A 20-year export licence has been issued to BC LNG Export Co-operative.
Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources Joe Oliver announced the licence on April 11.
The licence will allow the company to export liquefied natural gas from Kitimat, and this is the second licence approved for the export of gas to Asian markets.
“This export licence is another example of our government’s commitment to diversifying our energy export markets and strengthening our trading partnership with Asia,” said Oliver in a press release. “Canada is a safe, responsible, and reliable supplier of energy contributing to global energy security.”
The gas for BC LNG would come on the existing Pacific Northern Gas pipeline and possibly on the proposed Pacific Trail Pipeline.
This latest action concludes the approval of the export licence which was granted in February by the National Energy Board.
The licence allows a maximum 1.8 million tonnes of LNG exported a year.
BC LNG is a 50:50 partnership between the Haisla and LNG Partners LLC of Houston, Texas.
In February, when the NEB approved the licence, LNG Partners’ Tom Tatham said that he was looking forward to a final investment decision sometime this month.
The proposed plant could be operational as early as 2014.
Construction will employ 150-200 people over 18 to 24 months with 30-40 permanent operating jobs at the Douglas Channel site.
