Two Mississippi LNG projects get FERC nod

Feb. 22, 2007
The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved two LNG terminal projects in Mississippi that could add supplies totaling 3.1 bcfd of gas.

Nick Snow
Washington Correspondent

WASHINGTON, DC, Feb. 22 -- The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved two LNG terminal projects in Mississippi that could add supplies totaling 3.1 bcfd of gas.

The terminals, which would adjoin each other, are the Bayou Casotte project, next to Chevron USA's Pascagoula, Miss., refinery, and the LNG Clean Energy project proposed by Gulf LNG Energy LLC. The first will deliver as much as 1.6 bcfd of regasified LNG to an interstate grid through five pipeline interconnections, while the second will send vaporized LNG through a pipeline and gas processing plant owned by BP America Inc.

"These are significant import projects, with a combined capacity nearly equal to the projected capacity of an Alaskan gas pipeline. More importantly, we find that these projects meet our high safety standards," FERC Chairman Joseph T. Kelliher said in the commission's Feb. 15 announcement.

FERC also authorized the expansion of a 42-in. pipeline proposed by sponsors of the recently authorized Creole Trail LNG project, 18.1 miles west, in Cameron Parish, La. That pipeline will intersect with the terminus of a pipeline system originating at another recently authorized LNG terminal at Sabine Pass, La. Both terminals and pipelines will be operated by Cheniere Energy of Houston.

The commission also approved Maritimes & Northeast Pipelines LLC's application to expand capacity of its existing facilities by 418,000 dekatherms/day to 833,317 dekatherms/day to accommodate imports of regasified LNG from the Canaport LNG terminal in Canada.

It also approved Maritimes' request to amend its Presidential Permit to permit the increased imported gas from Canada and to construct and operate an additional interconnection at the US-Canada border near Goldboro, NS. The proposed project will cost an estimated $321.3 million, FERC said.

Contact Nick Snow at [email protected].