By Laia Munoz-Cortijo and Katie Dyl
Developers plan to bring approximately 44.9 bcf/d (1.2 x 109 m3/d) of new pipeline capacity online in the United States in 2026 and 2027, according to the US Energy Information Administration’s (EIA). Approximately 70% (31.6 bcf/d [894.8 x 106 m3/d]) of this new capacity is already under construction. More than 66% (29.7 bcf/d [841.01 x 106 m3/d]) of capacity additions originate in Texas. Louisiana is second with 19% (8.4 bcf/d [237.8 x 106 m3/d]) of total capacity additions.
The projects in Texas will provide additional takeaway capacity out of the Permian Basin and debottleneck the Waha Hub, supplying natural gas to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals, as well as residential, power, and industrial users.
The largest of the pipeline projects currently under construction and projected to enter service by the end of this year include:
- Rio Bravo Pipeline Project: A 138-mile (222-km) pipeline originating in Texas with a capacity of up to 4.5 bcf/d (127.4 x 106 m3/d), which will deliver feedgas to NextDecade’s under construction Rio Grande LNG export terminal. NextDecade is targeting an in-service date in the second half of this year.
- Blackcomb pipeline: A 365-mile (587-km), 2.5 bcf/d (70.7 x 106 m3/d) pipeline currently under construction and slated to enter service in the third quarter 2026. The pipeline originating in Texas will deliver Permian supply from the Waha hub to the Agua Dulce hub, further clearing the Waha bottleneck.
- Hugh Brinson Project: A total 2.2 bcf/d (62.2 x 106 m3/d) project increasing takeaway capacity from the Permian Basin in Texas. The developer expects phase 1 of this project to begin flowing in the fourth quarter of 2026, and phase 2 to begin operations in the first quarter of 2027.
In Louisiana, the Port Arthur Pipeline Louisiana Connector is expected to begin service in the second half of 2026 with 2 bcf/d (56.6 x 106 m3/d) of capacity. By the end of 2027, Pelican Pipeline is expected to come online in Louisiana, bringing the total additional capacity to 8.4 bcf/d (237.8 x 106 m3/d).
Virginia has the third most capacity additions over the next two years, with 1.6 bcf/d (45.3 x 106 m3/d) expected to come online in 2027 via Williams’s Southeast Supply Enhancement Project, an expansion of its exiting Transcontinental Pipeline from Virginia to Alabama.
About The Authors
Laia Munoz-Cortijo and Katie Dyl are research analysts with the US Energy Information Administration
