The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved an application for Gulf Trace expansion of the Transco Pipeline serving Cheniere Energy Partners LP’s Sabine Pass Liquefaction project, Williams said Nov. 4.

Gulf Trace is a 1.2 dekatherm per day expansion of the pipeline that will serve the liquefaction project being developed in Cameron Parish, La. Sabine Pass will connect U.S. natural gas supplies with global LNG markets.

Gulf Trace will make Transco’s production area mainline and southwest Louisiana lateral systems bidirectional from Station 65 in St. Helena Parish, La., to Cameron Parish, La. In addition to the pipeline reversal, a new, 7-mile, 36-inch lateral pipeline and the expansion of a compressor station and a new greenfield compressor station are planned. These will provide transportation to Sabine Pass.

The Sabine Pass export terminal is currently under construction and first LNG is expected in late 2015. It will have six LNG trains and up to 27 million tonnes per annum of production capacity, the first large-scale LNG export facility operating in the country. The project is supported by long-term contacts with several LNG off-take shippers.

The target in-service date is first-quarter 2017, subject to regulatory approvals.

Transco, a wholly owned subsidiary of Williams Partners, executed an agreement with Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC, for the entire capacity of the Gulf Trace project, Williams added.

Williams is based in Tulsa, Okla.

Cheniere Energy Inc. is based in Houston.