Pipeline giant Williams moved a step closer to being able to build a facility to transport gas out of the Marcellus shale in eastern US after authorities issued a final environmental impact statement.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Committee (Ferc) is now expected to make a final decision on the stalled Atlantic Sunrise project early next year, Houston-based independent Cabot Oil & Gas said.

If pipeline builder Williams gets all the necessary regulatory approvals, construction of the facility is expected to begin in the middle of next year, with start-up in mid-2018.

Ferc in October extended the review process for the key natural gas pipeline that will move gas out of the Appalachian basin as it sought more public comment on possible alternative routes. That delayed the environmental review, which had been expected in October.

The shift route shift under review encompassed only 1.4 miles of the roughly 200-mile pipeline but pipeline builder Williams and major customer Cabot Oil & Gas were then left waiting to hear about a new timeline for Ferc to issue the environmental approval for the project.

Cabot hopes to shift produced gas on the line once it is operational from its fields in the Marcellus shale play in Pennsylvania to more lucrative markets.

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Ferc closer to Marcellus pipeline go-ahead