Williams’ LEG Pipeline Starts Up, Boosting Haynesville Gas Flows, Report Says

Williams has launched its 1.8 Bcf/d Louisiana Energy Gateway pipeline, expanding Haynesville gas takeaway capacity ahead of rising LNG demand from Gulf Coast export terminals.

(P&GJ) — Williams has placed its 1.8 Bcf/d Louisiana Energy Gateway (LEG) pipeline into service, marking a new growth phase for Haynesville shale gas production as Gulf Coast LNG demand increases, according to recent report by East Daley Analytics.

The report showed that initial flows on LEG reached about 75 MMcf/d on July 23 into the Transcontinental (Transco) system in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana, rising to roughly 145 MMcf/d by July 25.

The project’s startup follows earlier delays tied to a right-of-way dispute with Energy Transfer. Williams overcame major legal hurdles last year, including a favorable Louisiana district court ruling in June 2024 and a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission decision in September 2024 affirming LEG’s status as a state-regulated gathering system.

LEG provides critical southbound egress relief for Haynesville gas, where flows to the Louisiana Gulf Coast averaged 5.7 Bcf/d through June and ran near 89% utilization in April and May, East Daley noted. The firm expects LEG to ramp up steadily and operate at full capacity by next summer.

The pipeline’s launch comes as Venture Global ramps up Phase 2 of its Plaquemines LNG terminal in southeastern Louisiana, which has averaged 2.68 Bcf/d of feedgas in July. Plaquemines is expected to reach about 3.6 Bcf/d at full capacity.

Additional takeaway capacity from projects like Momentum Midstream’s NG3 pipeline, slated for service in the second half of 2025, will further support growing LNG demand along the Gulf Coast through 2026.