Santa Fe Mainline Looping Project

New Mexico Gas Company “looped” the Santa Fe Mainline by installing a new 20-inch pipeline along the route of the existing 12-inch line. The new 20-inch pipeline increased the capacity of available natural gas to northern New Mexico customers, boosting service reliability and providing for future economic growth in Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Espanola, Taos, Questa, Red River and other communities.

The pipeline follows a 35-mile route along the Interstate 25 corridor from Bernalillo to Santa Fe. Construction began in May 2020 and the new pipeline went into service in February 2021.

The route that was selected was accessible and the cost was considerably lower than alternatives, so the project has provided savings to customers. The route also had less environmental impact compared with alternatives, and looping the existing pipeline eased routine maintenance and operations.