Sponsors

Enthusiastic Canadian government sponsors of an international technical test team say a northern drilling success has opened up prospects of tapping a colossal new source natural gas — a frozen variety within reach of current Arctic operating capabilities.

It’s not a perfect world yet, but sponsors of the major projectsto tap reserves in the far north are working to avoid mistakes ofthe past by coming up with a joint plan to pipe supplies fromAlaska and the Northwest Territories to market areas in the south.

It’s not a perfect world yet, but sponsors of the major projectsto tap reserves in the far north are working to avoid mistakes ofthe past by coming up with a joint plan to pipe supplies fromAlaska and the Northwest Territories to market areas in the south.

The sponsors of Independence Pipeline and the associatedSupplyLink expansion project informed FERC on Friday that theyaccepted the mid-July decision awarding them certificates toconstruct their controversial Midwest-to-East Coast pipelineproject. The order is still subject to rehearing at the Commissionand then possibly to a court review. Combined, the two projects —SupplyLink, an upstream expansion of sponsor ANR Pipeline’sexisting system; and Independence, a 400-mile greenfield pipelinefrom Defiance, OH, to the Leidy Hub — would add about 1 Bcf/d ofwest-to-east firm transportation capacity at $803 million, servingthe growing gas needs of power generators in the east andNortheast. Partners in Independence are ANR, Williams’Transcontinental Gas Pipeline and National Fuel Gas Co.Independence and SupplyLink projects are targeted for in-service inNovember 2002.

After several weeks of field testing, sponsors of ahigh-profile, deep-drilling project in the southern end ofCalifornia’s San Joaquin Valley reported Thursday (June 22) “pure,sweet oil” with an API gravity of 48.6 degrees and associatednatural gas with a very high net Btu content of 1,460 with nowater. However, definitive information on the projected volumes isstill several weeks away, according to Tri-Valley Oil & GasCo., operator of the Project Ekho No. 1 well about 45 milesnorthwest of Bakersfield, CA.

After several weeks of field testing, sponsors of a high-profile,deep-drilling project in the southern end of California’s San JoaquinValley reported Thursday (June 22) “pure, sweet oil” with an APIgravity of 48.6 degrees and associated natural gas with a very highnet Btu content of 1,460 with no water. However, definitiveinformation on the projected volumes is still several weeks away,according to Tri-Valley Oil & Gas Co., operator of the ProjectEkho No. 1 well about 45 miles northwest of Bakersfield, CA.

In its effort to meet the challenge of building a pipeline offthe Florida coast, Buccaneer Pipeline project sponsors saidyesterday they signed Saipem Inc./European Marine Contractors Ltd.,a recognized leader in deepwater pipeline construction.

In its effort to meet the challenge of building a pipeline offthe Florida coast, Buccaneer Pipeline project sponsors saidyesterday they signed Saipem Inc./European Marine Contractors Ltd.to help construct the offshore portion of the proposed pipeline.Buccaneer, which is a joint venture between Duke Energy andWilliams, would not disclose any of the financial agreementsinvolved in the deal. Saipem/EMC has already started work on theproject, a Buccaneer spokesperson said.

Proponents and opponents of the controversial multi-state gaspipeline project — Independence Pipeline, SupplyLink andMarketLink — agree on one point: none are satisfied with theinterim order that put the projects on hold until they can produceenough contracts to justify market need. Both sides seek rehearing.