TransCanada Corp. subsidiary NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. is seeking the approval of Canada's National Energy Board for a negotiated settlement on annual costs to operate the NGTL natural gas pipeline system in 2018 and 2019.

NOVA's settlement with shippers is for a two-year period beginning Jan. 1 and ending Dec. 31, 2019, and includes a return on equity of 10.1% on 40% deemed common equity, according to a March 23 news release. It also would fix depreciation at a forecast composite rate of 3.45%, with C$225 million in operating, maintenance and administration costs for 2018 and C$230 million for 2019.

The settlement also includes a mechanism that provides TransCanada an incentive to focus on cost management, operating efficiencies and system reliability, such as flow-through treatment of pipeline integrity expenses and emissions costs.

The 24,320-kilometer NGTL system in western Canada is undergoing a C$2 billion expansion for an additional 3 Bcf/d of contracted capacity, delivering production from the Montney, Duvernay and Deep Basin shale plays to local and export markets.