Williams Partners Announces Startup of Expansion at Echo Springs Facility

TULSA, Okla., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE: WPZ) announced that it has commenced operations on the fourth cryogenic processing train (TXP4) at the Echo Springs natural gas processing plant in Carbon County, Wyoming.

The TXP4 plant adds approximately 350 million cubic feet per day (MMcfd) of natural gas processing and 30,000 barrels per day of natural gas liquid (NGL) production, roughly doubling Echo Springs' capacity in both cases. 

Current gathered volumes exceed 475 MMcfd and are expected to grow with producer drilling plans.  This expansion provides the ability to process currently flowing bypass gas as well as the ability to process expected future increases in third-party gas production.

Construction began on the expansion in the second half of 2009 and it was placed into service nearly two months ahead of schedule and significantly under budget. 

"This new expansion at Echo Springs adds even greater scale to our significant operations in the Rockies," said Alan Armstrong, president of Williams' midstream business. "Our completion of this expansion two months early and well under budget – and with zero lost-time accidents – is indicative of our intense focus on safety and reliability.

"This expansion is also highly complementary with our 50-percent stake in Overland Pass Pipeline," Armstrong said.  "With our NGL equity volumes from our Wyoming facilities and Willow Creek dedicated to Overland Pass, it will benefit from this expansion and any future expansions in the Piceance Basin."

Including this expansion, Williams Partners' Opal and Echo Springs processing plants in Wyoming have a combined daily inlet capacity of more than 2.1 billion cubic feet per day (Bcfd) of natural gas and 130,000 barrels per day of NGL production capacity.

Williams Partners owns large-scale midstream assets that are concentrated in major producing basins in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania. These assets provide natural gas gathering, treating, and processing; NGL fractionation, storage and transportation; and oil transportation.

About Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE: WPZ)

Williams Partners L.P. is a leading diversified master limited partnership focused on natural gas transportation; gathering, treating, and processing; storage; natural gas liquid (NGL) fractionation; and oil transportation. The partnership owns interests in three major interstate natural gas pipelines that, combined, deliver 12 percent of the natural gas consumed in the United States. The partnership's gathering and processing assets include large-scale operations in the U.S. Rocky Mountains and both onshore and offshore along the Gulf of Mexico. Williams (NYSE: WMB) owns approximately 80 percent of Williams Partners, including the general-partner interest. More information is available at www.williamslp.com. Go to http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1296&to=ea&s=0 or http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=630&to=ea&s=0 to join our email list.

Portions of this document may constitute "forward-looking statements" as defined by federal law. Although the partnership believes any such statements are based on reasonable assumptions, there is no assurance that actual outcomes will not be materially different. Any such statements are made in reliance on the "safe harbor" protections provided under the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995. Additional information about issues that could lead to material changes in performance is contained in the partnership's annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE Williams Partners L.P.