First announced in 2004, the Gulf LNG Clean Energy Project on the Pascagoula Bayou Ship Channel in Pascagoula, Miss., received FERC approval in February 2007. Technip performed the FEED work for the project, which is estimated to cost $1.1 billion.

Owned by partners El Paso Corp. (50%), Crest Group (30%) and Angolan national oil company Sonangol (20%), the Gulf LNG Clean Energy Project is expected to start up in November 2011.

Development of the project requires the construction of an unloading dock for LNG tankers (with the option to easily add another dock in the future). Aker Kvaerner has been awarded the development contract. Current plans envision the facility welcoming a ship every three days for LNG unloading with a send-out capacity of 1.3 Bcf/d.

Additional facility development includes the manufacture of two 160,000-cubic-meter storage tanks with a 6.6 Bcf combined capacity, 10 vaporizers to regasify the LNG and 5 miles of 36-inch pipeline, reaching the Gulfstream, Destin, Florida Gas Transmission and Transco pipelines.

In late-July 2010, Florida Gas Transmission and Williams announced that FERC had approved a proposal to connect the existing FGT and Transco natural gas pipeline systems with the new LNG import terminal.