TransCanada Corp. received the first two permits approving construction of two Prince Rupert Gas Transmission project sections from the British Columbia Oil & Gas Commission, the company said May 8.

The sections will run about 250 kilometers (km) (155 miles) of the route, extending 20 km (12.4 miles) northwest of Hudson’s Hope to about 50 km (30 miles) north of Fort St. James, the company added.

The project requires 11 permits from the commission. The environmental assessment certificate was issued by the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office in November 2014. All the permits allow the pipeline and related facilities to be constructed.

There are about 70 conditions outlined in the permits, and they include notification and reporting, heritage conservation, First Nations, land clearing, wildlife, terrain stability, stream crossings and engineering.

Construction work, which includes right-of-way clearing, will not begin on these two sections before conditions of the permits are met and a final investment decision has been made by Pacific NorthWest LNG.

"Receiving these first two permits is very good news and represents another key milestone for our project," said Dean Patry, president of Prince Rupert Gas Transmission project.

"Combined with our recently announced project agreements with certain First Nations communities that highlighted the economic benefits they would receive, the issuance of these permits demonstrates that TransCanada is listening and remains committed to participating in the development of the province's liquefied natural gas export industry in a safe and environmentally responsible manner."

Calgary, Alberta-based TransCanada is developing about CA$13 billion in natural gas projects in British Columbia.