Hampton Roads Crossing Pipeline

Proposed Project Corridor  |  Minimizing Potential Impacts  |  Community Benefits  |  HRX Q & A

Project Overview
Rapid growth throughout Hampton Roads since the 1980’s and the current configuration of the Virginia Natural Gas (VNG) pipeline system have placed VNG at a critical juncture in its ability to bring in additional, competitively-priced natural gas supply to meet the demands of its customers now and in the future.

The Virginia State Corporation Commission recognized this need and approved a request by VNG to construct the Hampton Roads Crossing (HRX) pipeline. The HRX pipeline project connects the gas distribution systems throughout the VNG service area to assure a reliable and competitively-priced natural gas supply required to meet the ever-increasing growth and demand needs for Hampton Roads.

The Need—Additional Supply and Enhanced Reliability
The Virginia Natural Gas distribution system was divided into two non-contiguous pipeline systems (Southern and Northern) due to the geography of the Hampton Roads harbor. The Southern pipeline served the areas of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Suffolk in south side Hampton Roads. The northern pipeline served Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, York, James City, Williamsburg, New Kent, Charles City and Hanover on the Peninsula. On a peak day, each system was fed by a single gas supplier: Columbia Gas Transmission in the Southern system, and Dominion Transmission in the Northern system, making them vulnerable to gas disruptions.

In 2005, VNG was offered the opportunity to receive a substantial quantity of additional gas supplies from Dominion Transmission into its Northern pipeline. For VNG this provided the much-needed supply to meet increasing customer demand in the region. However, since there was no connection between the Northern and Southern pipelines, there was no way to move supplies into the Southern distribution system.

The Solution
The HRX pipeline project connects the Dominion Transmission supply directly into the Southern Division in Norfolk providing a means of supporting future growth at a very competitive cost for the consumer. The availability of additional supply to both areas ensures all customers are getting the most favorable price advantage of existing gas supplies.

Why is this Important?
In addition to increased supply, the HRX pipeline provides for an increase in reliability of gas supply to the Southern Division. The only supply into this area was coming through a single entry point into the distribution system. Any problems on the upstream pipeline presented a serious operational risk to VNG customers. The addition of another distribution gate station into the system virtually eliminated this risk.

Reliability is also crucial to the military facilities in the Southern Division that rely on natural gas. These facilities include the Norfolk Naval Station, Oceana Naval Air Station, Little Creek Amphibious Base, Dam Neck Naval Training Station and Fort Story. Terrorist threats and the continued heightened awareness of terrorist activities makes reliable energy service to our military facilities more important than ever.

Project Description
The HRX pipeline project is a large transmission pipeline connecting Dominion Transmission supply from Newport News into Norfolk. The project included construction of approximately 15.5 miles of onshore pipeline in Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk and Portsmouth and 5.5 miles crossing the Hampton Roads harbor and Elizabeth River. The project also included upstream pipeline compression facilities in Hanover and Charles City Counties, and a city gate station at the termination point in Norfolk. The project was designed to transport up to 100,000 dekatherms per day of additional capacity into the VNG distribution system, as well as additional capacity to industrial users and neighboring distribution companies. The project was completed with initial deliveries of gas into Norfolk in late December 2009.

Project Location
VNG designed the project to minimize any impacts to the community and the environment. The company used existing utility corridors wherever possible.

Building a Pipeline
The major steps in pipeline construction include engineering, permitting, right of way acquisition, design, and construction. Woven into each of these steps is proactive communication with the community, including affected landowners, political entities, government agencies and the general public. The project required approval from federal and state agencies.

Economic Benefits
The HRX pipeline project provides a multitude of economic benefits from construction related revenues benefiting local businesses, to an increased tax base primarily to Newport News, Hampton and Norfolk. VNG customers benefit from a competitively-priced gas supply which also is a significant factor in economic development for the region.