The Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline (M&NE) started anopen season yesterday asking for capacity requests from buyersintent on using M&NE’s interconnect with Algonquin’s proposedHubLine project at Salem, MA. Requests will be received throughSept. 30. Maritimes’ Canadian affiliate, Maritimes & NortheastPipeline Limited Partnership, will contemporaneously conduct anopen season for its pipeline in Canada, the company said.

During the open season, Maritimes will accept capacity requeststo any delivery point on the system, including the Salem point. Thefirm transportation services offered will be provided on anon-discriminatory, open access basis. Service to delivery pointsfor the initial expansion is expected to commence as early as theyear 2000 and nominations for services starting at differentperiods will be accepted and evaluated.

By connecting with the HubLine project, Maritimes will accessthe burgeoning power generation area around Boston, MA. “Now thatM&NE is being completed, we feel that now, more than, ever,there is a market and a supply for this system,” said JohnSheridan, an Algonquin spokesman. “Our focus in the Boston andsoutheastern Massachusetts areas. That’s where we feel the marketreally is.”

The $300 million, 70-mile HubLine project would extend from aconnection with the Joint Facilities line in Plaistow, NH, in asoutheasterly direction for about 34 miles to the coast and thentravel under water along the eastern seaboard for about 24 miles tointerconnect with existing Algonquin facilities. If built, thepipeline would be designed for 600,000 Dth/d and commenceoperations in 2002. Shippers would have access to Sable Island gasthrough Maritimes, domestic supply through Algonquin’s existingsystem and possibly LNG from Algonquin’s liquefaction facilitiesnear Boston.

An open season held by Algonquin for Hubline started in late Julyand concluded last month (see Daily GPI, July 22). Sheridan said the projectreceived positive results, but would not disclose them. “We’re waitingfor Maritimes to conclude its open season before we announceanything.”

While Sheridan said the company is optimistic, he admitted it isnowhere close to filing with FERC yet.

Duke expects the entire M&NE pipeline project to provide530,000 MMBtu/d of transportation capacity from newly developed gasreserves in the Sable Island area, offshore Nova Scotia, to marketsin the northeastern US and Atlantic Canada by Nov. 1.

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