Williams Partners Seeks FERC Approval to Provide Additional Natural Gas Service to Northeast

TULSA, Okla., Dec. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE: WPZ) announced today that its Transco pipeline has filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to provide 250,000 dekatherms per day of incremental, year-round firm natural gas transportation capacity to serve growing markets in the Northeast region by November 2013.

The Northeast Supply Link project is designed to expand certain segments of the existing Transco pipeline in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to transport robust domestic supplies of natural gas to growing markets in the Northeast. 

"Because of its existing location, the Transco pipeline is well positioned to connect vast domestic natural gas supplies with growing markets in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania," said Randy Barnard, president of Williams' natural gas pipeline business. "This increased access will not only enhance reliability of natural gas service, but should contribute to a more stable gas and electric pricing environment in markets served by the project."

The proposed expansion will primarily consist of approximately 12 miles of new pipe at various locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, in addition to a new 25,000 horsepower compressor facility in Essex County, N.J., along with other facility modifications. The capital cost of the project is estimated to be $341 million.

Most of the new pipe will be installed either entirely within or parallel to existing pipeline and utility rights-of-way. The new Essex County compressor facility will be constructed on land already owned by Williams. All other compression-related activities will be performed entirely within existing compressor station facilities.

If approved, compressor station construction would begin in November 2012 with pipeline construction following in the spring of 2013.

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.