Shell quits Canadian Arctic gas pipeline project

Supermajor’s long-term vision just not long enough for a gas-pipeline project almost 50 years in the making

In a setback for Canada’s Arctic development, Shell Canada has backed out of an historic gas-pipeline project from the Mackenzie Delta.Company officials confirmed it has put up for grabs all of its northern holdings, including a 10% stake in the C$16.2 billion ($16.5 billion) Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline to Alberta. If built, it would transport about 1.4 billion cubic feet a day (cf/d), 1,200 km from the Beaufort Sea to the Alberta border.   The timing was suspect, given that the project received long-awaited Canadian regulatory approvals after more than a quarter of a century of scrutiny. The most recent attempts to build the line began in 2005, when Imperial Oil, Shell and ConocoPhi