Fackrell Offers More Details on Denali Pipeline Project

By Tim Bradner (LINK)
Alaska Journal of Commerce

Denali Pipeline President Bud Fackrell gave additional details on the company's gas pipeline planning effort at the Alaska Oil and Gas Symposium in Anchorage Sept. 23.

Fackrell said that most of the chilled pipeline would be buried, while other segments would be built above-ground through earthquake-prone areas and major river crossing. The gas pipeline will be placed on vertical support members similar to the procedure used for the trans-Alaska oil pipeline.

The company in 2009 will also begin studies of long-term in-state gas needs and will ramp up training initiatives, he said. The in-state needs assessment is required by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Alaska groups like the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority and Enstar Natural Gas Co. are working on ways of getting North Slope gas to consumers in the state, he said.

Denali is focused on the big pipeline, but the company intends to work closely with these groups. Fackrell said Denali has established five take-off points for gas within Alaska and is setting up a special engineering team to work with groups like ANGDA and Enstar, which want to take gas from the pipeline.