GreenLight Gas is a local utility provider serving residential, commercial and agricultural customers in the Texas Panhandle region. In March 2022, GreenLight Gas learned their current transmission line was being sold and that they had to find another gas source by October. With only seven months to find a solution, GreenLight Gas had to act quickly. They began plans to build a new line built with HDPE pipe to serve their customers better.
GreenLight Gas first contacted a trusted distributor, EGW Utility Solutions, to provide the HDPE pipe. After reviewing the job details, EGW recommended that GreenLight Gas work directly with a manufacturer to speed up delivery times and lower overall costs including freight. EGW connected GreenLight Gas with United Poly Systems knowing that United Poly could provide the large quantity of pipe within the required time frame.
GreenLight Gas built the new line with United Poly Systems’ D2513 HDPE gas pipe. Part of the Stream-Line™ product suite, United Poly Systems’ D2513 High-Density Bi-Modal Polyethylene gas pipe is used for pressurized gas transmission. The pipe is made of PE4710 HDPE pressure material and adheres to ASTM standard D2513.
Ultimately, the project was a success, and GreenLight Gas built a new line to serve their customers. “United Poly Systems made this happen for us,” said John Mark Ferrel, General Manager of GreenLight Gas. “Their customer service is the best I’ve ever experienced.”
Project Details
GreenLight Gas and a construction contractor laid 112,000 feet of United Poly Systems’ 8-inch D2513 High-Density Bi-Model Polyethylene gas pipe in Wellington and Dodson, Texas. The line consists of both steel and plastic pipe. The first 13 miles are of 6-inch high-pressure steel pipe that ties into the 8-inch HDPE gas pipe, which runs for an additional 19 miles.
Installation of the 32-mile line occurred from June-September 2022. Building the new line required 20 miles of right-of-way agreements and easements from farmers, landowners and the State of Texas, even though it ran along an existing natural gas line.
Now complete, GreenLight Gas’s gas transmission line provides natural gas to 1,700 residential, commercial and agricultural customers in the Texas Panhandle, including 120 irrigation wells in Quail, Texas. This natural gas is required to run the irrigation motors that water their crops.
GreenLight Gas and the construction contractor also laid an additional two miles of 8-inch Stream-Line in Paducah, TX, bringing a new gas source to the town.
Overcoming Challenges
This project was a massive undertaking with a unique set of challenges. GreenLight Gas had been buying gas from an existing transmission line for more than 40 years but had to act quickly when owners sold the line.
After receiving this news, GreenLight Gas immediately started looking for a solution for their customers. Within a short timeframe, they needed the pipe necessary to build a new line, and they needed to find a gas feed. They tapped into a ONEOK transmission line, serving as the current gas source.
The north Texas landscape didn’t make the installation easy. Five miles of the new line was across a surface of fine sand that would fall back into the ditch when using a trencher. GreenLight Gas and the construction contractor successfully completed the installation using a backhoe instead.
Customer Service is United Poly’s Priority
United Poly Systems manufactured the D2513 HDPE Stream-Line gas pipe for this project and worked with GreenLight Gas to ensure success throughout the process.
“I cannot say enough good words about United Poly Systems,” said John Mark Ferrel. “They went above and beyond to get the pipe to us.”
Even as a small company with no prior relationship with United Poly Systems, GreenLight Gas received the immediate attention they required and the highest quality customer service. As soon as GreenLight Gas contacted United Poly, they immediately began fulfilling the order.
After working with them, it was clear to Ferrel that United Poly does everything they can to serve their customers. “The entire team worked together to help our company,” said Ferrel. “I will always order pipe from United Poly.”