分析师表示，由WhiteWater Midstream牵头的新的合资管道将为其所有者在墨西哥湾沿岸天然气市场带来一些财务灵活性。

4 月 3 日，WhiteWater 宣布 Traverse 管道已达成最终投资决定。该双向管道的输送能力为 17.5 亿立方英尺/天，将把天然气从德克萨斯州南部的 Aqua Dulce 枢纽输送到休斯顿附近的 Katy 地区，全程 160 英里。

Traverse 将与其他 WhiteWater 管道建立多条连接。据 WhiteWater 称，从 Permian 开始，该管道将连接到 Whistler、Blackcomb（正在开发中）和 Matterhorn Express 等管道。

RBN的分析认为，这条管道将使其所有者能够将天然气输送到需求最大的市场，从而带来最优惠的价格。

除了市场优势之外，选择性还使中游公司能够绕开管道维护。春季是管道维护项目的常见季节，而位于二叠纪盆地的瓦哈枢纽的天然气价格已多次跌至零以下。

今年 1 月，当 Traverse 管道的潜在开发计划被公开时，RBN 写道：“Traverse 管道将为合资公司的整体系统带来具有战略价值的灵活性/可选性，这条管道位于美国最重要的天然气管道和天然气用户沿线。”  

该管道将​​成为 Blackcomb Pipeline 合资企业的一部分，该合资企业 70% 由 WPC JV 持有，17.5% 由Targa Resources持有，12.5% 由MPLX 持有。

WPC 合资公司由 WhiteWater 牵头，持有 50.6% 的股份，其他成员包括 MPLX（持有 30.4% 的股份）和Enbridge（持有 19% 的股份）。而 WhiteWater 持有的 WPC 股份则归I Squared Capital 所有。

A new WhiteWater Midstream-led joint venture (JV) pipeline will give its owners some financial flexibility in Gulf Coast gas markets, analysts said.

WhiteWater announced April 3 that the Traverse Pipeline reached a final investment decision. The bi-directional pipeline with capacity of 1.75 Bcf/d will move natural gas 160 miles between the Aqua Dulce Hub in South Texas to the Katy area near Houston.

Traverse will have multiple connections to other WhiteWater pipelines. From the Permian, the line will connect to the Whistler, Blackcomb (in development) and Matterhorn Express pipelines, among others, according to WhiteWater.

The pipeline will enable its owners to move natural gas to markets with the most demand and can therefore bring the best price, according to an analysis by RBN.

Beyond the market advantage, optionality also allows midstream companies to make detours around pipeline maintenance. The price of gas at the Permian-based Waha Hub has gone below zero several times in the spring, the usual season for pipeline maintenance projects.

Traverse “would give the JV’s overall system a strategically valuable degree of flexibility/optionality along the most important stretch of gas pipelines and gas users in the U.S.,” RBN wrote in January, when the line’s potential development had been made public.  

The line will be part of the Blackcomb Pipeline joint venture, which is owned 70% by the WPC JV, 17.5% by Targa Resources and 12.5% by MPLX.

The WPC JV is led by WhiteWater, with 50.6% ownership, and includes MPLX, with a 30.4% stake, and Enbridge, which has a 19% stake. WhiteWater’s WPC stake is, in turn, owned by I Squared Capital.