The Alaska LNG Project has filed at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to begin the Commission’s pre-filing process for its natural gas pipeline, liquefaction and export project to commercialize the state’s long-stranded North Slope gas. The project facilities include a liquefaction facility in the Nikiski area on the Kenai Peninsula, an 800-mile, large-diameter pipeline, up to eight compression stations, at least five offtake points for in-state gas delivery, a gas treatment plant located on the North Slope and transmission lines to transport gas from Prudhoe Bay and Point Thomson to the gas treatment plant. Project participants are the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. and affiliates of ExxonMobil Corp., TransCanada Corp., BP plc and ConocoPhillips. An application for an LNG export license to the U.S. Department of Energy was submitted in July for the project (see Daily GPI, July 21). Separately, the state and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry signed a memorandum of cooperation related to the LNG project and other resource development opportunities. It builds upon an existing agreement between the state and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation in January.