Report 

Submitted to the 

United States Congress 

by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Seventeenth Report to Congress on Progress Made in Licensing 

and Constructing the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline

February 2014
Seventeenth Report to Congress on the Alaska Pipeline

I. Executive Summary

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) submits this report

pursuant to section 1810 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005).1

 Section 1810 

of EPAct 2005 requires that the Commission submit to Congress semi-annual reports 

describing the progress made in licensing and constructing an Alaska natural gas pipeline 

and any impediments thereto. 

This report provides an update from the Commission’s Sixteenth Report, 

submitted on August 30, 2013. That report highlighted the Alaska South Central 

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project under consideration to transport North Slope gas to 

a natural gas liquefaction and export terminal at a tidewater location in south-central 

Alaska.

2

 In October 2013, project sponsors announced the selection of Nikiski, located 

on the Kenai Peninsula, as the site for the prospective LNG terminal. The pipeline for the 

project would transport between 3 and 3.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), providing 

North Slope gas to Alaskans for in-state use, and ultimately to the LNG export terminal 

that would have an export capacity equivalent to 2 to 2.4 Bcf/d. In January 2014, the 

State of Alaska and North Slope producers, along with TC Alaska, signed agreements 

intended to advance the planning for project. 

II. Status Report 

A. TC Alaska’s Proposal

On May 11, 2012, TC Alaska notified the Commission that it was curtailing

interim work on the North Slope to Alberta option of its planned Alaska Pipeline Project 

while requesting to maintain the record in Docket No. PF09-11 for potential future use.

3

TC Alaska’s October 2013 and January 2014 Quarterly Reports to the Commission stated

that: 1) no stakeholder engagement had occurred in the past reporting quarter; 2) pipeline 

 1

 P.L. 109-58, 119 Stat. 594 (2005), 42 U.S.C § 15801 et seq.

2 ConocoPhillips Corporation and BP p.l.c. would join TransCanada Alaska 

Company, LLC’s (TC Alaska) and affiliates of Exxon Mobil Corporation in the 

approximately 800-mile-long pipeline – LNG export terminal project, estimated to cost 

approximately $45 - $65 billion. 

3 The open docket will preserve project-specific filings and allow for the 

submission of quarterly status reports by TC Alaska. 
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engineering and technology development work initiated to date has been completed and 

documented; 3) engineering deliverables for the Gas Treatment Plant have been archived 

for potential future use; and 4) no environmental planning or permitting work had been 

conducted in the past quarter. 

B. The Commission’s Activities

The Commission remains ready to resume its responsibilities as the lead federal 

agency for conducting the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review of any 

future proposal by TC Alaska or any other entity. The Commission continues to monitor 

activities regarding any natural gas pipeline or LNG project in Alaska for which the 

Commission would have jurisdiction. 

The federal permitting agencies are prepared to resume working under the 

Commission’s pre-filing process and to continue the preparation of an environmental 

impact statement once either TC Alaska re-engages its pre-filing activities or another 

entity files an application with the Commission.

III. Related Activities 

Operations of the Federal Coordinator

The Office of the Federal Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation 

Projects (OFC) continues to coordinate the actions of federal agencies regarding Alaska 

natural gas transportation projects and to provide a liaison function to ensure 

communication with Congress, the State of Alaska, and federal U.S. and Canadian 

agencies. In January 2014, the OFC announced to the federal interagency working group 

members that the State of Alaska has signed a pair of agreements with North Slope 

producers ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips and BP, along with pipeline partner 

TransCanada, intended to advance an Alaska LNG export project consisting of a North 

Slope gas treatment plant, an 800-mile pipeline to Nikiski and a liquefaction plant and 

marine terminal. As per the agreements, Governor Sean Parnell introduced legislation on 

January 24, 2014 that, if approved, would allow the state to take an equity stake in the 

LNG project and take ownership of gas in lieu of any tax and royalty payments. Under 

the deals between the state and companies, the project would ramp up pre-front-end 

engineering and design (FEED) this year, moving to a decision on full FEED, potentially 

in 2016. First gas deliveries are anticipated in the 2022 to 2025 time frame with 

construction possibly starting before the end of this decade.

The OFC provides updates on its website (www.arcticgas.gov) regarding national 

and world-wide natural gas issues that may affect the ultimate disposition of Alaskan 

North Slope natural gas. 
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IV. Conclusion

No progress has occurred since the last report on a project bringing Alaskan 

natural gas from the Alaskan North Slope to lower 48 state markets. However, the 

Commission is ready to move forward to the next step in its NEPA process when TC 

Alaska or another entity decides to proceed with a pipeline to serve North American 

markets or, more likely, embarks on a project to liquefy and export natural gas to foreign 

markets. Until such time as TC Alaska requests otherwise, the Commission will keep 

Docket No. PF09-11 open to maintain the existing record and accept filings of quarterly 

status reports and related items.