South Texas Expansion Project

STEP connected TGP's existing system to a new natural gas pipeline in northern Mexico.

The South Texas Expansion Project (STEP) consisted of approximately nine miles of new natural gas pipeline and eight miles of pipeline looping connecting Tennessee Gas Pipeline’s existing South Texas system to Gasoducto del Rio, a new natural gas pipeline in northern Mexico. Designed to ultimately deliver an incremental 320,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) to the Rio Bravo power generation complex in northern Mexico, the enhancement project expanded service to the rapidly growing natural gas market in Mexico.

For STEP, PBS&J was responsible for preparing the environmental resource (ER) reports as a part of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) 7c filing and for all permits. The firm was also responsible for coordination with local, state, and federal agencies, including the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) to obtain approval for the crossing of the Rio Grande River. Extensive data collection efforts included surveys for threatened and endangered species, cultural resources, wetlands, and other environmental constraints.

PBS&J developed an innovative approach using a global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) that incorporated all proposed pipeline centerline data, public domain spatial information, previously documented environmental constraints and environmental survey information into a GIS application. Using this methodology, PBS&J was able to deliver a complete FERC 7c filing and expedite the ER production from a four-month process to six weeks.