Saturday, August 6, 2011

FERC Notice of Intent for EIS

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued a Notice of Intent to proceed with preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). It's difficult to link to the FERC document, but it's available on FERC.GOV, search Docket Number PF09-11-000 or accession number 20110801-3001. I'll send you a copy by email upon request - just leave a comment.

Quote from the Notice of Intent:
Summary of the Planned Project
The APP would involve construction and operation of a new pipeline system to transport up to 4.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day (Bcfd). Specifically, the planned project includes the following major components in Alaska:

· About 58 miles of 32 inch diameter pipeline and associated aboveground facilities (the Point Thomson Pipeline) from the processing plant at the Point Thomson Field to a planned gas treatment plant (GTP) near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska;
· A new GTP near Prudhoe Bay capable of producing up to 4.5 Bcfd of pipeline-quality gas;

· About 745 miles of 48 inch diameter pipeline and associated aboveground
ancillary and auxiliary facilities (the Alaska Mainline) from the GTP to the Alaska-Yukon border. The Alaska Mainline would have a maximum allowable operating pressure of 2,500 pounds per square inch;

· Construction of at least five delivery points, eight compressor stations, two meter stations, various mainline block valves, and pig launching/receiving facilities; and

· Associated infrastructure such as access roads, helipads, construction camps, pipe storage areas, contractor yards, borrow sites, and dock modifications and dredging at Prudhoe Bay.
The planned Alaska Mainline would start at the GTP and generally follow the existing Trans-Alaska Pipeline System crude oil pipeline (TAPS) and adjacent highways southeast to Delta Junction, Alaska. From Delta Junction, the mainline would diverge from TAPS and generally follow the Alaska Highway southeast to the Alaska-Yukon border. At the Alaska-Yukon border, the pipeline would interconnect to a new pipeline in Canada to deliver gas to North American markets through the Alberta Hub or other facilities with existing off-take capacity at or near the British Columbia/Alberta border.
One item of special interest for proponents of the Valdez LNG option:
The project proponent is also considering an alternative proposal to build a natural gas pipeline to Valdez, Alaska for delivery into a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant for liquefaction and export to global LNG markets. Because the Commission has received very little information on the LNG plant and the associated pipeline, the Valdez proposal is not sufficiently developed for the FERC to include in the environmental review at this time
Ouch! That indicates that nothing permit-able has transpired on the LNG option.

Is FERC going through the motions or is this real progress for the project. As always there's too little information and no indication of pending commitments.

EIS Flowchart from the Notice of Intent:

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It seems apparent to this old Alaskan LNG proponent that Valdez was never a real consideration, and just added to AGIA as an "afterthought" to quiet those who supported the all-Alaska LNG project that Wood/Mackenzie just came out and said was by far the best route for Alaska, and in my view and others, America. AGIA is patently UN-economic now due to shale gas, if their was previous doubt even before that new technology changed the game. Alaska is being railroaded into giving away it`s future economic and energy security.

Anonymous said...

..and screw any and all consideration of the RIGHT project!!!http://www.allalaskagasline.com/Documents/AGPA__Alaska_LNG_Exports_7-28-2011.pdf