Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline Inc. (Southern Star) is seeking FERC authorization to construct, install, operate, and maintain a series of new natural gas transmission facilities in Sumner County, Kansas. The proposed Viola Project includes new pipeline (Line UA), new compressor station (Wellington Station), and associated flow control and metering infrastructure required to establish firm transportation service to Evergy’s planned Viola Plant.
Southern Star proposes to construct and operate 19.33 miles of 16‑inch‑diameter steel pipeline extending westward from the proposed Wellington Station to the new Evergy Meter Setting located near the site of the Viola Plant. The project will provide transportation capacity of 116,296 dekatherms per day at a maximum allowable operating pressure of 1462 psi. According to the company’s filing, the pipeline is required to support new firm delivery obligations and to integrate with Southern Star’s existing 20‑inch Line U.
In addition to the pipeline, Southern Star seeks authorization to construct and operate a new greenfield compressor station, designated as the Wellington Station. The station will be installed adjacent to existing Line U and configured with three Caterpillar 3612/Ariel reciprocating compressor units. Two units will be housed within a shared compressor building, while the third unit will occupy a separate structure. Combined, the units will deliver approximately 12,375 hp of installed compression. Planned auxiliary infrastructure includes a compressor building with integrated office space, station tie‑ins, and other standard mechanical and electrical support systems required for full‑time operation.
Southern Star’s application also includes a request to construct and operate a new flow control installation, identified as the Evergy Flow Control Setting. This facility will be situated within a newly established permanent easement and will house the required flow regulation and auxiliary equipment necessary to maintain stable operating conditions on the existing system when volumes are redirected to the new Evergy delivery point. The company states that the flow control station is essential to preventing adverse operational impacts resulting from the new load profile introduced by the Viola Plant.
The final component of the project is the Evergy Meter Setting, a new greenfield meter station engineered to serve as the interconnect point between Southern Star’s transmission system and Evergy’s new plant. The facility will include the necessary measurement equipment to support accurate delivery, monitoring, and custody transfer for gas supplied under firm transportation arrangements.
Southern Star asserts that the combined facilities — Line UA, the Wellington Station compressor installation, the Evergy Flow Control Setting, and the Evergy Meter Setting — are required to provide the new firm transportation capacity requested by Evergy and to ensure continued system integrity across the company’s existing transmission infrastructure. FERC will evaluate the application under standard certificate review procedures prior to the issuance of a final decision.
