SAN DIEGO, Aug. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sempra U.S. Gas & Power, LLC, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), today announced that it has received authorization from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to place a second underground natural gas storage cavern into service at its Mississippi Hub Storage facility located in Simpson County, Miss. The additional 7.5 billion cubic feet (Bcf) cavern expands the facility's total working gas storage capacity to 15 Bcf.

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Mississippi Hub Storage is located in the heart of the rapidly growing Southeast natural gas market with operational interconnections to three major interstate gas pipelines: SONAT, Transco, and Southeast Supply Header (SESH). These pipelines provide bi-directional access to diverse major markets throughout the Southeast and mid-Atlantic regions.

"The additional capacity at Mississippi Hub Storage represents the next step in our strategy to expand our footprint in the rapidly evolving natural gas market in the Southeast," said Michael Gallagher, regional president of natural gas for Sempra U.S. Gas & Power. "As more natural gas supply comes online and liquefaction terminals move forward, customer demand for additional underground storage at strategic pipeline hubs like Mississippi Hub Storage will continue to grow."

The injection capacity currently available at Mississippi Hub Storage is fully contracted. Additional injection capacity at the facility will become available for customers once the dewatering process at the new cavern is complete. The facility has injection capability of 450 million cubic feet per day (MMcfd) and a withdrawal capability of 1,200 MMcfd.

In 2013, the company expects to complete construction on a third 7.5 Bcf cavern, further expanding the site's storage capacity to 22.5 Bcf.

Sempra U.S. Gas & Power also owns and operates an additional 15.5 Bcf of underground natural gas storage at Bay Gas Storage near Mobile, Ala. along with two natural gas distribution utilities and long-distance gas pipelines.

About Sempra U.S. Gas & Power

Sempra U.S. Gas & Power, LLC is a leading developer of renewable energy and natural gas solutions. The company operates solar, wind and natural gas power plants that generate enough electricity for nearly 1 million homes, along with natural gas storage and pipelines, and distribution utilities. Sempra U.S. Gas & Power is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company with 2011 revenues of $10 billion. The Sempra Energy companies' nearly 17,500 employees serve about 31 million consumers worldwide. For more information, visit www.SempraUSGP.com.

This press release contains statements that are not historical fact and constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These statements can be identified by words like "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "may," "will," "would," "could," "should," "potential," "target," "outlook," "depends," "pursue" or similar expressions, or discussions of guidance, strategies, plans, goals, initiatives, objectives or intentions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance.  They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Future results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon various assumptions involving judgments with respect to the future and other risks, including, among others: local, regional, national and international economic, competitive, political, legislative and regulatory conditions and developments; actions by the California Public Utilities Commission, California State Legislature, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, U.S. Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, California Energy Commission, California Air Resources Board, and other regulatory, governmental and environmental bodies in the United States and other countries where the company does business; capital market conditions, including the availability of credit and the liquidity of investments; inflation, interest and exchange rates; the impact of benchmark interest rates, generally the U.S. Treasury bond and Moody's A-rated utility bond yields, on the California utilities' cost of capital; the timing and success of business development efforts and construction, maintenance and capital projects, including risks inherent in the ability to obtain, and the timing of the granting of, permits, licenses, certificates and other authorizations; energy markets, including the timing and extent of changes and volatility in commodity prices; the availability of electric power, natural gas and liquefied natural gas, including disruptions caused by failures in the North American transmission grid, pipeline explosions and equipment failures; weather conditions, natural disasters, catastrophic accidents, and conservation efforts; risks inherent in nuclear power generation and radioactive materials storage, including catastrophic release of such materials, the disallowance of the recovery of the investment in, or operating costs of, the generation facility due to an extended outage, and increased regulatory oversight; risks posed by decisions and actions of third parties who control the operations of investments in which the company does not have a controlling interest; wars, terrorist attacks and cyber security threats; business, regulatory, environmental and legal decisions and requirements; expropriation of assets by foreign governments and title and other property disputes; the status of deregulation of retail natural gas and electricity delivery; the inability or determination not to enter into long-term supply and sales agreements or long-term firm capacity agreements; the resolution of litigation; and other uncertainties, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the company. These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the reports that Sempra Energy has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These reports are available through the EDGAR system free-of-charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and on the company's website at www.sempra.com.

These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forecasts or projections or other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Sempra International, LLC, and Sempra U.S. Gas & Power, LLC, are not the same companies as San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) or Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) and Sempra International, LLC and Sempra U.S. Gas & Power, LLC are not regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission. Sempra International's underlying entities include Sempra Mexico and Sempra South American Utilities. Sempra U.S. Gas & Power's underlying entities include Sempra Renewables and Sempra Natural Gas.

SOURCE Sempra U.S. Gas & Power, LLC