U.S. regulators have given the first thumbs-up for the Broadwater import terminal for liquefied natural gas, or LNG, at the midway point in the 20-mile-wide Long Island Sound between New York and Connecticut.

A Federal Energy Regulatory Commission taskforce looked at ways to minimize disturbing the seafloor during the construction of a floating storage and re-gasification unit and its seafloor mooring tower. A host of experts were called to study the impact on air, water, the fisheries, boating and commercial vessel traffic: “(FERC staff) conclude that (Broadwater LNG) would result in limited adverse environmental impacts.”

A weathervaning yoke for LNG-carriers will complete the assembly, although a 40 kilometre sub-sea pipeline to the Iroquois Gas Transmission System would need to be built for flow rates of one billion cubic feet per day.

Should State regulators now give their okay, LNG would be delivered up to three times a week, the FERC said in a statement at the weekend.

ws@scandoil.com

Tags: Broadwater LNG