LNG

The Ottawa-based Impact Assessment Agency of Canada has formally rejected the Énergie Saguenay Project proposed by GNL Québec to export abundant Canadian natural gas as LNG from a liquefaction and export plant in the French-speaking province.

May 21 (LNGJ) - Gazoduq, the company planning to transport feed-gas on a 780-kilometres pipeline from Western Canada to the proposed GNL Québec project at Saguenay 200 miles north of Quebec City on a tributary leading to the St Lawrence River, has announced the return of Louis Bergeron as Gazoduq President.

   “With over 40 years of experience in the energy sector in several countries and leading complex projects, Mr Bergeron joined Gazoduq in August 2018 as President to lead the carbon-neutral natural gas pipeline project from northeast Ontario and the Saguenay - Lac-Saint-Jean region,” said Gazoduq. “In November 2020, during the height of the pandemic, Louis Bergeron made the decision to transition to a strategic consulting role and has since been involved in special projects. Now, his role as Gazoduq’s President will be all the more critical as the pandemic restrictions are expected to be lessened and the project will likely be able to re-intensify its activities,” added the company.

The Canadian Gazoduq pipeline project as well as Energie Saguenay, the natural gas liquefaction plant proposed by GNL Québec, have received investments from business people and entrepreneurs in the French-speaking province as a demonstration of confidence.

Dominion Energy’s $9.7 billion deal to sell its gas transmission and gas storage assets to Berkshire Hathaway Energy is a triumph for America’s most celebrated investor Warren Buffett, also known as the Oracle of Omaha, his birthplace in the state of Nebraska.

The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) has unveiled impact statement guidelines and a draft public participation plan for the Gazoduq pipeline project to unlock Western Canadian gas resources and supply an LNG export plant proposed for Québec.

Gazoduq Inc., the Québec natural gas developer of a pipeline from the province of Ontario to the GNL Québec liquefaction and export plant, has taken another step in the regulatory permit process to unlock Western Canadian gas resources.

Gazoduq Inc., the Québec natural gas pipeline developer, has completed the solicitation process for non-binding expressions of interest for transportation services on its  proposed 780-kilometre underground natural gas line leading to the GNL Québec liquefaction and export plant.

Gazoduq, the Québec natural gas pipeline developer, has launched an open season to solicit non-binding expressions of interest for firm transportation services on its  proposed 780-kilometre underground natural gas line leading to the GNL Québec liquefaction and export plant.

Gazoduq and GNL Québec, two Canadian companies proposing to transport feed-gas from Western Canada and export it as LNG from a liquefaction plant at Saguenay in Quebec, have rejected a critical report by a Montreal-based body looking into their corporate structures and possible taxation levels were the projects approved and constructed.

GNL Quebec Inc. is still planning an export project in the French-speaking Canadian province, comprising a liquefaction and export plant near Port Saguenay at the junction of the Saguenay River and the St. Lawrence River.

The company said its LNG proposals were still on track as it filed with the Canadian National Energy Board on January 8 as an interested party in the North Bay Junction fixed-price natural gas delivery service of TransCanada Corp.

The GNL Quebec LNG project is known as Energie Saguenay and is backed by two equity firms based on the West Coast of the US.

They are Breyer Capital of Menlo Park, California, and Freestone International from San Francisco.

“GNL Quebec wishes to participate in the North Bay Junction proceedings as the issues to be addressed are material to its Energie Saguenay LNG export project, which is planned to be in service by 2025,” it told the Board.

The Quebec liquefaction facility proposes to export up to 11 million tonnes per annum of LNG to Europe, Asia and South America.

“An integral part of the project is procuring gas supply with terms of up to 20 years from Western Canadian producers and finalizing long-term transportation arrangements on the TransCanada Canadian Mainline to supply the project facility in Quebec,” GNL Quebec told the Board.

“GNLQ plans to receive firm service transportation in 2025 from Empress to Ramore, which is a proposed delivery point located near North Bay Junction,” the Board was told.

“Substantial capacity will be requested of up to 1.6 billion cubic feet per day, and commercial discussions have been initiated with TransCanada for this service,” it explained.

“At Ramore, the proposed Gazoduc Pipeline will interconnect with the Mainline and transport gas on its 42-inch pipeline,” it added.

“Gazoduc will extend 750km across northern Ontario and Quebec to Chicoutimi, Quebec where the LNG project will be located,” said GNL Quebec.

The developers of the Gazoduc pipeline filed their pre-application project description with the NEB on November 20, 2018, and their project notice with Quebec’s Ministry of Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change (MELCC).

GNL Quebec said it expected its project economics and the gas transportation service will be substantially impacted by the issues that are considered and decided in the North Bay Junction proceedings, including the terms of service, tolls, tolling structure and the availability of Mainline capacity.

“For example, the availability of capacity across the Prairies and the Northern Ontario Line in the 2025 timeframe when the project commences service may well be impacted by the proposed new service,” explained Quebec GNL.

“The Board may wish to consider whether the terms and conditions approved will contribute to efficient system expansion and non-discriminatory treatment of new shippers willing to subscribe for firm service in the same timeframe and over the same path as the new service,” it added.