Alaska Gas Pipeline has Open Season for Oil Company Operators

The US Energy Regulatory Commission announced the Alaska Pipeline Project (APP) has filed its plan for approval to conduct its open season on a potential pipeline to move natural gas from the North Slope to the US. Members of the public can provide comments through the month of February to the agency.

Two options being reviewed to deliver the gas to the lower 48 states. The first requires the pipeline to cross over the province of Alberta, Canada, which is estimated to cost $32-41billion. The second option would transport gas 800 miles to Valdez, Alaska at a projected cost of $20-26 billion. At Port Valdez the gas would be converted to LNG and delivered by ship to the U.S. and possible foreign markets.

The project is a joint effort between TransCanada Corp and Exxon Mobil under the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act. The Denali group is a consortium of BP PLC and ConocoPhillips, who will submit its open Season to the FERC in April.