While most of the Vector Pipeline project remains dormant,Vector Pipeline L.P. recently announced an open season forshort-term firm transportation service from its proposedinterconnect with Michigan Consolidated Gas at Belle River, MI, tothe Union Gas Ltd. system at Dawn, ON. The company also said itexpects final regulatory approval for the entire Chicago-to-Dawnproject from both the Canadian National Energy Board (NEB) and theU.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by early April.

The open season started Feb. 8 and will end at 7 p.m. EST onFeb. 26. Bids for capacity and rates will be accepted from shippersinterested in purchasing firm capacity for the period between Nov.1, 1999 through Sept. 30, 2000. The pipeline company said it doesnot expect any problems in receiving the necessary regulatoryapprovals to provide this service. It has already received afavorable draft environmental impact statement and preliminarydetermination from FERC.

The company had wanted to put the entire system in service byNovember of 1999. As it stands now, 340 miles of the pipe will notbe completed until the fall of 2000. The open season solicits bidsfor gas that will flow through 19.3 miles of pipe. Vector said ithas made all the arrangements for construction matters.

The Vector project is a joint venture of Calgary-based EnbridgeInc. and Detroit-based MCN Energy Group Inc, valued at $471million. It is designed to transport 1 Bcf/d of Western Canadianand U.S. sourced natural gas from the rapidly expanding Chicagohub, where it will interconnect with Northern Border Pipeline’sextension and the Alliance Pipeline, to growing markets in easternCanada and the midwestern and northeastern regions of the UnitedStates.

John Norris

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