipeline to the City of LaGrange, Ga., Progress Energy Carolinas, Inc., and Southern Company Services, Inc.

"This project is yet another example of our ongoing commitment to provide economical transportation service from Mid-Continent natural gas supply sources at Transco's Station 85 pool to fast-growing markets in the southeastern United States," said Randy Barnard, president of Williams' natural gas pipeline business.

The expansion will consist of approximately 23 miles of new pipeline, a new compressor facility in Dallas County, Ala., and upgrades to existing compressor facilities in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. It will be constructed in two phases: 95,000 dekatherms will be placed into service in the fall of 2012 and 130,000 dekatherms will be placed into service in the summer of 2013. The capital cost of the project is estimated to be $217 million.

The Transco pipeline is a 10,000-mile pipeline system which transports natural gas to markets throughout the northeastern and southeastern United States. The current system capacity is approximately 9.6 million dekatherms per day.

About Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE: WPZ)

Williams Partners L.P. is a leading diversified master limited partnership focused on natural gas transportation; gathering, treating, and processing; storage; natural gas liquid (NGL) fractionation; and oil transportation. The partnership owns interests in three major interstate natural gas pipelines that, combined, deliver 14 percent of the natural gas consumed in the United States. The partnership's gathering and processing assets include large-scale operations in the U.S. Rocky Mountains and both onshore and offshore along the Gulf of Mexico. Williams (NYSE: WMB) owns approximately 75 percent of Williams Partners, including the general-partner interest. More information is available at www.williamslp.com. Go to http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1296&to=ea&s=0 or http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=630&to=ea&s=0 to join our email list.

Portions of this document may constitute "forward-looking statements" as defined by federal law. Although the partnership believes any such statements are based on reasonable assumptions, there is no assurance that actual outcomes will not be materially different. Any such statements are made in reliance on the "safe harbor" protections provided under the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995. Additional information about issues that could lead to material changes in performance is contained in the partnership's annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE Williams Partners L.P.