BC First Nations LNG project earns export licence
Ksi Lisims LNG, a 12mn metric tons/year floating natural gas liquefaction facility and marine terminal on Nisga’a Nation traditional territory on BC’s northern coast, has earned a 40-year natural gas export licence from the commission of the Canada Energy Regulator (CER).
The approval, handed down December 14, provides for maximum annual exports of 22.4bn m3 and the term export of 778.3bn m3, starting from the date of first export. Ksi Lisims LNG filed its application with the CER in April this year.
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Ksi Lisims LNG is a project led by the Nisga’a Nation, with the support of Rockies LNG, a consortium of Canadian natural gas producers, and Houston-based Western LNG. The terminal would be connected to Montney area gas supply through a connection to either TC Energy’s dormant Prince Rupert Gas Transmission project or the similarly dormant Westcoast Connector Gas Transmission project, owned by Enbridge.
The project proponents filed an initial project description with federal and provincial regulatory authorities in 2021 and followed up with a detailed project description in April this year.
The next step in Ksi Lisim LNG’s regulatory process would normally be the preparation of a draft environmental assessment, but another BC First Nation, the Lax Kw’alaams First Nation, filed a dispute resolution request with the BC Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) in July arguing that information provided by Ksi Lisims in its detailed project description was insufficient as it related to the impacts of a proposed marine pipeline that would deliver feedgas to the liquefaction terminal.
In October, the EAO agreed to consider Lax Kw’alaams’ concerns, and until they are resolved, it will not proceed with the environmental assessment.