Canada’s National Energy Board (NEB) has received an application from Repsol Energy Canada Ltd. for a license authorizing the importation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) into Canada and for a separate license to export gas from Canada to the United States, the NEB said last Wednesday.

In its submission filed on Dec. 27, Repsol applied for an import license to supply the Canaport LNG Terminal, which is currently under construction at Mispec Point near Saint John, NB. Regasified LNG would serve the domestic Canadian market and, pending approval, would also be available for export using the Emera Brunswick Pipeline to markets in the United States. The NEB approved the pipeline last year (see NGI, June 4, 2007).

Repsol has requested 25-year terms for both licenses to import up to 370 Bcf/year of gas in liquefied form and to export up to 1 Bcf/d of gas.

After the application has been reviewed for completeness, the NEB will issue a hearing order that will provide more information about its hearing process, which may be written, oral or a combination of both. The hearing order will include important dates and will detail the different levels of public participation.

Canaport LNG LP is a partnership of Repsol YPF and Irving Oil. In September the partnership said it plans to construct a third 160,000 cubic meter LNG storage tank alongside its two existing tanks. A binding open season ended last Friday for the Phase V expansion of Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline (see NGI, Jan. 7). Maritimes will transport regasified LNG from the Canaport terminal.

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