* Enbridge sees demand for Portland-Montreal reversalBy Jeffrey JonesCALGARY, Alberta, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Canada’s energy
regulator has asked Enbridge Inc to explain whether a
proposed pipeline reversal is part of a bigger plan to export
crude, a concern expressed by environmental groups seeking a
more thorough review of the project.The National Energy Board has asked Enbridge to provide
more details of its Line 9 Phase 1 project, the initial part of
a plan to reverse the flow of its Montreal to Sarnia, Ontario,
oil pipeline to allow Quebec and Atlantic Canadian refineries
access to western crude.The board, which must decide on the level of review the
project is subject to, made the requests at the end of an
extended public comment period that attracted nearly 100
submissions from landowners, environmentalists, aboriginal
groups and oil companies.In a letter, the NEB asked Enbridge to explain by Oct. 21
the relationship between Phase 1, future stages and a
previously proposed plan called Trailbreaker, which would have
moved oil sands-derived crude to the U.S. Atlantic Seaboard.The NEB also wants to know if any of the phases is
dependent on another, as well as the current status of the
Trailbreaker project, which Enbridge floated three years ago,
regulatory documents show.It noted that many of the comment letters suggested
possible linkages between Phrase 1 and Trailbreaker.The C$17 million ($16.7 million) first phase, which
includes a reversal of flow between Sarnia and Westover,
Ontario, has become the latest target for environmental groups
opposed to development of the Alberta oil sands and
infrastructure aimed at moving the crude to more markets.Enbridge wants the project vetted under a section of the
NEB Act allowing for a less intensive review, saying the first
phase has minimal land disturbance and no adverse environmental
or socioeconomic impact.Green groups, led by Environmental Defence, want the board
to deny the exemption from a full review, arguing that Phase 1
is just the beginning of a resurrection of Trailbreaker, which
would have included a full reversal of the 240,000 barrel a day
Line 9, as well as a pipeline that runs to Montreal from
Portland, Maine, allowing oil to be loaded onto tankers.”This is a good step,” said Gillian McEachern, climate and
energy program manager for Environmental Defence.”It’s forcing some more transparency and accountability
about what the goal of the project is - and the game changes if
you’re looking at the impacts of the entire project that was
Trailbreaker versus the pipeline reversal in Ontario.”In its letter, the NEB said it wants Enbridge to provide
additional details “regarding the purpose of the project as it
relates to business demands of shippers and refiners, including
how they would benefit.”Earlier this month, Enbridge Chief Executive Pat Daniel
told Reuters that his company is seeking a deal to reverse the
flow of the Portland pipeline due to demand for light crude
from the Bakken region among Philadelphia-area refineries.
@7 months ago with 57 notes
#Regulator #demands #details #on #Enbridge #line #reversal
By Gavin JonesROME, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio
Berlusconi is expected to scrape through a vote of confidence on
Friday, despite the scandals, economic stagnation and intense
pressure from financial markets plaguing him and his
administration.Berlusconi was forced to call the vote, to be held in the
Chamber of Deputies early afternoon, after his divided
centre-right government suffered a major embarrassment when it
failed to pass a routine budget provision on Tuesday.He is seen surviving for now, just as he has survived many
such votes, because squabbling factions in his coalition are
still not ready to replace him.”If a group of deputies inside his People of Freedom party
had a precise strategy then probably Berlusconi’s days would be
numbered, but we are not there yet,” political commentator
Sergio Romano told Reuters.Analysts say even if the 75-year-old premier wins, it will
be a matter of months only before a new crisis hits, and the
country is likely to hold elections next spring, a year early.Berlusconi told parliament on Thursday the fall of his
government would be “a victory for those who want to see (Italy)
fall into decline, catastrophe and the kind of speculation we
have seen for months in Europe and Italy”.Many analysts see the opposite as true, and see Berlusconi’s
ineffectiveness in the face of crisis bringing either snap
elections or an unelected government of technical experts
—preferable to the current malaise.Nicholas Spiro, head of debt consultancy firm Spiro
Sovereign Strategy, said a “Berlusconi premium” has been built
into Italy’s borrowing costs.His political demise “could trigger a favourable
re-assessment of Italy in the minds of international investors,
particularly if a non-partisan technocratic cabinet took
office,” Spiro said.DISSENTERSA number of centre-right deputies were absent from Tuesday’s
vote, infuriating Berlusconi and feeding suspicions that some
stayed away to raise their bargaining power in the coalition.On Thursday, Berlusconi described the episode as an
“accident” and insisted the centre-right bloc was united.He is facing internal challenges from a number of ministers,
most notably form Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti, who are
unhappy with his leadership and the damage his personal and
legal woes have done to Italy’s reputation.The prime minister is on trial in four separate cases,
accused of fraud, corruption and paying for sex with a minor.President Giorgio Napolitano entered the fray this week,
expressing deep concern about the viability of government and
demanding a “credible response” to Italy’s acute problems.A Reuters survey of about 20 analysts said on Thursday that
Italy is already in recession, will barely muster any growth in
2012 and will miss the government’s fiscal deficit targets.Its sovereign debt has been downgraded in the last month by
Standard & Poors, Moody’s and Fitch, and since early August it
has relied on the European Central Bank to buy its bonds to
prevent yields rising to unsustainable levels.
@7 months ago with 196 notes
#Berlusconi #faces #confidence #vote #seen #surviving #for #now
