By Suzanne Herel

Dominion’s third-quarter operating earnings fell in the middle of its guidance, at $1.03/share on $611 million, compared with $545 million ($0.93/share) for the same period in 2014.

The Richmond, Va., company attributed the increase to favorable weather and “farmout” revenues from the assignment of gas interests to third parties.

Dominion predicts fourth-quarter earnings in the range of $0.85 to $0.95/share, compared with $0.84/share last year.

“We continue to execute with strong operational and safety performance, and all major projects in our infrastructure growth plan are on time and on budget,” CEO Thomas Farrell II said.

The construction of a 1,358-MW natural gas combined-cycle facility in Brunswick County is 89% complete and set to begin operating in mid-2016.

Farrell also noted that during the third quarter, Dominion submitted the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Supply Header Project for FERC approval, with construction on both planned for the fourth quarter of 2016.

“Our Cove Point liquefaction project is also progressing on time and on budget,” Farrell said. “The project overall is about 47% complete, and engineering — at 95% — is nearly complete.”