ENSTAR Natural Gas is starting work on a new connecting line which will bring gas from storage tanks on the Kenai Peninsula, under the Kenai River to customers in Anchorage.
Key Accounts and Public Affairs representative Kevin Campbell said this isn’t the first time ENSTAR has used directional drilling underneath the riverbed…
Campbell: “We installed a crossing last year up off of the end of Husky Street in Sterling to serve the further outreaches of the Funny River community.”
To get from Bridge Access to Anchorage, the ENSTAR must conduct 2,100 feet of directional drilling under the River with two additional anadromous stream crossings. There’s also the potential for another 2,800 feet of direction drilling under the wetlands.
Campbell: “The technology that’s being used to cross the river is the same as what was used previously, it’s known and proven technology and essentially it won’t have any affects on any of the habitat or ecology of the river and that’s the reason that it’s utilized.”
The 16” line would be four miles long and increase the volumetric capacity between Kenai and Anchorage by 12.5%. ENSTAR says this will save customers $1 million annually in transportation costs.
ENSTAR plans to begin the project in March and work through the summer.