Aug 1 (Reuters) - Energy Transfer Partners LP (ETP) ETP.N expects to restore land over several sections of the Rover natural gas pipeline from Ohio to Michigan by the end of August, it said in a regulatory filing posted on Wednesday, moving the project a step closer to full completion:
* After Rover took longer than expected to restore land around some pipeline sections, the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said in June that its review of future in-service requests "will depend, in part, on a demonstration of Rover's commitment to satisfactory restoration of construction areas and workspaces." Rover estimated it would complete final grading, seeding and other work by Aug. 31 on several Rover sections, including the Burgettstown lateral from Pennsylvania to Ohio, the Majorsville lateral from West Virginia to Ohio and the Market Segment from Ohio to Michigan.
* Rover is the biggest of several pipelines expected to enter service over the next year to connect growing output in the Marcellus and Utica shale basins in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio with customers in other parts of the United States and Canada. The $4.2 billion Rover project is designed to carry up to 3.25 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of gas from the Marcellus and Utica shale fields to the U.S. Midwest and Gulf Coast as well as Ontario, Canada.
* One billion cubic feet is enough gas to supply about five million U.S. homes for a day.
* ETP originally planned to complete Rover in November 2017, but since starting construction in March of last year, it has received numerous notices of violation in Ohio and other states, some of which led to temporary stop-work orders from both state and federal regulators.
* Rover, which has been entering service in phases as ETP completes each section, is capable of transporting at least 1.7 bcfd across Ohio and into Michigan, according to the company's website.
* Major producers that have signed up to use Rover include units of privately held Ascent Resources, Antero Resources Corp AR.N , Range Resources Corp (NYSE:RRC) RRC.N , Southwestern Energy Co SWN.N , Eclipse Resources Corp ECR.N and EQT Corp (NYSE:EQT) EQT.N .
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ETP seeks U.S. approval to start Rover natgas pipe by May 31
FACTBOX-U.S. new natural gas pipeline projects
U.S. tells ETP to restore land around Rover pipe in Ohio, Michigan