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KENAI -- A natural gas "bullet line" from the foothills of the Brooks Range to Cook Inlet could breathe new life into Kenai Peninsula industries, according to a spokesman for Enstar Natural Gas Co.

Curtis Thayer told Kenai business leaders Wednesday that the Enstar line "could revive the Agrium plant."

"We've talked to them in Calgary," he said, referring to the headquarters of Agrium, Inc., which closed its ammonia and urea fertilizer plant in North Kenai last fall because it could not find enough natural gas, the main feed stock in the fertilizer production.

"We're looking to sign a memorandum of agreement with them in the next week and a half," Thayer said.

An Enstar line would be independent of larger natural gas pipelines being touted by the Palin administration and ConocoPhillips and BP to bring Alaska North Slope gas to market.

Enstar's line would carry gas south from the Gubik Field in the foothills of the Brooks Range. Agrium has expressed interest in the project, Thayer said.

"They said they would sign tomorrow if we could ship the gas (to the plant)," he said. "Right now, we have to determine if the line is feasible."

A bullet line also could extend the life of the Kenai LNG plant, he said.

Anadarko has found gas in the Gubik Field, he said.

"The Gubik gas appears to be dry gas ... utility-grade," he said.

Enstar proposes to build a 20-inch, 690-mile long pipeline to bring the gas to Cook Inlet. The line would follow the Dalton Highway to Fairbanks and the Parks Highway to Wasilla before shifting to Cook Inlet.

It complements the Alaska Gas Inducement Act-approved TransCanada pipeline, as well as the proposed ConocoPhillips-BP pipeline, Thayer said.

Enstar estimates the cost at $3.3 billion. It could be built in five to six years, Thayer said.

Field work under the project's first phase could be completed by February and a management decision to move forward could come as early as June 2009, he said.

Asked why Anadarko would move its gas to market through an Enstar line rather than having it delivered by TransCanada or the producers' 48-inch pipeline, Thayer said the bullet line would be operating sooner.

Any proposal for a gas pipeline from the North Slope to the Lower 48 would need to be certified by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. A bullet line could be given the green light by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska.

Enstar now has three natural gas supply contracts and next year will have five, Thayer said.

Marathon has committed to a five-year contract for 25.6 billion cubic feet of gas and ConocoPhillips, also committed to the 2009-2013 period, has contracted to supply 12 billion cubic feet.

Enstar will put gas into underground storage when demand is the lowest to eliminate shortages on peak demand days in winter, Thayer said.