NEWS
Australians pursue Californian LNG project
Sacremento, Aug 26 (LNG journal)
- BHP Billiton's $4 billion Cabrillo Port proposal for a liquefied natural gas receiving terminal off the coast of California was to be discussed in a meeting between officials of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and visiting Australian Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane.
Macfarlane has been touring Chile , Mexico and the US to drum up support for Australian LNG exports, and the Cabrillo Port project in California in particular, as LNG becomes one of the Australia 's most profitable export resources.
"The trip has once again confirmed the great potential for Australia to supply LNG to this part of the world," Macfarlane was quoted as saying during a stop-over in Mexico .
The BHP Billiton group, including Woodside Petroleum, is one four competing to develop the terminal about 20 kilometres off the coast from Los Angeles .
Officials in Australia said that if the BHP-led plan were chosen it could be worth $15 billion in exports for the country.
The LNG would be transported by carrier from the North West Shelf project in Western Australia to the floating terminal off Malibu and then piped to mainland California .
The project's progress has been slowed down by security and environmental concerns and Macfarlane was hoping to receive details of any progress when he met Californian state officials in the capital Sacremento, officials said.
Schwarzenegger had previously spoken positively about the Australian plan.
