gases, the water, marine life, and equally important, the safety of our workforce and local residents in the region. We will not create any unsightly infrastructure visible from the shore," says Whelan. " Our system will safely deliver clean natural gas while protecting the clean waters off the Jersey shore." LNG has a proven safety record, too. It is not explosive nor is it stored under pressure. The LNG industry has maintained an enviable safety record for the past 45 years, with double- hulled LNG vessels traveling more than 128 million miles without a major accident, either at port or at sea. LNG vessels and facilities are subject to very robust regulations enforced by a host of federal agencies including the US Coast Guard, and are constantly improving safety and security procedures to meet the challenges of supply and demand. The project is expected to be fully operational by late 2011 and will have the capacity to provide up to 2.4 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas- enough to supply 11 million households. " Liberty Natural Gas is a bellwether project for the region," concludes Whelan. " Excalibur's management has a full complement of natural gas development and commercial structuring experiences, and the integrated team that we have assembled for this project is one of the best, if not the best in the nation." virtually invisible below the ocean's surface. The facility is at least 15 miles from the nearest shore, so it's outside of recreational and shipping lanes, and will be tied into existing distribution systems, so it needs no new onshore facilities. " There are about 190,000 miles of onshore and offshore interstate gas pipelines in the US, so our approach is not groundbreaking in the use of natural gas, but rather how we safely reach this rapidly growing and important market to the US using a simple design," says Whelan. The project brings specific benefits to the residents of New Jersey as well. Since New Jersey is at the end of the interstate supply pipeline system, residents pay a premium for natural gas. The Liberty Natural Gas project will move New Jersey to the front of the line and provide a lower- cost, reliable supply of natural gas to the state and surrounding region, and it will lower the dependency on Middle East oil and coal- fired power plants, a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. " We are placing a high value on engaging the community to explain our project," Whelan says. " We are actively working with recreational and commercial anglers, environmental groups and local residents to answer their questions and address their concerns." Most important, the project's design has minimal impact on the environment and marine life. " Liberty Natural Gas has been planned with great care for the air, greenhouse Liberty Natural Gas NOVEMBER 09 www. bus- ex. com 39