Alaska LNG submits resource reports

The Alaska LNG project has filed draft resource reports with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. In a Feb. 11 press release, Alaska LNG said it submitted a series of draft environmental and socioeconomic reports to FERC, which is responsible for conducting the environmental review of the project.

A release from the Office of the Federal Coordinator said the reports are available on the FERC library at http://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/search/fercgensearch.asp. The docket number to bring up the reports is PF14-21.

Alaska LNG said the reports launch the pre-file public engagement process and provide preliminary baseline data about the project area and its potential impacts.

“These draft documents, known as Resource Reports, allow Alaska stakeholders to engage early in the regulatory process, so potential environmental and socioeconomic issues and opportunities can be proactively identified and managed,” Steve Butt, project executive for Alaska LNG, said in the press release.

Alaska LNG is in the preliminary front-end engineering and design phase, expected to extend into 2016 with a gross spend of more than $500 million.

Partners in the project, which would bring Alaska North Slope natural gas to Southcentral Alaska for liquefaction and shipment to Asia as LNG as well as providing natural gas along the pipeline route, are the Alaska Gasline Development Corp., BP, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and TransCanada.

Alaska LNG said the draft reports “only provide preliminary baseline data about the project and its potential impacts,” with second drafts of the reports expected to be submitted to FERC in the next 12 to 18 months, further defining projects and proposed mitigation measures. Comments received on the reports will be used to prepare a project final permit application, currently expected to occur in late 2016. Once the formal application is filed FERC will begin developing an environmental impact statement.

- Petroleum News