Wespac files project description with federal and provincial environmental agencies to initiate environmental review process.

WesPac filed a project description on May 11, 2015, for its proposed WesPac Tilbury Marine Jetty Project with Federal and Provincial environmental agencies to initiate the environmental assessment process. This process is estimated to take 15 months and will provide a thorough environmental review and allow for public consultation and input from the public and first nations.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency announced a 20 day federal comment period on the WesPac Tilbury Marine Jetty Project was announced on May 22, 2015. The announcement consists of a news release, public notice and the posting of the project description summary on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry internet site (Registry reference number 80105). CEAA sent out notices to relevant parties and first nations asking for comments on two questions: should a federal environmental assessment be performed and should CEAA defer to BCEAO to prepare one Environmental Assessment covering the requirements of both CEAA and BCEAO (a process called substitution). Comments on those two questions are due to CEAA by June 11th

 

You can view the documents from the following links:

News release: http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/document-eng.cfm?document=101689

Public notice: http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/document-eng.cfm?document=101688

Summary of the project description: http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/document-eng.cfm?document=101699

Information about the project on the BCEAO website can be found at http://a100.gov.bc.ca/appsdata/epic/html/deploy/epic_project_doc_list_435_p_pro.html


National energy board of Canada approves WesPac midstream LNG export license.

On May 7, 2015, WesPac Midstream – Vancouver LLC (“WesPac”) received notification from Canada’s National Energy Board (“NEB”) of its decision to grant WesPac a license to export natural gas from Canada. WesPac submitted an application in June 2014. The license is for a maximum annual volume of 4.76 billion cubic meters of natural gas (equivalent to approximately 3.5 million tonnes of LNG per annum), and is for a term of 25 years. The NEB decision is subject to the approval of the Governor in Council.

A link to the NEB’s announcement about the license decision is found here:

http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?mthd=tp&crtr.page=1&nid=972719&crtr.tp1D=1

WesPac’s export of natural gas will be in conjunction with the WesPac Tilbury LNG Marine Jetty Project currently under development. WesPac’s jetty will be adjacent to the FortisBC Tilbury LNG Plant in Delta, B.C. and will be designed to load LNG cargo into customers’ small and medium-sized LNG carriers as well as LNG barges, one vessel at a time.

WesPac submitted its Project Description to initiate the environmental assessment process in April of this year. It was submitted to both the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office (BCEAO) and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA). The anticipated start of operations for the jetty project is the first quarter of 2018.


NEB Application to Export LNG from Canada.

WesPac Midstream – Vancouver LLC (WPMV), a subsidiary of WesPac Midstream LLC (WesPac), has submitted an application to the National Energy Board of Canada for a license to export LNG sourced from the Tilbury LNG Plant owned by FortisBC Energy, Inc. The Tilbury LNG Plant has recently begun work on an expansion project, which was approved by the BC Government in 2013. The applied-for export license would cover potential regional exports to customers such as small power plants and bunkering (i.e. fuel) for marine vessels. These customers would benefit from both fuel cost savings, as well as air emissions reductions, by displacing oil-based fuels with natural gas.

WPMV is planning a new marine terminal in the Fraser River adjacent to the Tilbury LNG Plant to accommodate exports of LNG by barges or ships.  The marine terminal would be a single jetty structure providing berth space for one barge or ship, and its size is consistent with other similar structures in the Fraser River.  It will be located on the site of an abandoned marine terminal in previously dredged waters. WPMV is currently conducting engineering and related shipping studies,to prepare for First Nations and public consultation, as well as various applications to government agencies.

About WesPac Midstream LLC

WesPac is a private energy infrastructure company founded in 1998 to develop, own, and operate energy facilities throughout North America. WesPac is majority owned by Highstar Capital, an independent infrastructure investment firm with a value-added, operational approach and deep expertise in energy investing and development, and WesPac Energy LLC, a private development company.