Worldwide growth in the demand for natural gas and the availability of large deposits of stranded natural gas resources has led to a global expansion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects and, correspondingly, import and regasification terminals.
To meet the long-term energy demand needs of North America, we proactively initiated the Jordan Cove and Pacific Connector energy projects.
Jordan Cove Energy is a state-of-the-art LNG import terminal that will be located within the International Port of Coos Bay in Coos County, Oregon. With ancillary facilities that provide LNG ship berthing and offloading, two 160,000 cubic meter LNG storage tanks, and regasification equipment, Jordan Cove will produce up to 1 billion cubic feet per day of pipeline transportable natural gas.
After regasification, the natural gas will be transported via the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline to interstate and utility pipeline systems located throughout the Pacific Northwest, California, and Nevada. Extending from the Jordan Cove terminal to Malin, Oregon, Pacific Connector will be a new, 400-km, 36-inch diameter pipeline with an initial 1 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas capacity. We are developing Pacific Connector in a limited partnership with subsidiaries of The Williams Companies, Inc. and PG&E Corporation, wherein we each hold an equal ownership interest.
Did You Know?
Natural gas can be liquefied by being cooled to minus 162 Celsius, the point at which gas condenses to a liquid. Through this liquefaction process, the volume of natural gas is reduced by more than 600 times, making it cost-efficient to transport over long distances and safe to store.
Upon arriving at an LNG import terminal by ship, the LNG is regasified in a highly controlled environment by being passed through vaporizers that slowly warm the LNG to return it to a gaseous state.
Jordan Cove and Pacific Connector will provide the necessary infrastructure to allow global LNG supplies to efficiently reach natural gas markets in the western United States. LNG supply sources reaching Jordan Cove will originate from areas with abundant natural gas supplies throughout the Asia-Pacific basin region.
Jordan Cove and Pacific Connector have applied for a combined Federal Energy Regulatory Commission certificate to construct and operate their respective facilities. Receipt of this certificate is expected by summer, 2009. Both have also applied for all additional required permits and continue to work with the federal, state, and local agencies during the FERC certification and permitting process. Our goal is to ensure that all approvals are obtained by early 2010, allowing the facilities to be fully operational by early 2014.
LNG is expected to become increasingly important to North America, where long-term demand for natural gas continues to grow, while traditional, low-cost domestic supplies are expected to decline. Global natural gas reserves are in abundance, but much is considered “stranded” as the reserves are located in regions that are distant from consuming markets.
For more information visit:
Jordan Cove Energy Project: www.jordancoveenergy.com
Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline: www.pacificconnectorgp.com