Mackenzie Gas Project / Alaska Highway pipelines [NWT/AK] is a category for articles and stories relating to the proposed Mackenzie Gas Pipeline from the Beaufort Sea to Alberta, or the Alaska Highway pipeline from Alaska's North Slope through Yukon to BC and then Alberta. The MGP would be 1220 km's long and take the largest untapped gas reserve (outside of the Sverdrup Basin in Nunavut) on the planet to the tarsands. The project has been resisted valiantly by many Dene and Inuvialuit peoples, communities and nations along with environmentalist allies throughout the Valley and across the North for over 30 years. Recently the MGP was re-estimated at $16.2 billion to construct. When first conceived, it was the largest proposed industrial project in the history of Canada. Now, it is a mere feeder of energy needs for the colossal "gigaproject" known as the tarsands.
The Alaskan Highway Pipeline would be 2700 km's long and bring natural gas from northern Alaska to northwestern Alberta, cutting across Yukon and BC. Recently, projections from the industry of a north-central corridor pipeline across Alberta have been released, making this mega project connected directly to the tarpit production plants. There are varying projections of capacity, but multiple millions of cubic feet per day of natural gas are all set to go right into the Albertan grid. This would be one of the longest pipeline projects in history, cutting through many "protected areas" across northern Turtle Island.
Northwest Passage's northern route open again
Randy Boswell, Canwest News Service
Published: Thursday, September 04, 2008
The northerly route of the Northwest Passage has been declared navigable by the Canadian Ice Service.
It's just the second time in history -- and the second year in a row -- that the Parry Channel has opened enough to let regular ships safely through.
Toll road may aid pipeline costs
SHAWN MCCARTHY // GLOBAL ENERGY REPORTER
August 29, 2008
OTTAWA -- The federal and territorial governments are looking at inviting private-sector partners to build a toll highway up the Mackenzie Valley as a way of opening the North for development and lowering costs for a long-delayed natural gas pipeline.
Canada's Harper Says Mackenzie Pipeline to `Come to Fruition'
By Theophilos Argitis and Alexandre Deslongchamps
Aug. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he is ``optimistic'' Imperial Oil Ltd.'s Mackenzie pipeline project will ``come to fruition.''
``I am optimistic that in the not-too-distant future this project will come to fruition,'' Harper told reporters today in the village of Tuktoyaktuk on the shores of the Arctic Ocean.
Many hurdles ahead for TransCanada's US$26 billion Alaska pipeline
August 2008 // The Energy News
CALGARY _ There are still numerous hurdles TransCanada Corp. (TSX:TRP) must clear before it can break ground on its proposed US$26-billion Alaska pipeline, not the least of which is getting shipping commitments from natural gas producers in the region, an analyst said Wednesday.
TransCanada's Alaska pipeline project wins approval by state Senate
By: THE CANADIAN PRESS
CALGARY - TransCanada Corp. (TSX:TRP) said Friday the Alaska Legislature has signed off on a license for the company's US$26-billion Alaska Pipeline Project under the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act.
"The legislature's decision represents a significant milestone in advancing this major natural gas pipeline project to connect stranded U.S. natural gas reserves to Alaskan and Lower 48 consumers," TransCanada president and chief executive Hal Kvisle said.
Unshackling the Mackenzie
McCrank offers blueprint to untangle NWT’s cumbersome regulatory regime
By Gary Park
For Petroleum News
Editor’s note: TransCanada’s proposed gas pipeline route from Alaska’s North Slope to Alberta gas hub does not go through the Northwest Territories.
Canada’s northern territories are a step closer to a simpler system to regulate development of their minerals, forestry and oil and natural gas.
Red tape ties up Mackenzie plan
Herald News Services
Published: Friday, July 25, 2008
As the Alaska pipeline clears political hurdles and marches forward, Canada's own multibillion-dollar plan to tap Arctic natural gas reserves in the Mackenzie Delta remains in regulatory limbo.
The fact wasn't lost on Northwest Territories industry minister Bob McLeod.
A few quick notes on this:
TransCanada-- otherwise known as TCPL-- is a major sponsor of the 2010 Olympics destroying Vancouver and the lands of "BC". TransCanada is also a massive construction conduit for the expansion of the tar sands/tar pits up to 5 MILLION barrels a day (more than any other single country in the world minus Saudi Arabia for daily delivery). These plans are enunciated and spelled out in the SPP's round of talks from Houston, 2006.
TCPL is promoting the expansion of *both* northern pipelines for gas, and finally gave up the competition charade:
Alaska House OKs gas pipeline license for TransCanada Corp.
11 hours ago
JUNEAU, Alaska — The Alaska State House of Representatives has approved a state license for a Canadian company to pursue a natural gas pipeline project that could unlock 130 million cubic metres of North Slope gas reserves daily.
The House backed the plan on a 24-16 vote Tuesday. A reconsideration vote is planned Wednesday, but that's usually a formality. If approved then, the bill will go to the state Senate, which must approve or reject it before Aug. 2.
This seems to be good news, but the underlying keys here are: Rising costs, costs due to the rising price of crude; these rises are directly linked to the *drive* to construct the pipelines that are ultimately needed for the continued growth of the Athabasca Tar Sands region. Two, as indicated, part of the reasoning against the MGP is the region of BC's Northeast corner perhaps containing vast reserves previously unknown.
