NW Natural to Explore Feasibility of Willamette Valley Pipeline

NW Natural and GTN are now conducting an “open season” to determine the level of potential customer interest in the proposed pipeline.

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(PORTLAND) - Northwest Natural Gas Company, announced Tuesday that it is working with TransCanada Corporation’s Gas Transmission Northwest System (GTN) to determine the feasibility of building a new interstate gas pipeline into the Willamette Valley.

The new pipeline is needed to bolster the reliability of the natural gas delivery system to homes and businesses in Oregon and southwest Washington. The proposed infrastructure also would be well positioned to interconnect with any liquefied natural gas terminals that might be constructed along the lower Columbia River, further improving Oregon's access to natural gas supplies.

NW Natural would be a large customer of the line, and GTN would become its operator.

The proposed pipeline project would be subject to approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) as well as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and numerous other federal and state agencies. GTN and NW Natural will be conducting extensive stakeholder engagement and environmental assessments prior to filing any regulatory applications for this proposed project.

“This pipeline would give us a more diversified delivery of gas supplies from the interstate system. Adding another delivery route to the pipeline system is critical to providing more reliability for our customers ” said Keith White, NW Natural’s managing director of gas operations and wholesale services.

GTN and NW Natural would form a partnership to build and own the pipeline.