HOUSTON—-Kinder Morgan has announced that the Utopia Pipeline has been placed into service, and product delivery of ethane from Harrison County, Ohio, to Windsor, Ontario, Canada, has commenced operation. The pipeline system extends approximately 270 miles and has an initial capacity of 50,000 barrels per day (bpd) and can be expanded to more than 75,000 bpd.
“We are extremely pleased to have placed the Utopia Pipeline into service,” said Don Lindley, president of Natural Gas Liquids, Products Pipelines for KMI. “The project team, in coordination with local, state and federal agencies, has done a tremendous job developing a project that provides ethane takeaway capacity from the Utica shale to the growing petrochemical industry while also maintaining an open dialogue with the local communities to support their needs and consider alternatives. This interaction and creativity developed a project that worked for multiple stakeholders.”