McMINNVILLE, Ore. (AP) - Representatives from two West Coast energy companies were in Yamhill County this week to talk to city officials about running a natural gas line from a Columbia River shipping terminal to a hub on the West Coast mainline at Molalla.

The so-called Palomar line would start at Bradwood, near Westport. It was presented by TransCanada Corp., based in Calgary, Alberta, and Oregon's NW Natural.

TransCanada declined comment on the line when contacted by local media.

“At this point in the project, we have nothing to say publicly,” said company spokesman David Dodson. “It'll be soon, but it won't be today.”

NW Natural confirmed it had been talking with TransCanada about the feasibility of a spur feeding into the main interstate gas transmission line.

“We have been in continuing discussions with TransCanada to determine the feasibility of whether this project makes sense,” said spokesman Steve Sechrist. “That may be what you're hearing about.”

Oregon LNG has also proposed a natural gas pipeline to locate a plant at a different site. The Palomar line would run east from the Molalla hub on the main West Coast line, known as Williams' Northwest Pipeline, to the TransCanada line near Madras in Jefferson County.

On its way down from the proposed LNG terminal at Bradwood, the Palomar line would intersect with a natural gas field near the Columbia County community of Mist. TransCanada is one of several companies jockeying for position as federal energy regulators consider proposals for more than a dozen new liquefied natural gas delivery terminals around the United States.

Oregon LNG proposes using supertankers to ferry natural gas across the ocean in supercooled liquid form. It proposes building a plant on Warrenton's Skipanon Peninsula to offload the imported LNG, revaporize it and pump it to a point on the main transmission line serving the West Coast.

Daniel Serres, a staffer with the Columbia River Clean Energy Coalition, said the only pipeline out of Bradwood he knew about was one that would head north across the Columbia River. He said he'd not previously heard about an Oregon component.

“This is really very surprising,” he said. “I am just amazed that they got this far with it without having to show their cards. This is a huge project.”