Bradwood Landing
Encyclopedia
Bradwood Landing was a proposed terminal for receiving liquefied natural gas
(LNG) and converting the liquid back into a gas for transport via pipeline. The site of the development, which declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2010 May, was on the Columbia River, east of Astoria, Oregon
.
NorthernStar began the process by filing a notice of intent with Oregon state regulators in April 2005. The project was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in September 2008. State permits were not obtained. On May 4, 2010, NorthernStar Natural Gas filed for bankruptcy, pulling funding for this project.
has reversed those predictions as ample new sources of natural gas are being tapped within the United States. However, by having access to both domestic and foreign sources of gas, West Coast natural gas suppliers would have more freedom to play the market and could potentially keep gas prices lower.
Construction of Bradwood Landing would generate 450 construction jobs over a three-year period, plus 65 permanent jobs once the project is complete The project could bring additional economic benefits to the area by stimulating the local economy and increasing revenue from taxes and port fees.
and Coho salmon
populations have been designated as threatened by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
. The project calls for dredging of 700,000 cubic yards of material from the Columbia River
Engines expelling hot water are another issue as cold water is crucial to the salmon.
Natural gas is a cleaner fuel than coal, but much of that benefit is lost when the gas in imported. LNG has as much as 30 percent higher greenhouse gas impact than domestic natural gas The State of Oregon’s analysis found imported LNG to be equivalent to coal for greenhouse gas emissions.
The construction of an affiliated 220 miles (354.1 km) natural gas pipeline raises additional environmental concerns.
Spilled LNG disperses into the air; however, due to its temperature (-260 °F), it hugs the Earth's surface until it warms by 100-degrees F. Until sufficiently warming to rise into the atmosphere, LNG vapor that can drift with the wind and is capable of igniting if it comes into contact with an ignition source and if the concentration of natural gas in the vapor is between five and 15 percent. (Note: Natural gas vapors have a gas-to-air flammability range of 5-15%, a 10% range, the most flammability of all common hydrocarbon fuels. Gasoline's flammability range is 1.4-7.6%, a 6.2% range. Propane's flammability range is 2.2-9.5%, a 7.3% range.)
A report prepared by Sandia National Laboratories
analyzing the risks of a large LNG spill
over water describes a hazard zone of over a mile for an accidental spill, and of 2.2 miles (3.5 km) for an intentionally caused breach, as in a terrorist attack.
approved Bradwood Landing.
The state’s Department of Energy determined that Oregon was not in need of additional imported natural gas
This raises the question of how LNG fits into Oregon’s energy future, with some opponents concerned that the gas would end up being sent to California or that ultimately the terminal could be used to export gas from the United States.
and NW Natural
, the Palomar Gas Transmission pipeline would be 220 miles (354.1 km) long. A map of the proposed route of the pipeline shows its northern terminus at the Bradwood Landing interconnect. The route travels south through Clatsop, Washington and Yamhill counties, then veers east near McMinnville to pass through Marion, Clackamas and Wasco counties to join an existing pipeline near Shaniko, Oregon.
The route includes a large amount of rural private property as well as land in the Mount Hood National Forest.
In July 2010, Palomar's sponsors slowed down the application process to review their options in light of Bradwood's bankruptcy.
Liquefied natural gas
Liquefied natural gas or LNG is natural gas that has been converted temporarily to liquid form for ease of storage or transport....
(LNG) and converting the liquid back into a gas for transport via pipeline. The site of the development, which declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2010 May, was on the Columbia River, east of Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
.
Bradwood Landing history
The site where NorthernStar Natural Gas wanted to build the Bradwood Landing LNG terminal is 22 miles (35.4 km) upriver from Astoria. The site is zoned “marine industrial” and was once the location of a lumber mill, which closed down in 1965. The surrounding area is now a mostly undeveloped mix of forest and wetland.NorthernStar began the process by filing a notice of intent with Oregon state regulators in April 2005. The project was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in September 2008. State permits were not obtained. On May 4, 2010, NorthernStar Natural Gas filed for bankruptcy, pulling funding for this project.
Bradwood specifics
The development would cover 55 acres (222,577.3 m²) of a 420 acres (1.7 km²) lot. The facility would consist of two storage tanks, with a peak send-out capacity of 1.3 billion cubic feet of natural gas a day.Benefits
When the Bradwood Landing project was initiated, it appeared that domestic sources of natural gas were dwindling. Since then, new technology for extracting shale gas in the United StatesShale gas in the United States
Shale gas in the United States is rapidly increasing as a source of natural gas. Led by new applications of hydraulic fracturing technology and horizontal drilling, development of new sources of shale gas has offset declines in production from conventional gas reservoirs, and has led to major...
has reversed those predictions as ample new sources of natural gas are being tapped within the United States. However, by having access to both domestic and foreign sources of gas, West Coast natural gas suppliers would have more freedom to play the market and could potentially keep gas prices lower.
Construction of Bradwood Landing would generate 450 construction jobs over a three-year period, plus 65 permanent jobs once the project is complete The project could bring additional economic benefits to the area by stimulating the local economy and increasing revenue from taxes and port fees.
