The North American Natural Gas Pipeline Group (NANGPG), a consortium of ExxonMobil, BP and Phillips, has awarded a conceptual engineering contract for a multi-billion dollar pipeline that will stretch from Alberta to Chicago, Illinois, to a five-company joint venture called The AlasCan Group. The group includes Kellogg Brown & Root, Colt Engineering Corporation, Natchiq, NANA/Colt Engineering, and Michael Baker Corp. The conceptual engineering work will allow the client to submit regulatory and environmental permits required to the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Canada’s National Energy Board so that the project can proceed. The approximately 1800-mile stretch of pipeline, designated the Alberta to Market segment by NANGPG, runs from near Edmonton, Alberta, to Chicago. This pipeline is part of NANGPG’s plan to deliver natural gas from Prudhoe Bay to the lower 48 states and is a continuation of the pipeline from Prudhoe Bay to Alberta. The project will consist of a large diameter pipeline with compressor stations and related facilities. The work will be executed in Colt’s offices in Calgary, Canada, with participation of specialists from the five organisations.