Major Projects
Today’s Principle Arctic Gas Pipeline Projects With Current Maps:
Alaska LNG: the latest Alaska effort to monetize Alaska North Slope Gas, making it available for intrastate use as well as for export. Here’s a sobering and clear set of statistics!
Immediately below are other mid-2000 projects:
Denali-The Alaska Gas Pipeline
Mackenzie Gas Pipeline Project
TransCanada’s Gas Pipeline Project
- Major Historical Projects Summary Below, updated 7- 09
- More details in our OLDER Archives, here, and our NEWER Archives, here.
- Peter McKenzie-Brown: From North to South: How Norman Wells Led To Leduc
All of these options (See BP’s description) have evolved from the intense competition among the gas titans of the late 1960s-early 70s (See 1976 project map, left, and 2001 project map, right).
The “Northern Route” project (ARC, Ltd., now defunct), would take ANS gas about 325 miles east, via a pipeline buried 15′ in the sea bottom, combine it with Mackenzie Delta gas, moving all the gas to southern markets in the U.S. and Canada. Arctic Gas’ original route would have been buried onshore through the area now known as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, then designated only as a “Range”. This is the shortest route, attractive to investors but not supported by most Alaskans, even though it could have provided the State’s citizens with highter tax and royalty payments resulted from lower wellhead costs/higher wellhead value. It was supported by NWT leaders and many leaders in both the U.S. and Canada continue to hold out hope for this most efficient of the Arctic gas transportation systems. Enbridge has a ‘Canadian’ option, as well (See this concept evolve via news reports, beginning late May 2001.)
The “Southern”, or “Highway Route” project (Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System, “ANGTS”, promoted by Foothills Pipe Lines, Ltd., later owned by , TransCanada Pipelines, LP., and Westcoast Gas Transmission Co), and now owned by TransCanada (and supported by Exxon), would move ANS gas down the TAPS right of way to Fairbanks, then on a buried pipeline route south, roughly paralleling the Alaska Highway, as would the Denali Project supported by ConocoPhillips and British Petroleum. Both TransCanada and Denali embody major components of the “Alcan Pipeline” proposal of the 70s. Both plan to conduct “open seasons” in 2010.
The Alaskan Gas Producers Pipeline Team, in April 2001, formally announced a $75 million feasibility study of the Southern and Northern routes and named initial contractors. Ultimately, the producers spent more than $125 million on the study.
Several companies support various “Gas to Liquids” (GTL) projects. Unlike LNG or natural gas, GTL could be moved in “batches” through an oil pipeline. There are many other differences, explained on the ANGTL proponent site, and BP’s excellent summary. GTL technology was not proven, or at least discussed, in the 70s though oil pipeline transport of ‘heavy ends’ or propanes, butanes, etc., was.
For political, legislative and regulatory developments, review pre-7-09 news archives here, and post-7-09 archives beginning here.