WMB Completes Major Transco Pipeline Expansions to Boost U.S. Energy

Williams Companies, Inc. WMB recently finished two important expansions of its Transco pipeline system. These projects, the Southeast Energy Connector in Alabama and the Texas to Louisiana Energy Pathway along the Gulf Coast, were developed to meet the growing demand for natural gas while minimizing environmental impact and land usage. Both projects are fully contracted, showing WMB's commitment to providing sustainable energy solutions and its ability to handle large infrastructure projects efficiently.

Importance of Transco Pipeline Expansions

The successful completion of these expansions is a significant achievement for the Tulsa, OK-based oil and gas storage and transportation company, as this strengthens the U.S. energy infrastructure. The Transco pipeline, the largest natural gas pipeline system in the United States, stretches more than 10,000 miles from South Texas to New York City. It carries around 20% of the country’s natural gas. With these new expansions, the pipeline’s capacity has increased to more than 20 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), which bolsters its importance in the U.S. energy system.

Strengthening Gulf Coast Energy Infrastructure

The Texas to Louisiana Energy Pathway expansion plays an important role in boosting the energy infrastructure along the Gulf Coast, which has seen a rise in demand due to LNG exports and the need for reliable domestic energy. This project increases the pipeline’s capacity by 364 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d), ensuring that the Gulf Coast has a stable and diverse energy supply.

As more industries rely on affordable and dependable energy, this expansion helps meet both domestic energy needs and the growing LNG export market. This ensures that the Gulf Coast has enough energy to meet local demands while supporting energy exports.

Supporting Clean Energy Transition in Alabama

The Southeast Energy Connector in Alabama is key to the state's transition from coal to natural gas for power generation. This expansion brings an additional 150 MMcf/d of natural gas to the state, supporting its efforts to meet clean energy goals. As the world focuses more on cleaner energy sources, natural gas plays an important role in reducing carbon emissions and ensuring a steady supply of energy.

Natural gas provides the flexibility needed to support the use of renewable energy like solar and wind. This helps reduce reliance on coal and supports the shift toward cleaner power generation in the state.

Transco Pipeline: Meeting Growing Energy Demands

The completion of these expansions comes at a time when the Transco pipeline has been handling record-breaking volumes of natural gas. Recently, the pipeline recorded 19 of the 20 highest-volume days in its history. This surge in demand is driven by heating, electric power generation and LNG exports.

With these new expansions, WMB can continue to meet the rising demand for natural gas in various sectors, especially during times of high energy use, such as winter months.

WMB’s Focus on Sustainable Growth

Alan Armstrong, president and CEO of WMB, praised the team for completing large-scale projects efficiently, highlighting their ability to execute expansions safely and responsibly.

WMB remains committed to meeting the growing demand for natural gas in the United States. The company is working on 12 high-return transmission projects that will add more than 3.25 Bcf/d to its transmission systems in the coming years. These projects will further strengthen the country's energy infrastructure and support the shift to cleaner energy sources.

WMB’s Zacks Rank & Other Key Picks

Currently, WMB has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Investors interested in the energy sector might look at some better-ranked stocks like Archrock AROC, ARC Resources AETUF and  Delek Logistics Partners DKL, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

DKL is valued at $2.32 billion. In the past year, its units have risen 7.5%. The company manages and owns systems for moving and storing oil and other products. It operates pipelines that transport crude oil and refined products like gasoline and diesel. The company also collects crude oil from different areas and stores it in tanks.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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