Most planned natural gas pipeline capacity additions in 2026 and 2027 originate in Texas
Oklahoma might be home to Williams Cos., the nation’s largest-volume natural gas pipeline system, but a new government report points out that most natural gas pipeline capacity additions planned in 2026 and 2027 start in Texas.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that developers plan to bring approximately 44.9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of new pipeline capacity online in the United States in 2026 and 2027, according to the EIA’s latest Natural Gas Pipeline Projects Tracker. Approximately 70% (31.6 Bcf/d) of this new capacity is already under construction. More than 66% (29.7 Bcf/d) of the capacity additions originate in Texas. Louisiana is second with 19% (8.4 Bcf/d) of total capacity additions.
The projects in Texas will provide additional takeaway capacity out of the Permian Basin and debottleneck the Waha Hub, supplying natural gas to LNG export terminals, as well as residential, power, and industrial users.
The largest of the pipeline projects currently under construction and projected to enter service by the end of this year include:
- Rio Bravo Pipeline Project: A 138-mile pipeline originating in Texas with a capacity of up to 4.5 Bcf/d, which will deliver feedgas to NextDecade’s under construction Rio Grande LNG export terminal. NextDecade is targeting an in-service date in the second half of this year.
- Blackcomb Pipeline: A 365-mile, 2.5 Bcf/d pipeline currently under construction and slated to enter service in the third quarter 2026. The pipeline originating in Texas will deliver Permian supply from the Waha hub to the Agua Dulce hub, further clearing the Waha bottleneck.
- Hugh Brinson Pipeline: A total 2.2 Bcf/d project increasing takeaway capacity from the Permian Basin in Texas. The developer expects phase 1 of this project to begin flowing in the fourth quarter of 2026, and phase 2 to begin operations in the first quarter of 2027.
In Louisiana, the Port Arthur Pipeline Louisiana Connector is expected to begin service in the second half of 2026 with 2.0 Bcf/d of capacity. By the end of 2027, Pelican Pipeline is expected to come online in Louisiana, bringing the total additional capacity to 8.4 Bcf/d.
Virginia has the third most capacity additions over the next two years, with 1.6 Bcf/d expected to come online in 2027 via Williams’s Southeast Supply Enhancement Project, an expansion of its exiting Transcontinental Pipeline from Virginia to Alabama.
Transco, a subsidiary of Williams Cos. headquartered in Tulsa, transports about one third of all natural gas consumed in the nation. The extensive network stretches more than 30,000 miles total and is considered a critical connector for power generation, heating and industrial use across the U.S.
Williams handles nearly 30% of the natural gas in the nation and it serves major demand centers, including providing nearly half of the natural gas used in New York City.
