The Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Right-of-Way Permitting for an Offshore Route

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The Alaska Natural Gas PipelineRight-of-Way
Permitting for an Offshore Route

• John Goll
• Alaska Regional Director
• Department of the Interior
• U.S. Minerals Management Service

Alaska State Legislature Joint Committee on
Natural Gas Pipelines July 17, 2001
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MMS -- Who We Are

• Outer continental shelf
• oil and gas and other minerals
• Full complement of regulations
• Technical Research Program
• Revenues - collect distribute
• Nations oil and gas production
• oil 25 gas 27
• Includes 31,000 miles of pipelines

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Gulf of Mexico Annual Gas Production Projections
6.0 TCF
4.1 TCF
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Limitations in the Lower 48

• Areas Off Limits
• Atlantic 24-34 tcf
• EGOM 12 tcf
• West Coast 15 -23 tcf
• Rockies 137 tcf

5
Alaska OCS Potential(Risked, Undiscovered,
Conventionally Recoverable)Low to High Estimates

• Oil
  Gas
• billions barrels
  TCF
• Alaska OCS Total 17 - 35 55 - 227
• Chukchi 9 - 25 14 - 154
• Beaufort 4 - 12 13 - 63
• Hope 0 - 0.3 0 - 11
• Norton 0 - 0.2
  0 - 9
• Cook Inlet 0.3 - 1.4 0.7 - 2.5
• (MMS 2000 National
  Assessment)

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UNDISCOVERED GAS RESOURCES (mean estimates, TCF)
After MMS 2000, USGS 1995, and Dixon et al.
1994
ALASKA TOTAL
s
r
e
t
a
CONVENTIONAL GAS
W


n
a
i
d
RESOURCE 191 TCF
a
n
a
O
R
C
T
H
E
R
A
N
L
(82 IN ARCTIC)
A
S
K
A

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ANWR
4

T
C
F
NPR-A
CENTRAL
ALASKA
T
A
3 TCF
P
S
CANADA
NORTON
2.7 TCF
S. ALASKA
NAVARIN
2.1 TCF
6.2 TCF
s
r
e
Valdez
t
GULF OF ALASKA
a
W

n
a
i
s
s
u
4.2 TCF
R
S
T
.

G
3
E
.
0
O

T
R
C
G
N
F
A
E
I
T
U
E
F
L
C
A
T

.

N
8
.
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L. COOK INLET (FED.)
1.4 TCF
KODIAK-SHUMAGIN
2.7 TCF
Gas Hydrates 170,000 TCF offshore
590 TCF onshore
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Regulatory AuthoritiesIf an Offshore Route

• MMS
• Right-of-Way Approval
• OPA Contingency Plan/Financial Responsibility
• Other Pipeline Agencies
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• State of Alaska Pipeline Coordinators Office
  (SPCO)
• DOT/Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS)
• Canada
• Other Agencies
• EPA, COE, FWS, NMFS

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Regulatory Process

• Pre-application surveys
• ROW application (30CFR250, Subpart J)
• includes technical, engineering, site specific
  reviews
• Public review
• NEPA
• evaluate environmental issues
• CZMA
• Endangered Species Consultation

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Special Considerations

• Bowhead whales
• Subsistence hunting
• Seasonal construction/repair
• Permafrost
• Ice gouging
• Strudel scour
• Leak detection

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Consultation is Essential

• Many Stakeholders
• State, Provincial, and Local Governments
• Federal Agencies (U.S. and Canada)
• Industry
• Domestic and international NGOs
• North Slope Borough government
• Affected North Slope villages
• Traditional village governing bodies (IRA)
• Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission
• The public

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In Conclusion

• Alaska has significant untapped natural gas
  resources, both now and well into the future
• Right-of-way procedures are available to review
  an offshore application, if proposed
• We are not advocates for a route
• Regardless of the route chosen, we will assist,
  if needed

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For more information
http//www.mms.gov/
http//www.mms.gov/alaska/