Oregon LNG may be filing for their FERC permit sometime next month. That doesn't mean any shovels hitting the Skipanon soon but minority owner Peter Hansen tells me it does mean that his company is moving forward.
As I had surmised months ago, Oregon LNG has been taking a much quieter approach in meeting multiple times with state agencies and the tribes over the last couple of years in an attempt to clear up any concerns and get state permits in place before moving on to federal approval. Hansen says that while he wishes his company could do the same kind of things Northern Star has been doing in pouring cash into the community over the last several years. It's not going to happen as long as equity firm Leucadia National Corp owns 80% of the company. He says that company watches the bottom line carefully and can't justify charity donations to buy friends. He says there is no public relations department and there is little use for it given Oregon LNG's approach in seeking permit approval. Hansen says that until a public process is required there won't be any. He says he can't understand why Northern Star would insist on being a target in this fashion.
Leucadia National Corporation shares little information about itself and it's dealings. Their website is an exercise in providing as little detail as possible while still maintaining some web representation.
Hansen points to Northern Star's mess in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court regarding state permitting and the FERC approval as a prime example of the backwards approach he says that company has taken with Bradwood Landing. Oregon LNG will not make the same mistake.
There is more and we'll talk about it this morning on Coastwatch.
El Paso Pipeline Official Says He Doesn't See Oregon LNG Projects Going Forward
ReplyDeleteEl Paso Official Skeptical of West Coast LNG
May 6, 2009 Link
From: Sutherland LNGLaw Blog
Jim Cleary, president of El Paso's Western Pipeline division, told Platts LNG Daily that he does not believe that the LNG import projects planned for Oregon will go forward "in the foreseeable future." Cleary made the remarks while discussing western U.S. natural gas production and his company's efforts to build a new pipeline from a production area in the Rockies to a point on the California-Oregon border. [Subscription required]
No surprise here. Local projects here may end up on the shelf if they don't pencil out at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteIt remains to be seen which pipeline projects will proceed and which delivery method will win out in the marketplace.
Mr. Cleary has long way to go yet.
My guess would be pipeline tied to existing and least impacting infrastructure and the most laikley candidate would be Suntsone's Pipeline with terminus in Stanfield, Oregon
ReplyDeleteIt only makes sense and I am beginning to see more and more the true motive of these LNG storage terminals being intended for future export of our own NG supply.
Even Palomar says we only need one or the other(Pipeline from the Rockies or one LNG Transfer/Storage Terminal)
Now, with miles and miles existing NG pipelines and rights of way in place already, all over the west coast, would it not make sense and be more cost effective to utilize them to satisfy the West Coast market's needs while we wean ourselves to sustainables and renewables?
After close to 5 years in the permitting process, I don't see Bradwood putting their project "on the shelf"
ReplyDeleteThey have just gotten a new influx of money, apparently, which should see them through the end.
I don't see Bradwood's contributions to local non-profits, etc., as "buying" anybody.
They will be a very important member of our community for decades to come, and have contributed close to half a million dollars over the last 3-4 years...I can't even fathom what they'll do once they ARE in business!
5 years, millions invested in the front end with staunch opposition to just walk away?
ReplyDeleteIt happens and is just part of doing business and we could easily awaken one morning with that friendly Bradwood office downtown closed up tighter than a "Flavel Eviction"