The expansion capacity of up to 7bcf is available ahead of schedule beginning 1 March 2011, as a result of the de-brining progress made on the third cavern.
The remaining 4.4bcf of capacity on this third cavern is expected to be available by 1 April 2011.
The Tres Palacios gas storage facility is a multi-cycle, salt dome natural gas storage field located approximately 100 miles southwest of Houston in Matagorda County, Texas.
The facility includes 38.4bcf of working gas capacity, including the third cavern capacity referenced above, with planned future expansion to 47.9bcf.
The storage facility is strategically situated near the Eagle Ford Shale and is one of the largest gas-fired power generation markets in the US.
Inergy acquired the Tres Palacios storage facility in October 2010.
