The LNG dilemma

Pipeline proponents say natural gas is a clean fuel; critics say it’s still a bad option

By Toby Van Fleet

Pamplin Media Group, Mar 11, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (8 Reader comments)

L.E. BASKOW / PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP PHOTOS

A natural gas pipeline could pass through Gales Creek near Berblinger’s farm.

With an increased concern for the environment on one hand, and an increasing need for energy on the other, Oregonians are going to face some tough decisions in the years to come.

A number of proposals that would expand the region’s access to natural gas are raising the question, Is natural gas part of the solution?

• What is natural gas?

Like petroleum and coal, natural gas is a fossil fuel – made up mostly of methane – harvested from the Earth and processed for use. It powers electricity plants, heats buildings and fuels household appliances.

The use of natural gas releases less greenhouse gas emissions than other fossil fuels, giving it an advantage in the race for cleaner energy in the context of climate change.

• What is up for discussion?

Proposals for liquefied natural gas terminals along the Columbia River and the Oregon Coast currently are in process.

In addition, new gas pipelines are being discussed. Pipelines would be 36 inches in diameter and buried at least 3 feet below ground. They carry gas long distances under pressure.

• What is liquefied natural gas?

LNG is natural gas that is cooled until it condenses into liquid, at about 260 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit). Once liquefied, it’s more compact and therefore more efficient to store, and to transport by boat.

Once the LNG reaches a terminal, it is turned back into gas and then delivered to customers via pipeline.

• Where does it come from?

NW Natural, which serves much of Western Oregon, including all of the Willamette Valley, reports that about 80 percent of its natural gas comes from Canada and the rest comes from the U.S. portion of the Rocky Mountains.

Right now, the top source for foreign natural gas to the U.S. is Trinidad. Other global sources include Algeria, Nigeria, Indonesia, Australia and the Middle East.

• Is LNG coming to Oregon?

There are a handful of LNG-related projects currently being evaluated in the state. None has been approved yet.

In addition to Jordan Cove, a Coos Bay-area terminal and pipeline proposal, three projects are being considered for Northwest Oregon. They include:

Bradwood Landing: Houston-based NorthernStar Natural Gas Inc. has applied with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to build a terminal about 40 miles up the Columbia River from Astoria and a 38-mile pipeline that goes up the river, across, and east in Washington state.

This project is the furthest along of all the proposals in the state. A draft environmental impact statement for the project has been completed and reviewed by FERC. Bradwood Landing officials hope to have an operating license by the end of the year, and construction of the terminal and pipeline is expected to take three years.

Oregon LNG: This is the name of a company that wants to build a terminal in Warrenton, just west of Astoria. The project also calls for a 120-mile pipeline to go across the Coast Range, through Washington and Yamhill counties, ending in Molalla.

The company expects to file a formal application with FERC in May and a draft environmental impact statement should follow, probably next fall. Company officials hope to be licensed before June 2009, with the terminal and pipeline functional by 2013.

Palomar: Palomar Gas Transmission is a partnership between NW Natural and TransCanada for a proposed pipeline.

Originally planned only for Eastern Oregon, it now includes a route across Western Oregon almost identical to that of the Oregon LNG project.

NW Natural spokesman Steve Sechrist says the western part of the Palomar project would go forward only if an LNG terminal is built close enough that it could use the pipeline. But Oregon LNG says it will build its own pipeline.

Palomar held open houses for public input last fall and expects to file a draft environmental impact statement this fall.

• Who decides what will be built and when?

In the case of either an LNG plant or a pipeline, FERC makes the call.

After a company puts together a plan and some money, it files an application with FERC, initiating a process that includes an environmental impact assessment and public input. Project documents are posted on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov) and available to the public.

States have the right to challenge FERC decision using the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the National Historic Preservation Act or coastal zone management regulations.

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