Cheniere Creole Trail Pipeline Co. on Friday began an open season through June 1 to market natural gas pipeline transportation capacity to interconnect planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) receipt terminals with more than 12 Bcf/d of gas pipeline infrastructure in southern Louisiana.

Parent company Cheniere Energy Inc. earlier this year initiated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) pre-filing process at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the Creole Trail LNG system, its fourth proposed LNG terminal planned along the Gulf Coast (see NGI, Jan. 31). The Creole Trail terminal would be located on the Calcasieu Ship Channel.

The Creole Trail terminal and associated pipeline is expected to cost $900 million. It would be the largest receiving terminal in North America at 3.3 Bcf/d of initial processing capacity, with planned service in late 2008. The entire permitting process is expected to take 12-18 months and the construction process should take about three years.

The proposed pipeline system’s two receipt points in Cameron Parish, LA would be the Creole Trail terminal and the Sabine Pass LNG terminal now under construction on the Sabine Pass Ship Channel. Cheniere also is a sponsor of the Sabine Pass terminal.

As many as 15 different interstate and intrastate pipeline systems will interconnect with the system, with termination in the vicinity of Rayne, LA. A detailed description of the open season is available at Cheniere’s website at www.cheniere.com.

Cheniere also is a sponsor of the Freeport LNG terminal in Brazoria County, TX and the Corpus Christi, TX LNG terminal (see NGI‘s LNG terminal list). Both Freeport and Sabine Pass already have received FERC permits.

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