Ambassador says little Canada can do to stop Maine LNG terminals

[MaineDem]

FREDERICTON, New Brunswick — Canadian opponents of proposed liquefied natural gas terminals in Maine say U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins is wrong when he says Ottawa could do little to stop the controversial projects.

Reaction was swift Thursday after Wilkins told a Moncton, New Brunswick, newspaper that if the three LNG terminals proposed for the Maine side of Passamaquoddy Bay, near New Brunswick, clear U.S. regulatory hurdles, they can operate.

Greg Thompson, a Conservative member of parliament whose New Brunswick district includes communities near the proposed terminals, said Canada simply has to block access to LNG supertankers through the Canadian waters leading to the Maine terminals.

http://news.mainetoday.com/apwire/D8DGITP01-299.shtml

[chelsea0011]

1. LNG War has been declared

[KamaAina]

2. This has been going on for years

U.S. interests have been trying to put a refinery in that deepwater port since at least the '8os. Now it's an LNG terminal instead.

Um, what do they plan to do with the gas after it's re-gasified in Eastport? Is there pipeline capacity to get it to the rest of New England? Or are they gonna have to get Unocal to build one? :eyes:

[MaineDem]

3. Maybe Irving?

:)

[KamaAina]

4. The Unocal reference was a sly dig at the Afghan pipeline situation

but seriously, how do you get that much gas out of a place as isolated than that? I've studied the terrain fairly closely over the years, as I was interested in the bay's potential for tidal power (I grew up in southern New England). But again, how do you even get that much electricity out of there? Massive high-tension lines along Rte. 9 (doesn't appear too populated) connecting to the grid around Bangor?

[CHIMO]

5. Today's Analysis: Russia's Quiet Natural Gas Deal With U.S.

A quiet deal between the U.S. and Russia could change the landscape and the entire power structure in the energy markets.
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia, could be on its way to the U.S. by 2008. According to the Moscow Times, the controversial Sakhalin field could be fully operational by then, making the Murmansk port a key cog in the Russian LNG industry.

The Russian daily reported: "The legendary sea-faring route from the United States across the Atlantic to Russia's northern

city of Murmansk, through which vital supplies went to the Soviet Union some 60 years ago to help the country fight in World War II, is looking to get a new breath of life. This time, however, the traffic is going to be reversed, shipping liquefied natural gas, or LNG, from Russia to energy-hungry North America."

According to the Times, hurricane Katrina was a wake up call for Washington, leading to a new focus on negotiations. "The hurricane seems to have given new impetus to the energy dialogue between Washington and Moscow. It has also given Russia a chance to flex its muscles in its pursuit of a role as an energy superpower -- even if Russia is yet to produce its first LNG."

http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=26288

Some pressure to the supplier side might also bring results. One suggestion might be the rule of law in Russia regarding Canadian investments.