North Baja Pipeline
| Company type | Natural gas pipeline |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy, Natural gas |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Headquarters | San Diego , United States |
Area served | Arizona, California, Mexico |
| Products | Natural gas transportation |
| Owner | TC PipeLines LP (U.S. segment), Sempra Energy International (Mexican segment) |
The North Baja Pipeline is a bidirectional natural gas conduit facilitating gas transport between Arizona, California, and Mexico. Operations commenced in 2002, initially transporting gas from the United States to Mexico. With the anticipated completion of an LNG facility in Mexico by 2026, the pipeline is expected to reverse its flow direction.
Geography
The pipeline's U.S. section extends approximately 80 miles, stretching from Ehrenberg, Arizona to Ogilby, California, close to the US-Mexican border. It links with the eastern terminus of the 140-mile "Gasoducto Rosarito" (previously known as "Gasoducto Bajanorte"), which delivers natural gas to the Presidente Juarez Power plant located in Rosarito, Baja California. As of 2007, this plant accounted for roughly 25% of the gas consumption.
Running east to west just south of the border, Gasoducto Rosarito reaches Rosarito. Additionally, a north-south branch called the LNG Spur connects the Costa Azul LNG terminal near Ensenada, Baja California with Gasoducto Rosarito near El Carrizo, situated south of Tecate, Baja California.
History
The North Baja Pipeline was initially constructed to supply natural gas from Arizona through California to Mexican power stations and began operations in 2002. In 2007, an expansion enabled bidirectional flow, allowing natural gas imports into the United States.
U.S. imports via this pipeline are planned to originate from the Costa Azul LNG export terminal on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, owned by Energia Costa Azul, a subsidiary of Sempra. As of 2023, this terminal was under development with service projected to start by mid-2025 or 2026.
With a capacity of up to 600 million cubic feet per day in either direction, the pipeline’s throughput can accommodate substantial volumes. In 2022, the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved an expansion to increase gas exports from the United States to Mexico, including shipments routed through Costa Azul.
Ownership of the U.S. segment (80 miles) belongs to TC PipeLines LP, a Canadian TransCanada entity, while Sempra Energy International based in San Diego owns the 140-mile Mexican portion. The pipeline holds FERC code 181.
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- Natural gas pipelines in Mexico
- Natural gas pipelines in the United States
- Natural gas pipelines in Arizona
- Buildings and structures in Baja California
- Natural gas pipelines in California
- Energy in Arizona
- Energy in California
- Sempra Energy
- TC Energy
- Mexico–United States relations