SAN DIEGO, Dec. 13, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Sempra Pipelines & Storage, a unit of Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE), today announced that it has received authorization from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to construct and operate its Liberty Gas Storage LLC natural gas storage facility in Calcasieu Parish, La. Sempra Pipelines & Storage owns 75 percent of the project and ProLiance Transportation & Storage, an affiliate of ProLiance Energy, LLC, a natural gas marketing company, owns 25 percent.
The company received FERC authorization to operate the facility under Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act, including market-based rate treatment.
"Liberty Gas Storage is on schedule to provide high-deliverability gas storage to the Gulf Coast region, an area that is facing supply shortages and increased price volatility," said George Liparidis, president of Sempra Pipelines & Storage. "The severe impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita highlighted the critical need for storage."
John Talley, president of ProLiance Energy, added, "The Liberty project represents an important step in our commitment to develop energy infrastructure projects to ensure that our customers receive reliable, affordable supplies of natural gas."
Liberty Gas Storage will be located near the town of Sulphur, La., and will provide firm storage and related services to customers transporting natural gas on various interstate pipelines in the region.
The facility, which will provide 17 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of working gas capacity for storage, is expected to be in service in mid- to late-2006. The project also will include surface facilities to allow for a maximum injection of 500 million cubic feet per day and maximum withdrawals of 1 Bcf per day.
Liberty Gas Storage will be connected to the Cameron and Port Arthur Pipelines, two new pipelines under development by Sempra Pipelines & Storage connecting area liquid natural gas regasification terminals to the interstate gas transmission system. The FERC has granted the company a 7(c) operating permit for the Cameron Pipeline. An application for the Port Arthur Pipeline's operating permit was filed with the FERC Feb. 28, 2005.
Information about the project and tariffs involving the Liberty Gas Storage are available on the project's Web site at www.libertygasstorage.com.
ProLiance Energy is one of the largest marketers of natural gas in the United States. Headquartered in Indianapolis, ProLiance has customers in 16 states and offices in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Missouri and Texas. Its more than 100 energy professionals manage the energy needs of more than 1,100 utility, municipal, industrial and commercial customers. ProLiance is jointly owned by affiliates of Vectren Corporation (NYSE:VVC) and Citizens Gas and Coke Utility.
Sempra Pipelines & Storage, a subsidiary of Sempra Global, acquires, builds and operates natural gas pipelines and storage facilities in Mexico and the United States.
Sempra Energy is a San Diego-based Fortune 500 energy services holding company with 2004 revenues of $9.4 billion. The Sempra Energy companies' more than 13,000 employees serve more than 10 million customers in the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico, South America and Asia.
This press release contains statements that are not historical fact and constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When Sempra Energy uses words like "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "may," "would," "should" or similar expressions, or when Sempra Energy discusses its strategy or plans, the company is making forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Future results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon various assumptions involving judgments with respect to the future and other risks, including, among others: local, regional, national and international economic, competitive, political, legislative and regulatory conditions and developments; actions by the California Public Utilities Commission, the California State Legislature, the California Department of Water Resources, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and other regulatory bodies in the United States and other countries; capital markets conditions, inflation rates, interest rates and exchange rates; energy and trading markets, including the timing and extent of changes in commodity prices; the availability of natural gas; weather conditions and conservation efforts; war and terrorist attacks; business, regulatory, environmental, and legal decisions and requirements; the status of deregulation of retail natural gas and electricity delivery; the timing and success of business development efforts; the resolution of litigation; and other uncertainties, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the company. These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that are available through the EDGAR system without charge at its Web site, www.sec.gov and on the company's Web site, www.sempra.com.
Sempra Pipelines & Storage is not the same company as the utilities, SDG&E or SoCalGas, and is not regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission