NU, Hutchinson pipeline construction nearly complete

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Both Hutchinson Public Utilities and New Ulm Public Utilities are nearing the end of their respective pipeline construction roads. However, it's still a little difficult to determine when the pipelines will be ready for transporting gas, particularly the one Hutchinson is building.

"We are now in the process of cleaning out our 25,000-foot line and testing it. The whole pipeline and our connection have been x-rayed in the field," Dan Sonnek, NUPU director of engineering, told New Ulm Rotarians Tuesday.

"Hutchinson has tested its line with water up to 1600 psi. We have tested our pipeline with nitrogen, raising pressure up to 425 psi. We're expecting to water-test the line on Thursday. Hutchinson could be filling the line with gas next week."

However, John Webster, HPU's natural gas manager, isn't that optimistic.

"Most of the testing is done, but there's still some work to do. There's several things up in the air so we're not even predicting a completion date yet," Webster explained Wednesday.

"It's just construction (that's holding it up). As we get into winter, things slow down. Nothing goes as smooth as you think it should go."

While Webster has the pipeline's length nailed down, "slightly over 92 miles," he's not predicting a final cost estimate, yet.

"There's a construction contract, and then there's a materials contract. We haven't purchased all of our materials yet, so I really can't say."

NUPU will tap into the Hutchinson line at two separate points, New Ulm and Fairfax. NUPU will be connecting in at Fairfax with an existing pipeline that NUPU has used to serve Fairfax, Sonnek said.

Hutchinson has begun work on its part of the New Ulm meter station interconnect.

"We're working on the tee for New Ulm, but when they're going to build their station and tie into it, I really don't know. (As for) Fairfax, I'm not sure what their schedule is on that."

While it's been full-speed ahead for NUPU in getting its 4.8-mile feeder pipeline built, Sonnek told the Rotarians NUPU is going to continue to hedge its bets.

NUPU won't abandon the pipeline that brought it service from Northern Natural Gas.

"We'll be purchasing the bare minimum needed to keep it available. If something happens to the new line, we then could open the valve on the old line," Sonnek said.