(In U.S. dollars unless noted)
CALGARY, Alberta, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp and its Canadian affiliate Imperial Oil Ltd plan to spend up to C$25 billion ($21 billion) on a liquefiednatural gas facility on British Columbia's northern Pacificcoast, the two companies said in documents filed with theprovince's environmental regulator.
The WCC LNG project will produce an initial 15 milliontonnes of LNG per year from a plant at Prince Rupert, 756 km(470 miles) northwest of Vancouver, they said in a Jan. 8 filingto the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office.
WCC LNG, co-owned by Exxon and its majority-owned ImperialOil unit, is one of 18 LNG projects proposed for northernBritish Columbia to supply gas to Asian buyers, including rivalones led by Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Malaysia'sPetronas.
However high costs and uncertain economics due to fallingoil prices have slowed development in the region,with Petronas in December delaying a final investment decisionon its $11 billion Pacific NorthWest LNG project while it looksfor cost savings.
Imperial, Canada's No.2 integrated oil and gas producer,said it expects to receive all needed regulatory approvals forthe project by 2017. After those are in hand, the two companieswill decide on whether to build the facility.
"We're looking at an in-service date beyond 2023," said PiusRolheiser, a spokesman for Imperial.
According to the filing, the initial phase of the projectwill cost between C$15 billion and C$25 billion. It could alsobe expanded to produce up to 30 million tonnes if needed.
($1 = 1.1926 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Scott Haggett; Editing by James Dalgleish)
