Crossing

A Canadian environmental review panel approved the proposed Georgia Strait Crossing natural gas pipeline in British Columbia, BC Hydro said on Wednesday. The National Energy Board panel’s ruling will be submitted to federal Environment Minister David Anderson. It is a significant regulatory step forward for the project, which extends from Sumas, Washington, to Vancouver Island. The 85-mile pipeline is a joint proposal of BC Hydro and Williams.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has given final environmental clearance to the U.S. leg of the Georgia Strait Crossing pipeline, a joint Williams-BC Hydro project that would transport natural gas to power generators on Vancouver Island in Canada from connections with Northwest Pipeline and Westcoast Energy near Sumas, WA.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has given final environmental clearance to the U.S. leg of the Georgia Strait Crossing pipeline, a joint Williams-BC Hydro project that would transport natural gas to power generators on Vancouver Island in Canada from connections with Northwest Pipeline and Westcoast Energy near Sumas, WA.

Just when it was expecting to see the light at the end of a long tunnel, Millennium Pipeline suffered another setback last week. Although it was able to come to an agreement with the city of Mount Vernon, NY, over a key routing issue, setting the stage for a final green light from FERC after five years of review, pipeline officials ran into trouble pushing the New York State Department’s (DOS) Division of Coastal Resources for a final decision on its route through sensitive Haverstraw Bay on the Hudson River.

Coral Energy and Mexico-based Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) completed their 104-mile pipeline linking the Pemex pipeline system at Arguelles in the Mexico state of Tamaulipas with Coral’s pipeline system on the King Ranch in South Texas.

Today began with one more operational cross-border natural gaspipeline in place than there was last month, as Coral Energy andMexico-based Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) announced yesterday thecompletion of their 104-mile pipeline linking the Pemex pipelinesystem at Arguelles in the Mexico state of Tamaulipas, with Coral’spipeline system on the King Ranch in South Texas.

Tennessee said road crossing work on its 800 Line will becompleted ahead of schedule. Barring unforeseen circumstances,service constraints upstream of Station 823 (Kinder, LA) will belifted for Saturday’s gas day.

BC Gas selected Marine Pipeline Construction, a division of MurphyPipeline Inc., as its contractor for the 188-mile, 24-inch diameterSouthern Crossing gas pipeline. The contractor will begin movingequipment immediately to locations along the pipeline route, whichstretches from Oliver to Yahk, BC. Construction is expected to beginbefore June 1 and be completed by November. The C$377 million projectwill be designed to initially transport 250 MMcf/d with room forexpansion to 600 MMcf/d. Addition details are available in a pdffile on BC Gas’web site.

kRoad Ventures LP made a significant investment in HoustonStreetExchange Inc. to finance the online energy trading system’s pondcrossing to Europe. New York City-based kRoad is a global venturecapital fund focused on the infrastructure sector (energy,utilities, water and waste management). kRoad brings tradingliquidity, sector experience and international business networksunique to its limited partners: Vivendi (Europe), Softbank (Asia)and Sithe (North America). kRoad’s investment is the cornerstone ofHoustonStreet’s international initiatives. kRoad, Vivendi andHoustonStreet agreed to structure a strategic partnership toestablish HoustonStreet Europe.