Energy Transfer Equity subsidiaries file with FERC for liquefaction project

DALLAS, Texas - Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. (NYSE: ETE) on April 2 announced that its Trunkline LNG Co., Trunkline LNG Export and Trunkline Gas Co. subsidiaries have filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to build a previously announced natural gas liquefaction project under development in Lake Charles, La.

The Lake Charles liquefaction project is being developed to liquefy domestic supplies of natural gas for export to foreign countries in order to meet the growing world-wide demand for LNG. Exporting LNG to the world market will provide a wide range of economic and employment related benefits for the United States.

Energy Transfer and its subsidiaries continue to work closely with its customer BG Group plc in the development of the project.

As part of the project, Trunkline Gas Company plans to extend its interstate natural gas pipeline approximately half a mile to provide feed gas to the liquefaction facility. The project is currently planned to export up to 15 million metric tons of LNG per year, which is the equivalent of approximately two billion cubic feet per day of natural gas. Pending regulatory approvals, Trunkline LNG Export currently expects to begin project construction in 2014 and is anticipating the project to be in service in the spring of 2018. 

Calais LNG folds in Maine, leaving Downeast as only remaining LNG project

CALAIS, Maine - Calais LNG has withdrawn its permit application with state environmental regulators.

Unable to find new money after a primary investor pulled out, the developer blamed lingering impacts from the global financial meltdown.

Calais LNG was one of three terminals planned for the St. Croix River and Passamaquoddy Bay, on the Maine-New Brunswick border.

Following its demise, and the failure of an earlier competitor, Quoddy Bay LNG, a single project now represents the final hope for bringing a new source of natural gas directly to eastern Maine.

"We always believed we'd be the last man standing," said Dean Girdis, co-founder and president of Downeast LNG.

Downeast LNG has a site in Robbinston, downriver from Calais. It's slowly moving through the regulatory process and hopes to gain federal permits next year, and state permits in 2012.