With its application to export natural gas under way with the National Energy Board, the BC LNG Co-operative has awarded the contract for the Front End Engineering and Design for its proposed project.
Black and Veatch of Kansas, has begun work for the LNG plant that will be constructed on a barge and brought to a location on the west side of the Douglas Channel south of Rio Tinto Alcan’s aluminum smelter.
“We are looking to build the majority of the LNG export facility on a standard Panamax barge to minimize the physical and environmental impact in this scenic area,” said Tom Tatham of LNG Partners of Texas who are in partnership with the Haisla Nation on the project. (Panamax refers to the fact its size would be the maximum that can travel through the Panama Canal.)
Tatham added, “Black & Veatch’s PRICO process is ideal for this type of application because of its smaller footprint and flexible operations.”
This would be the first barge-mounted export facility serving the Pacific Basin, as well as the first for exporting Canadian natural gas - assuming the project goes ahead as planned, it would be exporting LNG some 18 months before the proposed KM LNG plant.
Black and Veatch’s FEED work for the facility will be completed in January and will provide a definitive estimate to be used in finalizing a lump sum, turn-key contract between the parties for the engineering, procurement, construction, testing and commissioning of the facility.
Meanwhile the deadline for comments on whether the BC Co-op export hearing should be oral or written is tomorrow. That is also the deadline to register as an intervenor and comment on the list of issues outlined by the NEB.