HOUSTON, March 20 (Reuters) - U.S. energy firm Williams

Companies ( WMB ) has delayed the completion of its Louisiana

Energy Gateway natural gas pipeline project following a dispute

with a rival, Williams CEO Alan Armstrong said on Wednesday at a

conference.

The 1.8-billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) pipeline was

originally set to come online this year but was delayed to the

second half of 2025 following a dispute with Energy Transfer ( ET )

, the company previously said.

The company is still pushing ahead with the project but has

not laid out a new start date, Armstrong said.

Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Williams was able to re-route the line

around the disputed area, he said.

The project, which is under construction in Louisiana and

Texas, will feed gas from the Haynesville shale field to the

Gulf Coast where demand for the fuel is growing to supply

several liquefied natural gas export plants expected to enter

service over the next few years.

Officials at Energy Transfer ( ET ) were not immediately available

for comment.

Other energy firms, including Momentum Midstream and DT

Midstream ( DTM ), have fought with Energy Transfer ( ET ) in court,

accusing Energy Transfer ( ET ) of "blocking" their pipeline projects

by not allowing them to cross Energy Transfer's ( ET ) pipelines in the

area.