Muldraugh Compressor Station

Aerial view of Muldraugh Compressor Station

LG&E operates approximately 3,900 miles of gas distribution piping and 379 miles of gas transmission piping (including 100 miles of storage field piping).  During the winter heating season, LG&E supplies its gas customers with natural gas from pipeline gas supply and two gas storage areas (Muldraugh and Magnolia). On a peak day up to 56% of firm sales customer customers’ gas supply is met from LG&E’s gas storage system. Muldraugh Gas Storage Area provides up to 41% of total gas supply requirements for firm sales customers on a design winter day. Muldraugh Compressor Station controls the flow and quality of gas withdrawn from Muldraugh and Doe Run Storage Fields.

LG&E’s Muldraugh Gas Storage field is located on approximately 13 acres in Meade County, Kentucky. It is one of two gas storage fields in the Meade County area, the other one being the Doe Run Storage Field. LG&E’s Muldraugh Compressor Station is located at the site of its Muldraugh storage field. The Muldraugh Compressor Station controls the flow and quality of natural gas that is withdrawn from the storage fields in Muldraugh and Doe Run. Gas withdrawn from storage is filtered, metered, purified, dehydrated, compressed, and odorized as it passes through the Muldraugh Compressor Station.

The original compressors that served the Muldraugh field were located on the Ohio River at the mouth of Otter Creek, and the original purification plant was located at the mouth of the Salt River. Both are now located atop the Muldraugh Storage Field, which started out as a single shale gas compressor installation in 1930 with the sole purpose of capturing natural gas that escaped from the main storage formation. Following the record flood of the Ohio River in 1937, the entire compressor station was moved to the Muldraugh site. The entire station has undergone extensive renovations and upgrades, and to date none of the original equipment remains.