Enbridge sees Canada Woodfibre LNG export plant in service in 2027

June 8 (Reuters) - Enbridge Inc's Woodfibre LNG partnership in British Columbia was on track to enter service in 2027, Cynthia Hansen, president of gas transmission and midstream at the Canadian energy company, said on Thursday.

Hansen told Reuters at the Reuters Global Energy Transition conference that "Woodfibre LNG will be interesting this summer as they get to that milestone of finalizing our investment."

The milestone will come when Woodfibre completes 60% of the engineering, which should allow major construction to start around September.

Enbridge owns 30% of the $5.1 billion Woodfibre LNG project. The remaining 70% is owned by Pacific Energy, which is part of the Singapore-based RGE group of companies.

The project is underpinned by two long-term offtake agreements with a unit of oil major BP PLC for 15 years representing about 70% of the project's capacity.

Woodfibre is designed to produce about 2.1 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LNG, which is equivalent to about 0.28 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of natural gas.

Enbridge is a big supplier of gas through its pipelines to the growing number of LNG export plants in the U.S. too.

In Texas, Hansen said Enbridge was "anxiously awaiting the FID" (final investment decision) for the first 16.2-MTPA phase of NextDecade Corp's proposed Rio Grande LNG export plant.

Enbridge will build the 4.5-bcfd Rio Bravo pipeline in Texas to supply gas to Rio Grande once NextDecade makes a final decision to build the plant.

Analysts have said they expect NextDecade to make a FID to build Rio Grande LNG this year, with some saying it could come any week now.

Separately, Enbridge is building the Gator Express and Venice Extension gas projects to supply Venture Global LNG's Plaquemines LNG export plant in Louisiana.

(Reporting by Scott DiSavino Editing by Marguerita Choy)