Kinder Morgan owns and operates natural gas pipelines across pretty much every part of the U.S., from California to Massachusetts and North Dakota to Florida. But if you look at a map of its gas pipeline assets, you’ll notice a focus on lines in the Lone Star State that serve as critical pathways for Permian- and Eagle Ford-sourced gas flowing to Mexico, Texas’s Gulf Coast and a number of existing and planned LNG export terminals. Now, Kinder is poised to significantly expand its pipeline network in that part of the world with the planned $1.8 billion acquisition of NextEra Energy Partners’ STX Midstream unit, as we discuss in today’s RBN blog.