HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwire - Jan 31, 2013) -  Merchant Energy Holdings, LLC, a Quantum Energy Partners portfolio company, announced today East Cheyenne Gas Storage, LLC (ECGS) will be conducting a non-binding open season for firm gas storage capacity beginning January 28th, with non-binding bid response forms due by Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 5 PM MST.

ECGS, a natural gas storage facility owned by Merchant Energy Holdings, LLC, is offering up to 8 BCF of firm, high deliverability, multi-cycle (HDMC) working gas storage capacity beginning April 1, 2013. The facility is located in Logan County, Colorado and is approximately 90 miles east of the Cheyenne Hub. ECGS is the only market-based gas storage facility capable of serving the Front Range market and began commercial operations in April 2012. The storage facility is currently completing its second phase of expansion, which includes the drilling of additional injection/withdrawal wells, construction of gathering and processing facilities, and the addition of gas compression.

ECGS is directly interconnected with Trailblazer Pipeline and has access to CIG, WIC, REX, and PSCO at the Cheyenne Hub. The total injection and withdrawal capability after the expansion, will be greater than 200,000 Dth/d. ECGS is a FERC-regulated gas storage facility that has the capability to serve the Front Range and Midwest markets along with the growing Niobrara production volumes sourced at the Cheyenne Hub. By submitting the enclosed ECGS Non-Binding Bid Response Form, the party submitting the Form is making a non-binding expression of interest for firm storage capacity in ECGS. The bids received on the Non-Binding Response Form will be used by ECGS to approach prospective customers to negotiate a binding Precedent or Storage Agreement. Each bidding party may submit more than one Non-Binding Bid Response Form commensurate with the services requested.

ECGS reserves the right, without qualification, to reject any and all bids for capacity offered during this Open Season and to modify this Open Season procedure in any way during the Open Season period. Bidders who submit bids do so without recourse against East Cheyenne Gas Storage, LLC and its parent Merchant Energy Holdings, LLC.

Please visit our website to obtain the complete bid information package: www.mehllc.com
Or contact Scott Smith, 713.403.6472 (ssmith@mehllc.com) or Kevin Legg, 720.351.4004 (klegg@mehllc.com).

About Merchant Energy Holdings
East Cheyenne Gas Storage is a gas storage project being developed by Merchant Energy Holdings, LLC, itself a wholly owned affiliate of Quantum NGS Holdings, LLC which is a joint venture between Quantum Energy Partners and Dr. Larry W. Bickle, an industry leader in the development of merchant gas storage facilities.
Any questions should be directed to Andy Lang at alang@mehllc.com or 713-403-6464.

About Quantum Energy Partners
Founded in 1998, Quantum Energy Partners is a leading provider of private equity capital to the global energy industry, having managed together with its affiliates, more than $6.5 billion in equity commitments since inception. For more information on Quantum, please visit www.quantumep.com. For investor relations, please contact Michael Dalton at (713) 452-2000.