Canada board clears huge Mackenzie gas pipeline

OTTAWA: Canadian regulators gave the green light on Thursday to the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, a $16 billion project to transport gas from the Beaufort Sea and across Canada's frigid Northwest Territories. The National Energy Board said it issued a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the 1,196-kilometer (743-mile) long pipeline, after approval from the federal cabinet. But it said permits are still required from other boards and government agencies. The Mackenzie Valley Pipeline would run from the Beaufort Sea to north western Alberta, and is designed to carry up to 34.3 million cubic meters (1.2 billion cubic feet) of natural gas per day. The project also includes three onshore natural gas fields and a pipeline gathering system to bring the gas from the development fields to a processing plant. Backers of the project include Imperial Oil Resources Ventures Limited, the Mackenzie Valley Aboriginal Pipeline Limited Partnership, ConocoPhillips Canada (North) Limited, Shell Canada Limited and ExxonMobil Canada Properties.