An Asia-based energy company is proposing what it calls a “small-scale” liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing and export facility at the site of the former Woodfibre pulp mill along Howe Sound.

In a statement issued on Monday (March 4), Pacific Energy Corp. officials said they have launched a feasibility study for such a facility on the 212-acre (86-hectare) waterfront industrial site. The site's current owner, Western Forest Products, is also doing remediation work, including the clearing of wood waste from the portion of Howe Sound that surrounds the site, officials said.

On Jan. 29, a Western Forest Products official announced that the owners had a tentative sale of the site, prompting speculation about the site's potential future uses. An LNG facility and a waste-to-energy incinerator were mentioned as two possible future uses of the site.

The owners anticipated making about $17 million on the sale, the official told The Chief.

This week, Pacific Energy Corp. officials said an environmental remediation certificate from the B.C. Ministry of Environment is one condition of the sale.

Pacific Energy Corp., part of the Pacific Oil and Gas Group, is a Canadian-incorporated company. Its main office is in Jakarta, Indonesia, with other offices in China, Singapore and Hong Kong, according to an online company profile.

In their statement, officials said they are “in the early stages of planning, analysis and community engagement regarding a proposed small-scale [LNG] processing and export facility” at Woodfibre.

The feasibility study “will help define the size of the project, including the capital investment, government revenues, and direct and indirect jobs.” First Nations and community consultation will be part of the feasibility study and environmental review, officials said.

“It is anticipated that the potential project would be subject to a thorough environmental review and would, if approved, provide significant economic and other benefits to local communities,” the statement added.

Said Ratnesh Bedi, Pacific Energy Corp. president, “If built, this project would return the existing Woodfibre site to productive, environmentally responsible use, providing employment and revenue benefits to the region.”