Enbridge secures option on TTC connector

Enbridge continues expanding its U.S. LNG pipeline business. (Image: Enbridge)

Enbridge has secured an exclusive option to acquire the TTC Connector Pipeline, a 25-mile natural gas pipeline under construction that would strengthen the company’s position in the rapidly expanding U.S. Gulf Coast LNG market.

The announcement, made during Enbridge’s second-quarter earnings release, reflects the growing importance of connecting gas storage assets directly to LNG export terminals as U.S. liquefaction capacity continues to expand.

The 300 MMcf/d TTC Connector will link Enbridge’s Tres Palacios Gas Storage facility in Matagorda County, Texas, to the Coastal Bend Header pipeline, providing a direct route for natural gas deliveries to the 17 million metric tons per annum (mtpa) Freeport LNG export terminal on Quintana Island. The pipeline is expected to enter service by the end of 2026.

“The TTC Connector is a prime example of the growing integration between storage, transmission and LNG export facilities as the world’s demand for American LNG exports continues to grow,” said Elizabeth Perez, director of intrastate business development for Enbridge’s Gas Transmission business.

The project highlights an increasingly important trend in the LNG sector. As export capacity grows along the Gulf Coast, operators are placing greater emphasis on integrating storage, transmission and liquefaction infrastructure to improve supply reliability and operational flexibility.

Gas storage plays a critical role in balancing seasonal demand and maintaining steady feedgas supplies to LNG facilities, particularly during periods of pipeline constraints or fluctuating production. By connecting Tres Palacios directly into the pipeline network serving Freeport LNG, the TTC Connector is expected to enhance the storage facility’s strategic value within the Gulf Coast gas market, the company said.

The acquisition option also complements Enbridge’s broader investment in Gulf Coast storage infrastructure. Over the past year, the company has announced expansion projects at three U.S. Gulf Coast storage facilities, including an additional 16 Bcf at Egan, Louisiana, 7 Bcf at Moss Bluff, Texas, and 25 Bcf at Tres Palacios.

Those projects are expected to increase storage capacity across Enbridge’s four Gulf Coast facilities to approximately 150 Bcf by 2033.

“We’ve now got almost 50 Bcf of expansion across our wholly owned Gulf Coast storage facilities,” Matthew Akman, Enbridge executive vice president and president of Gas Transmission, said during the company’s second-quarter earnings call. “So lots of opportunity there.”

While Enbridge has not disclosed compression requirements associated with the project, the continued expansion of Gulf Coast LNG infrastructure is expected to support ongoing demand for pipeline compression and related rotating equipment.