Bob Orndorff, managing director for external affairs of Dominion Transmission, Inc. (DTI) met with the Wetzel County Commission Tuesday to announce plans for a new compressor station in Wetzel County.

Dominion Transmission, Inc. plans to build the new Lewis-Wetzel Compressor Station as part of the proposed Appalachian Gateway Project. The Lewis-Wetzel Compressor Station will be located on the Dominion Hastings Processing Plant property in Wetzel County. The new station will consist of 3,550 HP of compression and associated auxiliary equipment.

While the addition will not bring a significant amount of full-time jobs, there will be temporary construction jobs created.

One 3,550 HP high speed, skid mounted, gas-fired Caterpillar G3612 engine package driving a reciprocating compressor will be installed in a new compressor building. The Lewis-Wetzel station will be designed to flow 49.3 MMscf/day at a discharge pressure of 800 psig and a suction pressure of 310 psig. The compressor will be a single-stage and four throw.

In association with the new horsepower, other facilities to be installed include ancillary systems necessary to support compression; including the unit lube oil and jacket water coolers, unit and yard piping, filter separator, fuel gas system, a fluid storage tank area, and the electrical and infrastructure necessary for operation. DTI also plans to install a new auxiliary/office building on the site which will include backup power generation facilities with waste heat recovery technology.

Sound studies will be evaluated during the design and permitting process. The mufflers on the two gathering units nearby shall be replaced in accordance with the recommendations proposed in the noise study report in order to meet required noise levels.

Three phase power is available at Hastings Station. A load study will be required to determine if upgrades to the existing electrical service will be required. Domestic water and sewage are also readily available on the site. All of the planned work for the project will be performed within the existing boundaries of the Hastings property.

As explained in an information packet, the Hastings expansion is through a three-planned approach. Firstly, the fractionation efficiency project is the addition of new cooling capacity to the existing process. Construction for the major fractionation efficiency upgrades is scheduled to begin in May 2010 and should be completed by the end of the year. Some of the supporting plant enhancements associated with fractionation efficiency will not be completed until 2011.

Secondly, four new storage tanks to Hastings and Galmish facilities will be added and will include all necessary supporting piping additions, spill containment, and fire water deluge system additions. Construction for the tank additions is scheduled to begin in March 2011 and be completed by the end of the year.

Lastly, the project includes the installation of gasoline delivery system enhancements and product loading enhancements. Due to the large additional amounts of gasoline being generated under the new design, the new gasoline delivery system enhancements are needed in order to efficiently load the gasoline into railcars at Galmish, or barges at Bens Run without adding significant loading staff to NGL Operations.

The installations of new railcar loading bays include extensions of railway sidelines and applicable spill containment/fire-water deluge system facilities. These upgrades will begin in March 2011 and be completed by the summer of 2012.