Proposed liquefied gas projects

The West Coast’s increasing appetite for natural gas has led to proposals for five California receiving points, including one as yet unspecified location off the north coast. California consumes an average of 6 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, 87% of it imported. Project opponents have voiced safety and pollution concerns. Here is a look at where the five California and three Baja California proposals stand:

Status update

Most of the U.S. offshore projects are in the early stages of federal, state and local review, while the land-based Long Beach Port project follows a different regulatory path. The Mexican facilities appear closer to completion. (Average production capacity is in cubic feet per day.)

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In California

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Project, operating year: Clearwater Port, 2009

Companies and sites: NorthernStar Natural Gas,

12.6 miles west of Oxnard

Capacity: 1.2 billion

Cost: (unspecified)

Type: Converted oil platform, no onsite storage, ambient air vaporizer

Status: Plans to submit revised U.S. deepwater port application this summer.

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Project, operating year: Cabrillo Deepwater Port, 2010

Companies and sites: BHP Billiton, 21 miles southeast of Port Hueneme

Capacity: 800 million - 1.5 billion

Cost: $800 million

Type: Floating terminal, distilled water bath vaporizer

Status: Application submitted and draft environmental reports prepared. Final environmental reports may be ready by early summer.

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Project, operating year: OceanWay, 2011

Companies and sites: Woodside Energy, 21.8 miles south of Point Dume, 23.5 miles west of Palos Verdes Peninsula

Capacity: 800 million - 1.6 billion

Cost: (unspecified)

Type: Buoy links ship to pipeline. No terminal; no storage; no seawater in ship’s warm air vaporizer

Status: Plans to file U.S. deepwater port application this summer.

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Project, operating year: Long Beach, 2011

Companies and sites: Sound Energy Solutions, Conoco-Phillips, Mitsubishi, at Port of Long Beach

Capacity: 800 million, plus liquid vehicle fuel

Cost: $450 million

Type: Terminal with storage on 25 acres; no seawater in closed circuit vaporizers

Status: Environmental impact drafts prepared. California Coastal Commission and U.S. Coast Guard to consider other forms. Final environmental reports may be ready by fall.

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Project, operating year: Pacific Gateway (year unspecified)

Companies and sites: Excelerate (Northern California)

Capacity: (unspecified)

Cost: (unspecified)

Type: Floating terminal

Status: Plans to file U.S. deepwater port application this year, prior to drafting of environmental impact reports.

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In Baja California

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Project, operating year: Mar Adentro de Baja California, 2008

Companies and sites: Chevron, just off Coronado Islands

Capacity: 700 million

Cost: $650 million

Type: Storage and seawater vaporizers on offshore concrete island

Status: Planned use of seawater for vaporizing unit prompted an environmental challenge. It has cleared three key Mexican authorizations.

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Project, operating year: Moss Maritime Project, 2007

Companies and sites: Moss Maritime; Terminales y Almacenes Maritimos de Mexico, 5.3 miles west of Rosarito

Capacity: 297 million

Cost: $55 million

Type: Floating storage and vaporizers

Status: Plan has Mexican environmental clearance and needs two more key authorizations.

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Project, operating year: Energia Costa Azul, 2008

Companies and sites: Sempra Energy, 14 miles north of Ensenada

Capacity: 1 billion

Cost: $875 million

Type: Receiving terminal with open rack seawater vaporizers on 400-acre site

Status: Under construction. Company is working to resolve remaining court challenges and has received all permits.

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Sources: ESRI, California Energy Commission, BHP Billiton, Woodside Energy, NorthernStar Natural Gas, Sound Energy Solutions, Chevron, Southern California Gas, LNG Journal

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Graphics reporting by Cheryl Brownstein-Santiago

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