“The filing of this application signals another step in a major expansion of the M&NP system,” said Phil Knoll, president of M&NP. “This expansion will greatly increase the competitiveness of our pipeline system and the Scotian Basin, thereby improving producer netbacks. By expanding the existing pipeline system and adding cost-effective facilities, M&NP’s tolls to all markets will decrease by approximately 30 percent, supporting further development of the basin, which is of benefit to all stakeholders.”

In June 2001, M&NP signed agreements with PanCanadian Petroleum Limited to transport approximately 400 million cubic feet per day of natural gas from PanCanadian’s Deep Panuke project, offshore Nova Scotia. The Phase IV expansion will meet PanCanadian’s 2005 projected in-service date for the Deep Panuke project. M&NP will invest Cdn$190 million in its Phase IV expansion project in Canada.

The proposed Phase IV project consists of four compressor stations in Canada, two each to be located and constructed in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Installation of the compressor stations will create significant economic activity in the Maritimes – M&NP estimates that 50 percent of project spending will take place in the Maritimes.

Through operational and maintenance activities, tax payments and other spending, M&NP annually injects an estimated Cdn$50 million to the local economy in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Following the expansion of the pipeline, this number will increase by 20 percent.

In February, Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline L.L.C. filed with the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission its Phase IV expansion application. The combined expansions will bring M&NP’s total investment in the transmission system to Cdn$2.5 billion. M&NP has contracted with local companies Atlantic Gas Engineers, AMEC and Vaughan Engineering, who provided support to M&NP in preparation of the application.

M&NP has offices in Halifax and Boston and is owned by affiliates of Duke Energy (37.5 percent); Westcoast Energy, Inc. (37.5 percent); ExxonMobil (12.5 percent); and Emera Inc. (12.5 percent). For more information, contact M&NP on the Internet at www.mnpp.com.