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Canada takes a step closer to exporting LNG to Asia with approval from TransCanada's natural gas pipeline, which will carry gas to the LNG Canada terminal in British Columbia to allow for the eventual exportation from the terminal to Asian markets. 

TransCanada Corporation, a major North American energy infrastructure company, announced on Friday that its Coastal GasLink pipeline project gained an environmental assessment certificate from a regulatory agency in British Columbia, Canada.

The 670-kilometer-long natural gas pipeline project will be constructed from the northeast of British Columbia to the west coast of the province where it will reach the proposed LNG Canada terminal in Kitimat, according to the statement. 

The LNG Canada terminal is a project to export Canadian natural gas from the terminal in Kitimat to Asian markets that will be built and operated with global energy giants - Shell, PetroChina, Mitsubishi and Korea Gas, according to the LNG Canada website.  

"Achievement of an Environmental Assessment Certificate is a significant milestone for both Coastal GasLink and TransCanada," said Russ Girling, president and chief executive officer of TransCanada, in a statement on TransCanada's website. 

The initial capacity of the pipeline will allow the shipment of approximately 2-3 billion cubic feet (60-90 million cubic meters) per day of natural gas, with an expansion capability of approximately 5 billion cubic feet (150 million cubic meters) per day, said TransCanada in the statement. 

The certificate was issued with some environmental, social, economic, heritage and health conditions by the Environmental Assessment Office of British Columbia. 

Canada is the fourth-largest natural gas exporter in the world after Russia, Norway and Qatar. By end of 2012, it had 67 trillion cubic feet (2 trillion cubic meters) of proved natural gas reserves, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. 

By Ovunc Kutlu

Anadolu Agency