OREANDA-NEWS. The Longview, Washington's port authority this week voted to discontinue talks with Houston-based Waterside Energy, which had applied to build a 45,000 b/d refinery and 75,000 b/d LPG export facility at the location.

The Port of Longview Board of Commissioners instructed the port's interim chief executive to discontinue discussions with the firm, saying it failed to flesh out financial details about the project on deadline. Waterside, a developer incorporated in 2015, had proposed building a "micro crude refinery" with 30,000 b/d of capacity and another 15,000 b/d of refining from renewable feedslates.

The LPG export terminal was to be backed by an undisclosed LPG producer; volumes were planned to be railed to the location and stored in pressurized spheres, according to the developer's presentation.

Several firms have proposed building new LPG infrastructure in Washington state to bolster exports of stranded Canadian feedstocks to LPG markets in Asia, which already imports VLGC cargoes from the Ferndale, Washington terminal. However, to date new projects have been stymied by local environmental opposition and concerns about rail and storage safety.

"This isn't about fossil fuels; I want to make that clear," said Longview Commissioner Doug Averett. "The Port of Longview is open for business and all project proposals will be evaluated on their individual merits, not the commodity."

In March 2015 the port commission rejected a similar proposal by Haven Energy, saying it was better suited elsewhere and presented too many risks relative to the estimated job creation.