Council approves LNG pipeline permit; line will run under Sabine Lake

The green light has been given to a local industry for a natural gas pipeline to run under Sabine Lake.

Sempra Energy received the go-ahead from Port Arthur City Council for the installation of a 42-inch natural gas pipeline to go from Beauregard Parish in Louisiana, under Sabine Lake, and tie in to Sepmra’s Port Arthur LNG project in Sabine Pass.

The 72-mile pipeline will bring natural gas to the facility where it will be converted into liquefied natural gas, Anya McInnis with Port Arthur LNG said.

McInnis said there is a compressor station in Ragley, Louisiana that will tie into a pipeline there. From Ragley the line will go through Beauregard Parish to Calcasieu Parish to Cameron Parish and across the ship channel.

Port Arthur Councilman Thomas Kinlaw III asked about safety measures such as inspections to which Jerry Cochran with Sempra said the pipeline is built under strict Texas Department of Transportation rules and regulations.

In addition there are annual inspections and “smart pigging” to check the integrity of the pipe, and in tis particular case, we’re crossing city property, he said.

Smart pigging is a technique to inspect the internal walls of a pipeline.

The line will be at 120 feet deep.

“We have a real stringent operating maintenance program that we abide by,” Cochran said.

There were no resident comments in favor of or against the issue during Tuesday’s council meeting.

The Port Arthur LNG Phase 1 project is under construction and consists of two trains and two storage tanks and associated facilities. Phase 2 is an expansion of the site to include up to two additional trains capable of producing up to 13 Mtpa.

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