Commissioner’s Message

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Northern Pipeline Agency website.

The Agency was established by the Northern Pipeline Act (the Act) in 1978 to facilitate the planning and construction by Foothills Pipe Lines Ltd. (Foothills) of the Canadian portion of the Alaska Highway Gas Pipeline (AHGP) project and to maximize social and economic benefits from its construction and operation while minimizing any adverse effects. The pipeline was certificated in 1978 under the Act to transport Alaskan and possibly northern Canadian natural gas to southern markets in Canada and the United States, as provided for by the Canada-U.S. Agreement on Principles Applicable to a Northern Natural Gas Pipeline (Agreement).

The southern portion of the pipeline was constructed in the early 1980s and presently transports Canadian gas to commercial markets. Fluctuating market and economic conditions since 1982 have led to several delays in the completion of the northern portion of the AHGP. The Agency’s activity levels reflect these fluctuating conditions.

In 2008, TransCanada PipeLines Limited (now TC Energy), which owns Foothills, was selected by the State of Alaska to pursue a large-scale pipeline project that would transport natural gas in a large diameter buried pipeline from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Boundary Lake, Alberta using the northern portion of the AHGP project. However, Foothills notified the Agency in February 2013 that no further work is planned on the AHGP for now and it will await further commercial interest before recommencing its efforts.

As we understand that the AHGP still remains a viable option for the transportation of Alaska natural gas, the Agency will remain prepared to lead the review for the AHGP and will continue to work, as necessary, to meet the objectives of the Act and the Agreement.

As we understand that the AHGP still remains a viable option for the transportation of Alaska natural gas, the Agency will remain prepared to lead the review for the AHGP and will continue to work, as necessary, to meet the objectives of the Act and the Agreement.

John F.G. Hannaford
Commissioner