Pipeline’s capacity increased

by Wally Northway

Published: October 9,2009

CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI — Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE: KMP) has received authorization from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to increase the maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) on specific requested segments of three major natural gas pipelines that it operates from .72 to .8 design.

This authorization enables the Kinder Morgan Louisiana, Midcontinent Express and Rockies Express pipelines to serve their full current contracted capacity levels.

The 500-mile Midcontinent Express Pipeline (MEP) originates in Southeast Oklahoma, crosses Northeast Texas, North Louisiana, Central Mississippi and ends in Alabama. MEP will increase to the .8 design MAOP on approximately 267 miles of Zone 1 from Paris, Texas, to Delhi, La. This will boost firm deliverable capacity to 1.4 billion cubic feet (Bcf) per day on that portion of the pipeline. MEP’s Zone 2 extends from Delhi to Transcontinental Pipe Line’s Station 85 in Butler, Ala., and has a current capacity of nearly one Bcf per day.

The pipeline’s capacity, including expansions that have been approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, is fully subscribed with long-term binding commitments from creditworthy shippers.

MEP is a joint venture of KMP and Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.

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