Drawbacks
Environmental groups, led by Columbia Riverkeeper, have been at the forefront of opposition to Bradwood Landing, but there are drawbacks to the project in a number of arenas.Environmental issues
The construction of Bradwood Landing would require disruption of important salmon habitat, and is in an area where the Chinook salmonChinook salmon
The Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, is the largest species in the pacific salmon family. Other commonly used names for the species include King salmon, Quinnat salmon, Spring salmon and Tyee salmon...
and Coho salmon
Coho salmon
The Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". It is the state animal of Chiba, Japan.-Description:...
populations have been designated as threatened by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
. The project calls for dredging of 700,000 cubic yards of material from the Columbia River
Engines expelling hot water are another issue as cold water is crucial to the salmon.
Natural gas is a cleaner fuel than coal, but much of that benefit is lost when the gas in imported. LNG has as much as 30 percent higher greenhouse gas impact than domestic natural gas The State of Oregon’s analysis found imported LNG to be equivalent to coal for greenhouse gas emissions.
The construction of an affiliated 220 miles (354.1 km) natural gas pipeline raises additional environmental concerns.
Safety
LNG tankers and regassification plants in general have good safety records. In the unlikely event of an accident or terrorist attack, however, the results could be catastrophic.Spilled LNG disperses into the air; however, due to its temperature (-260 °F), it hugs the Earth's surface until it warms by 100-degrees F. Until sufficiently warming to rise into the atmosphere, LNG vapor that can drift with the wind and is capable of igniting if it comes into contact with an ignition source and if the concentration of natural gas in the vapor is between five and 15 percent. (Note: Natural gas vapors have a gas-to-air flammability range of 5-15%, a 10% range, the most flammability of all common hydrocarbon fuels. Gasoline's flammability range is 1.4-7.6%, a 6.2% range. Propane's flammability range is 2.2-9.5%, a 7.3% range.)
A report prepared by Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia National Laboratories
The Sandia National Laboratories, managed and operated by the Sandia Corporation , are two major United States Department of Energy research and development national laboratories....
analyzing the risks of a large LNG spill
LNG spill
A liquefied natural gas spill can happen during an accident or an intentional act such as terrorism. LNG is normally stored and transported in liquid form at a temperature of approximately -161 degrees Celsius. If this supercooled liquid is released from a storage facility, pipeline, or LNG...
over water describes a hazard zone of over a mile for an accidental spill, and of 2.2 miles (3.5 km) for an intentionally caused breach, as in a terrorist attack.
Policy
The State of Oregon has objected to the process by which the Federal Energy Regulatory CommissionFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is the United States federal agency with jurisdiction over interstate electricity sales, wholesale electric rates, hydroelectric licensing, natural gas pricing, and oil pipeline rates...
approved Bradwood Landing.
The state’s Department of Energy determined that Oregon was not in need of additional imported natural gas
This raises the question of how LNG fits into Oregon’s energy future, with some opponents concerned that the gas would end up being sent to California or that ultimately the terminal could be used to export gas from the United States.
The Palomar Pipeline
A joint venture of TransCanadaTransCanada
TransCanada may refer to:* Trans Canada Trail, a hiking trail system* Trans-Canada Highway, primary highway that runs across Canada* TransCanada Corp., an energy company based in Calgary, Alberta...
and NW Natural
NW Natural
NW Natural is a publicly traded utility headquartered in Portland, Oregon, United States. Primarily a natural gas distributor, the company services residential, industrial, and commercial customers in Western Oregon and Southwest Washington in the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1859, the company...
, the Palomar Gas Transmission pipeline would be 220 miles (354.1 km) long. A map of the proposed route of the pipeline shows its northern terminus at the Bradwood Landing interconnect. The route travels south through Clatsop, Washington and Yamhill counties, then veers east near McMinnville to pass through Marion, Clackamas and Wasco counties to join an existing pipeline near Shaniko, Oregon.
The route includes a large amount of rural private property as well as land in the Mount Hood National Forest.
In July 2010, Palomar's sponsors slowed down the application process to review their options in light of Bradwood's bankruptcy.
External links
- Bradwood Landing, http://www.bradwoodlanding.com/
- NorthernStar Natural Gas, http://www.northernstar-ng.com/
- Palomar Pipeline, http://www.palomargas.com/index.html
- Columbia Riverkeeper, http://www.columbiariverkeeper.org/index.php/lng
- Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators (SIGTTO), http://www.sigtto.org/
- SIGTTO LNG Terminal Siting Best Practices Publication, "Site Selection and Design for LNG Ports and Jetties", http://www.witherbyseamanship.com/product/Site-Selection-Design-IP-14-LNG-Ports-Jetties-Downloadable-Product.htm
- SIGTTO LNG Terminal Siting Best Practices Publication, "LNG Operations in Port Areas", http://www.witherbyseamanship.com/product/lng-operations-port-areas.htm
- LNG Terminal Siting Standards Organization (LNGTSS), http://www.lngtss.org/