The Rocky Mountain Transportation Conundrum

Bryan G. Hassler, Wyoming Natural Gas Pipeline Authority, 152 North Durbin Street, Suite 230, Casper, WY 82601, phone: 303-748-6473, fax: 303-948-1428, [email protected]

The Rocky Mountain Region has always been on the “bubble” relative to having enough natural gas pipeline export capacity to accommodate growing supplies. Build too much pipeline infrastructure rapidly and perceived value in transportation drops. Build too little infrastructure or delay infrastructure development and commodity prices plummet. The problem is exacerbated by increasing regulatory uncertainty in areas where Federal lands are involved or in areas where water discharge and/or air emissions battles are being fought.

The Wyoming Natural Gas Pipeline Authority is focused on assuring that adequate infrastructure is built in the future to accommodate growth of natural gas supplies from Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain region in the future. By actively monitoring development of supplies within each basin in Wyoming and selective basins outside of the State, a predictive model has been built to determine the level of activity necessary to maintain and grow natural gas production in a systematic and economic fashion in the Rocky Mountain region.