|
TransCanada took the first steps on another major initiative in the U.S. with the announcement of a joint venture with Williams Cos. to build the Sunstone Pipeline, a 995-kilometre (618-mile) line that would connect Opal, Wyoming, a major trading hub in the Rocky Mountains, with Stanfield, Oregon, the existing interconnection between TransCanada’s GTN System and Williams’ Northwest Pipeline.
An Open Season to gauge shipper interest in the proposed pipeline began March 17 and runs through April 30. During that time, GTN will conduct an open season on currently unsubscribed capacity between Stanfield and Malin, the gateway to the California and Nevada markets.
The 110-cm (42-inch) diameter looped pipeline would have capacity to deliver up to 1.2 Bcf/day of natural gas to the Stanfield interconnection. At that point, the gas could either continue west on Northwest Pipeline to Pacific Northwest markets such as Seattle and Portland or turn south towards Malin on GTN. From Malin, natural gas can reach premium markets in California via Pacific Gas and Electric Co. or Nevada markets via Tuscarora Gas Transmission.
Williams is a significant pipeline operator in the States. In addition to Northwest Pipeline, it owns and operates Transco, a major pipeline serving the East. Williams is also in the exploration and production business and operates several processing facilities. Williams will be the operator of the proposed Sunstone pipeline.
Sunstone joins a growing list of pipelines competing to connect the burgeoning Rockies basin with markets in the U.S. West. Sunstone enjoys some advantages over other entries in the race to access Rockies supply:
- The proposed pipeline parallels Northwest Pipeline along much of its route. With 50 years of experience in the corridor between Opal and Stanfield, Williams knows the terrain and the stakeholders very well.
- Unlike competitors that deliver only into California, Sunstone customers would enjoy the option of delivering supply into the Pacific Northwest.
“Sunstone offers customers in the West excellent access to markets and supply,” says Hal Kvisle, TransCanada president and chief executive officer. “Sunstone and GTN provide efficient, continued access to Western Canada Sedimentary Basin gas supply in addition to new access to growing Rocky Mountain production. The combination of new and existing infrastructure provides benefits to markets across California, Nevada and the Pacific Northwest.”
For more information on the proposed Sunstone pipeline, please contact Leslie Ferron-Jones at 503.833.4350.
| 
