Alaska gas pipeline partners meet concept selection deadline

BY KUNLE KALEJAIYE with Agency Report

The four companies planning to build a natural gas pipeline from Alaska’s North Slope to a port on the state’s southern coast for liquefaction and export have met a critical deadline, Gov. Sean Parnell (R) announced on Feb. 15.

BP PLC, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil Corp., and TransCanada Corp. submitted a letter stating the proposed project’s concept selection phase was completed, he said.

In his 2013 State of the State address on Jan. 16, Parnell called on the companies to unite behind a concept for an all-Alaska project and provide details to Alaskans.

He asked that the details include the size of the pipe, the daily gas volume, the location of a gas treatment plant, the number of compressor stations, the size and scope of a liquefaction plant and LNG storage facilities, and the number of off-take points for Alaska communities to obtain gas for local use.

“This represents historic progress,” Parnell said, adding, “Never before has a gas pipeline project been so specifically aligned and described in detail by the companies that have the capacity to build, fill, and operate it.”

Ensuring that Alaska’s gas goes to the state’s residents first was a critical concept selection component, he added. This will improve the quality of life and cost of living for many Alaskans, Parnell maintained