Oct 22 (Reuters) - U.S. pipeline operator Kinder

Morgan ( KMI ) posted a rise in third-quarter profit on

Wednesday, helped by higher volumes of natural gas transported

through its pipelines.

Pipeline operators such as Kinder Morgan ( KMI ) are banking on

growing natural gas demand from LNG export facilities as well as

a rise in power generation associated with AI operations,

cryptocurrency mining and data centers.

"Total demand for natural gas is expected to grow by 20%

through 2030, led by LNG exports and we are exploring more than

10 billion cubic feet per day of opportunities to serve the

natural gas power generation sector," CEO Kim Dang said.

The U.S. LNG sector is witnessing a resurgence in commercial

activity driven by expectations of rising exports as new

terminals come online following President Donald Trump's January

decision to lift a pause on new permits.

The company, which moves roughly 40% of the country's total

natural gas output, said the project backlog stood at $9.3

billion, with approximately $500 million of projects placed in

service during the quarter offset by a roughly equivalent amount

of projects added.

The company said it transported about 47,461 billion British

thermal units of natural gas per day in the quarter, compared

with 44,827 billion Btu per day last year.

However, its total delivery volumes, which also include

refined products such as jet fuel and diesel fuel, fell to 2.11

thousands of barrels per day (MBbl/d) during the quarter ended

September 30, from 2.15 MBbl/d last year.

The Houston, Texas-based company said its net income came in

at $628 million for the three months ended September 30,

compared with $625 million a year earlier.