Work on gas pipeline project under way

An Oklahoma company is temporarily leasing space in the packing house on State Road 70 south of Lake Placid in conjunction with the massive natural gas pipeline project that is now under way. -

Sheehan Pipe Line Construction Co., which is based in Tulsa, will occupy the building owned by Lake Placid Groves LLC through August, according to John Barnett, a spokesman for Florida Gas Transmission Co.

Florida Gas is expanding its natural gas pipeline system to meet the growing energy needs of the Gulf Coast and Florida to ensure an adequate, reliable and secure energy supply, according to its Web site. Natural gas is the primary fuel for new electric generation plants and most of the natural gas consumed along the Gulf Coast and Florida is used for electric generation.

The Phase VIII Expansion Project will consist of approximately 483.2 miles of multi diameter pipeline in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida with approximately 365.8 miles built parallel to existing pipelines, the Web site said.

The portion of the project in the Heartland will cover 90 miles, Barnett said. Work has started in Arcadia and will proceed east to Martin County. It will end at the Florida Power and Light plant.

The project will add 213,600 horsepower of additional mainline compression with one new compressor station to be built in Highlands County, the Web site said. Compressor stations pump gas through the pipeline by compressing the gas at intervals along the system.

Highlands County Engineer Ramon Gavarrete said the station will be built a quarter-mile east of County Road 721 on the north side of S.R. 70.

The project is expected to be completed and in service in the spring of 2011.

Sheehan has more than 300 employees working on the project. Barnett said there might be a need to hire some local people to build the compressor station, but he noted that decision will be made by Sheehan.