Westcoast Energy reported yesterday that shippers fully renewedall firm service on its Southern mainline, as well as on keysegments of its Northern mainline. The announcement comes afterWestcoast last September said it was extending the shipper renewaldate to Jan. 31 for service beginning on Nov. 1.

“Our mainline transportation facilities, with the exception ofsome service in the Fort St. John area are now fully contracted,”said Doug Haughey, president of Westcoast Energy Pipeline and FieldServices Divisions.

“It is now clear that new pipeline capacity on Westcoast’smainline may be required and we are actively assessing expansionoptions,” noted Haughey. “Growth in the traditional natural gasmarket combined with the imminent addition of new gas-fired powergeneration capacity to serve growing demand for electric energy inthe Pacific Northwest sets the stage for construction of additionalpipeline capacity,” he concluded.

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