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Arizona, New Mexico and Sonora sign plan for natural gas

Posted at 11:29 AM, Dec 19, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-19 23:35:24-05

PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has joined Govs. Susana Martinez of New Mexico and Claudia Pavlovich of Mexico's Sonora state in agreeing to a cross-border plan to provide natural gas to Asia.

The three leaders announced the pact signed Wednesday morning at the Arizona state Capitol in Phoenix.

The memorandum of understanding calls for the states to develop a plan to export natural gas from New Mexico's abundant supply to Asian nations, which are leading importers of liquefied gas.

Sonora's ports are far closer to Asia than U.S. ports in the Gulf of Mexico to the east. Shipping gas from the Pacific coast also would not require a trip through the Panama Canal.

Both Arizona and Sonora have existing pipeline networks that could be used to help transport the fuel.