Taos Projects
Pilar Re-Route Project
Natural gas began flowing March 15, 2018, through the new 12-inch Taos Mainline in the Rio Grande Gorge south of Taos. Pipeline installation was completed and New Mexico Highway 68 was fully reopened at the end of February. Next came integrity testing, cleaning and finally the new pipeline was welded to the existing mainline and commissioned in mid-March. It was a complex project in a challenging location and New Mexico Gas Company salutes our contractor and company team members for their commitment to safety. It is a source of great pride that we completed the work with no injuries. During the 1960s, the Taos Mainline was installed on the west side of the Rio Grande between Rinconada and Pilar. Because of shifting soils, our engineers decided to move the pipeline to the east side of the river in the right-of-way of Highway 68.The Taos Mainline delivers natural gas to customers in Taos, Questa, Red River and surrounding communities.