LNG

Fluor Corp. of US and Japan’s JGC Corp. of Japan have completed the final weld on first liquefaction Train at the LNG Canada joint venture at Kitimat on the Pacific Coast province of British Columbia.

TC Energy Corp., the North American pipelines company and supplier of LNG feed gas, said a transaction had been agreed to sell Portland Natural Gas Transmission System (PNGTS) for US$1.14 billion including debts to funds of BlackRock and Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners.

TC Energy has a partner in the PNGTS asset called Northern New England Investment Company, which is a subsidiary of Énergir L.P.

The sale to BlackRock, through a fund managed by its infrastructure business, and investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Infrastructure, is for a gross price of US$1.14Bln, which includes the assumption of US$250 million of outstanding senior notes held at PNGTS.

PNGTS is a 475-kilometres (295-mile) FERC-regulated transporter of natural gas serving the upper New England and Atlantic Canada markets.

Natural gas flows

The pipeline receives natural gas from the Trans-Quebec and Maritimes (TQM) Pipeline via the Canadian Mainline.

TC Energy said it would provide customary transition services and would work jointly with the buyers to ensure the safe and orderly transition of “this critical natural gas system”.

The Calgary, Alberta-based company’s other key assets include the completed Coastal GasLink in British Columbia to supply feed gas to the LNG Canada project which advancing commissioning activities.

The PNGTS transaction implies a valuation of approximately 11.0 times reported 2023 comparable EBITDA.

“This announcement represents continued progress toward achieving our 2024 strategic priority of enhancing our balance sheet strength by delivering approximately $3 billion in asset divestitures,” said François Poirier, TC Energy’s President and Chief Executive.

“We are committed to reaching our 4.75 times debt-to-EBITDA upper limit by year-end and expect to have further asset divestiture announcements through the year,” Poirier added.

Asset sales

“This sale of a non-core asset at a strong valuation is a unique opportunity to support our capital rotation and deleveraging priorities while continuing to meet the needs of the communities PNGTS serves,” the CEO said.

TC Energy added that cash proceeds from the deal would be split pro-rata according to the current PNGTS ownership interests of TC Energy 61.7 percent and Énergir 38.3 percent and will be paid at closing subject to customary adjustments.

“As part of the transaction, the buyers will assume the outstanding senior notes held at PNGTS and currently consolidated on TC Energy’s balance sheet,” said TC Energy.

“The transaction is expected to close in mid-2024, subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions,” it added.

Pembina Pipeline Corp., the developer of the Cedar LNG project in British Columbia and the owner of North American pipelines and terminals, has concluded a deal with Canadian pipelines company peer, Enbridge Inc., to acquire stakes in pipeline and processing systems and power assets for C$3.1 billion (US$2.28Bln).

Canadian Spirit Resources Inc., which recently reactivated natural gas production at Farrell Creek in Northeast British Columbia, is aiming for a share in supplying feed gas to regional LNG export projects as it outlined the advantages and challenges of operating in the Montney Shale basin.

TC Energy Corp., the North American pipeline and resources company with large-scale natural gas connections for the LNG sector in the US and Canada, has updated cost estimates for the Coastal GasLink Project serving the Shell-led LNG Canada venture.

Pembina Pipeline Corp., the Canadian pipelines company and joint owner of the Cedar floating liquefied natural gas project, has issued a business update for 2023, including the sale of the company’s interest in Pembina Gas Infrastructure's Key Access Pipeline System.

TC Energy, the Canadian natural gas pipeline company, reported strong third-quarter results and progress on supplying US Gulf Coast LNG plants, the LNG Canada project and has new joint venture plans for Mexico.

TC Energy and Pembina Pipeline, the North American energy infrastructure and LNG project companies, have entered into a carbon-sequestration evaluation agreement with the Canadian provincial government of Alberta to further evaluate one of the largest areas of interest for safely storing carbon from industrial emissions.

Police in the Canadian province of British Columbia said environmental extremists have carried out a violent attack on a project site of the Coastal GasLink LNG feed-gas pipeline for LNG Canada.

TC Energy, the North American pipelines group, posted lower net income amid higher revenues as a dispute continued with the LNG Canada project over the Coastal GasLink feed-gas from the Montney Shale.