The project includes a gas treatment plant that will process residue gas form an existing facility at Prudhoe Bay in Alaska. The pipeline system would extend from Prudhoe Bay to the Alberta, Canada border, and would follow the route of the existing trans-Alaska oil pipeline and the Alaska Highway. It will then continue through northern British Columbia to link with the pipeline grid in northwestern Alberta. Along the route, several compressor stations will be placed in Alaska and Canada that will be able to chill roughly 146,000 tons.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, gas in Alaska’s North Slope reservoir could satisfy between 6% and 8% of the Northern United States current demand. Known reserves are 35 trillion cubic feet and there is an estimated 250 trillion cubic feet of gas that is economically recoverable.

In the late 1970’s the National Energy Board ruled on how to bring Alaska natural gas to markets. The Alaska Highway Natural Gas Pipeline was chosen as the best alternative and the Northern Pipeline Act was established to guarantee Canadian benefits. Roughly, 448 miles of pipeline will reside in Canada, which will generate income tax and property tax that will benefit their federal government, provinces, territories, and First Nations, according to Tony Palmer, TransCanada’s vice-president for Alaska natural gas development.

Construction is set to begin in 2014.