In an announcement Tuesday by Mark Parent, Minister of Environment and Labour, MapleLNG received environmental approval from the province of Nova Scotia for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) importation and regasification facility in Goldboro, Nova Scotia.
The LNG terminal will be located adjacent to the Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline intake station at the Sable Offshore Energy Gas Plant in Goldboro. Its location will enable MapleLNG
to serve the substantial Canadian and U.S. natural gas markets as of 2010.
The project was subject to a full provincial environmental assessment
(EA) including a six-day public hearing process that was held in November
2006. Keltic Petrochemicals also received approval for a petrochemical
facility.
"MapleLNG is pleased to be moving ahead with its LNG facility in Nova
Scotia. Through our shareholders, 4Gas and Suntera, we have a very strong
international presence and will form part of a global integrated LNG
portfolio," said Derek Owen, General Manager, MapleLNG. "As operator of this
regasification terminal we have the ability to market upstream and downstream,
a strategic advantage in the LNG marketplace with suppliers seeking access to
the premium value natural gas markets afforded in the North Eastern United
States and Canada."
The environmental approval is subject to a number of recommendations that
relate to the liquefied natural gas project. MapleLNG is satisfied with the
conditions of the environmental approval and will work with the applicable
agencies as it proceeds to the next steps in LNG project development.
MapleLNG will construct and operate the LNG importation and
regasification facility in Goldboro. The next step for the LNG project is
approval of a permit to construct - an application will be submitted to the
Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (UARB) by May, 2007. Scheduled start of
production is 2010.
Other regulatory steps for the LNG project include the completion of the
Federal Environmental Assessment process, other approvals required under the
Nova Scotia Environment Act, and the Technical Review Process of Marine
Terminal Systems and Transshipment Sites (TERMPOL). TERMPOL will assess
navigation, operational ship safety, and port security. The project must also
meet stringent provincial regulations such as: air quality regulations, and
dangerous goods regulations, and it must also comply with federal regulations
including the Canada Shipping Act, portions of the Fisheries Act; and the
Canadian Environmental Protection Act. MapleLNG is confident these regulatory
approvals will be obtained in due course.
MapleLNG is a Nova Scotia company and the Canadian subsidiary of 4Gas and
Suntera. 4Gas is an independent company located in Rotterdam, solely dedicated
to developing and operating liquefied natural gas import terminals around the
world. Suntera is an international energy company with oil and gas assets in
West Africa, North America and India.
MapleLNG will serve the substantial Canadian and northeastern United
States natural gas markets through an LNG terminal strategically located
adjacent to a pipeline transmission system that transports natural gas from
Nova Scotia to markets in Canada and the northeastern United States. In March
2006, 4Gas and Suntera Canada Ltd. purchased the MapleLNG project, located at
Goldboro, Nova Scotia.
Project Backgrounder
Provincial environmental approval has been received for a liquefied
natural gas importation and regasification facility in Goldboro, Nova Scotia.
The LNG importation and regasification facility at Goldboro will consist of:
- Marine facilities to accommodate LNG carriers up to 250,000 cubic meters
- Three LNG storage tanks of 160,000 cubic meters, expandable to six tanks
- Regasification facilities
- The ability to transmit one billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, expandable to two billion cubic feet of natural gas per day
- MapleLNG will construct and operate the LNG importation and regasification facility with a scheduled start of production in 2010
- MapleLNG will serve the Canadian and northeastern United States natural gas markets through its terminal strategically located adjacent to a pipeline transmission system that transports natural gas from Nova Scotia to markets in Canada and the northeastern United States
4Gas is dedicated to developing and operating LNG import regasification
and storage terminals around the world. It is the world's only independent
company with a focus on LNG and a global footprint.
Current projects include Dragon LNG in Milford Haven, Wales; the LionGas
project in Rotterdam, The Netherlands; the Pegaz LNG project near Bordeaux,
France; the MapleLNG project in Nova Scotia, Canada; and the Vista del Sol
project near Corpus Christi, Texas, USA. 4Gas has offices in Rotterdam (HQ),
London, Houston, Halifax, Paris, Jakarta, Bordeaux, Moscow, Islamabad, Abuja
and Hong Kong.
Suntera is a joint venture between SUN Energy, the energy investment arm
of the SUN Group, a private investment group active in Russia, India, Europe
and the U.S.; and ITERA, one of the largest oil and gas companies of Russia.
Suntera is a fast growing integrated energy company, having a strong
management team. In a very short time span, Suntera has acquired oil and gas
assets in West Africa, North America and India.