Kinder Morgan Inc.’s (NYSE: KMI) Utopia Pipeline has been placed into service and product delivery of ethane from Harrison County, Ohio, to Windsor, Ontario, has commenced operation, the company said on Jan. 23. The pipeline system extends approximately 270 miles and has an initial capacity of 50,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) and can be expanded to more than 75,000 bbl/d.

“We are extremely pleased to have placed the Utopia Pipeline into service,” said Don Lindley, president of Natural Gas Liquids, Products Pipelines for KMI. “The project team, in coordination with local, state and federal agencies, has done a tremendous job developing a project that provides ethane takeaway capacity from the Utica shale to the growing petrochemical industry while also maintaining an open dialogue with the local communities to support their needs and consider alternatives. This interaction and creativity developed a project that worked for multiple stakeholders.”

Kinder Morgan is one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America. It owns an interest in or operates approximately 85,000 miles of pipelines and 152 terminals. KMI’s pipelines transport natural gas, refined petroleum products, crude oil, condensate, CO2 and other products, and its terminals transload and store petroleum products, ethanol and chemicals, and handle such products as steel, coal and petroleum coke. It is also a leading producer of CO2 that we and others use for enhanced oil recovery projects primarily in the Permian basin.