The Canadian energy regulator National Energy Board (NEB) has suspended again its review of the Pacific NorthWest LNG project, requesting additional information on environmental damage mitigation measures. It is the third time the approval process is interrupted.
Pacific NorthWest LNG is a proposed gas liquefaction plant developed by Malaysian oil and gas company Petronas (62%), in partnership with Sinopec, Japex, Indian Oil Corporation (10%) each, China Huadian (5%) and Petroleum Brunei (3%). The Pacific NorthWest LNG consortium has just given its conditional approval for the project, committing to build the project as long as it receives federal environmental approval (approval by the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, and positive regulatory decision on Pacific NorthWest LNG’s environmental assessment by the government of Canada).
The 12 Mt/year project would be located on Lelu Island, near Port Edward in British Columbia and is estimated at US$11bn (part of a broader US$36bn investment in Canadian natural gas). Operations could start as early as 2019.
Meanwhile, the Canadian government has approved plans by TransCanada to develop the C$1.7bn (US$1.4bn) North Montney Mainline gas pipeline that would connect gas fields in northern British Columbia to the Pacific NorthWest LNG project and the C$220m King's North Connection project, part of its Canadian Mainline expansion project.