Importing

Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline LLC has asked FERC for authorization so that, in addition to importing natural gas at the U.S.-Canadian border, it can export gas to Canada.

Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline LLC has asked FERC for authorization so that, in addition to importing natural gas at the U.S.-Canadian border, it can export gas to Canada.

North America should end up with more than enough capacity for importing liquefied natural gas (LNG), and the various gas quality/compatibility issues for imports can be solved, but unanswered safety and global market questions still loom large, according to speakers at a national meeting of state regulators Nov. 12 in Anaheim, CA.

North America should end up with more than enough capacity for importing liquefied natural gas (LNG), and the various gas quality/compatibility issues for imports can be solved, but unanswered safety and global market questions still loom large, according to speakers at a national meeting of state regulators Monday in Anaheim, CA.

As it remains ambivalent about importing new liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies, California faces increased competition from other parts of the nation in obtaining adequate future gas supplies and it can expect the prices to be higher in years to come. That is one of the key conclusions in the latest draft of the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) 2007 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR), which was recently released for public review.

As it remains ambivalent about importing new liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies, California faces increased competition from other parts of the nation in obtaining adequate future gas supplies and it can expect the prices to be higher in years to come. That is one of the key conclusions in the latest draft of the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) 2007 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR), which was recently released for public review.

Without new discoveries and more investment for exploration activities, Mexico’s state oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) could be importing oil within 10 years, the director general said last week. However, if it doubled its current $20 billion annual investment, Pemex could become one of the largest oil and natural gas exporters, according to Luis Ramirez Corzo, who took over Pemex last November.

Without new discoveries and more investment for exploration activities, Mexico’s state oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) could be importing oil within 10 years, the director general said last week. However, if it doubled its current $20 billion annual investment, Pemex could become one of the largest oil and natural gas exporters, according to Luis Ramirez Corzo, who took over Pemex last November.

Importing liquefied natural gas is “one part of the solution” to help supply an expected natural gas shortfall of 8 Bcf/d by 2010, according to Houston researcher Industrial Information Resources Inc. (IIR). It noted that by the end of the decade, U.S. consumption will reach 30 Bcf/d, and LNG imports will play an “increasingly important role” to power new natural gas-fired plants now under construction.