Show Energy Supplier Seeks Okay For Alcan Akan Highway Pipeline Route Northwest Pipeline Corporation Corporation Corporation Cor Cor- the major supplier of natural gas to markets in Washington Oregon and Idaho has announced it will apply to the Federal Power Commission for authorization authorization au au- au to construct a mile pipeline in Alaska as part of a proposed new 1666 mile pipeline system to trans transport transport transport port natural gas from Alaska's Prudhoe Bay to markets in inthe inthe inthe the lower 48 states John G G. G McMillian North North- west Pipelines Pipeline's chairman and chief executive officer said Northwest is attempting to acquire the Alaskan gas to serve its customers in the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain Intermountain Inter Inter- mountain states The planned pipeline would follow established utility and highway corridors in Alaska and Canada and would utilize existing Canadian Cana dian pipeline systems to de de- deliver gas to the US U.S. border No undisturbed wilderness W 1 44 1 i. I L s y- y P NE i y f ru SIA Q HO co SrO t. t M A D I U. U MA QS I PIPELINE MILEAGE AI ALASKA ASK A no III Milli CANADA J 39 M 1666 SU o Weir I AI X M I Proposed new pipeline follows existing pipeline and highway corridors and utilizes es existing gas trans mission systems in Canada to bring Alaskan gas gag to the lower 48 states r areas would be invaded According to McMillian the company will sponsor and make all necessary US U.S. applications applications applications ap ap- ap- ap to construct a 42 inch diameter pipeline from Prudhoe Bay to the Alaska Alaska- Yukon border utilizing the Fairbanks Corridor-Alcan Corridor Highway route This route is iss s supported in the Final Environmental Environmental Environmental En En- Impact Statement Statement Statement State State- ment of oC the and almost all major environmental groups in the United States State and Canada prefer the Fair Fair- banks Corridor to all otheral other al alternatives terna ti ves Northwest Pipeline previously previously pre pre- made an offer to purchase purchase pur pur- chase a major portion of the themore themore themore more than 3 trillion cubic feet of royalty gas owned by the State of Alaska in Prudhoe Bay The company will proceed proceed pro pro- with its filing while continuing con its efforts to secure the States State's royalty gas and other gas supplies in Alaska McMillian said We believe our purchase of the Alaskan royalty gas for or use by our customers in the Pacific Northwest is a logical expansion of the close economic eco and cultural ties between be tween the State of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest McMillian said Three Canadian Compa Compa- The nies-The Alberta Gas Trunk Line Co Ltd Transmission Co Ltd and Foothills Pipe Lines Ltd Ltd- have entered into a preliminary preliminary preliminary nary agreement with Northwest North west west Pipeline to transport the Prudhoe Day flay gas through Canada to the US U.S. border and will file Ills the necessary applications for Canadian regulatory ap approvals The Canadian companies would construct a It pipeline across the Yukon and British Columbia to connect the Alaskan line with existing Canadian systems which would deliver the Prudhoe Bay gas to various existing and proposed pipeline systems systems near Sumas Washington Washing Washing- ton Kingsgate British Columbia and Empress Alberta Al AI berta for eventual delivery to US U.S. markets In terms of total dollar investment Northwest's Alcan Alcan Al Al- can Pipeline is one of the largest projects ever conceived conceived con con- McMillian stated As such it will require a continuance of the traditional cooperation that has existed between the US U.S. and Canada with respect to the development of natural re re- sources in both countries he said Realistically the Northwest North North- west Pipeline plan is the most feasible one for transporting North Slope reserves It makes sense not only for Alaska but for the nation asa as asa asa a whole By participating with Canada we will be working work work- ing to optimize energy resources re reo sources and facilities in both countries McMillian said Our studies and those of the staff the Depart ment of Interior DOI DOl and andall andall andall all leading environmental groups conclude that a Fair banks Corridor Alcan Alcan High way Route would have minimal mini mini- mal environmental impact because it affects no undisturbed wilderness areas McMillian said And by using Canadian pipelines he said overall construction time would be shortened by approximately two years and costs would be lower than those estimated for competing projects |