Junior Canadian producers seek approval to build their own pipeline

Two junior producers have delivered a setback to Canada's natural gas pipeline giants by seeking federal approval to build their own pipeline from newly-discovered fields in the Northwest Territories.
Paramount Resources and Berkley Petroleum have formed Shiha Energy Transmission to apply for National Energy Board approval to build a C$ 17 mm, 24 km line capable of moving 106 mm cfpd. They told the NEB that talks on several pipeline options with TransCanada PipeLines and Westcoast Energy have failed to yield an acceptable deal.
With spot gas prices soaring to C$ 3.40 per thousand cf -- the highest levels in almost 20 years -- the two producers said they want to bring the new fields on stream as early as April 2000. From previous indications, Westcoast was aiming for mid-2000 and TransCanada for a year later.