orthern Star says Bradwood Landing couldn't be used

to export LNG

By Hasso Hering

Albany Democrat-Herald

A planned liquefied natural gas terminal on the Columbia River can't be used to export gas, contrary to what Oregon Attorney General John Kroger believes, the project's sponsors say.

Reacting to a published interview with Kroger in the Democrat-Herald on Tuesday, Northern Star Natural Gas sent the AG a two-page letter Wednesday.

Kroger had said he supports natural gas as a fuel but believes that the Bradwood Landing terminal would be bad for Oregon because it might be used to export plentiful natural gas piped in from the Rockies, thus raising the price for Oregon consumers.

Northern Star, the company proposing to build the terminal, says this is impossible on several counts.

Liquefying gas requires cooling it to minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit, a completely different technology than planned at Bradwood.

The Bradwood terminal would take up less than 50 acres, while plants to liquefy natural gas take more than 250 acres, "and there is insufficient industrial land at Bradwood to construct such an export facility."

The landing has been approved as an import terminal by Clatsop County and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. "Any effort to build liquefaction capability at Bradwood would require a completely new application to be submitted to local, state and federal agencies."

Exporting gas via the landing also would make no economic sense because any such gas would first have to come long distances, and the possible destinations in Asia already have supplies big enough to export on their own.

"In light of these facts, I ask that you please discontinue your practice of making misleading public statements that Bradwood could export gas and increase consumers' energy costs," wrote William "Si" Garrett, a retired Navy captain who is the founder of Northern Star Gas, based in Astoria.

"There is no evidence to support either claim," he added. "Both arguments are among the silliest conjectures of our opponents, and your repetition of them undermines your credibility as an elected official."