From Sean Cockerham in Anchorage –

An announcement is coming this week regarding the proposed natural gas pipeline to the Lower 48, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

There's been buzz about it the past several days and, although no one is willing to confirm it with their names attached, an announcement appears imminent. Much of the talk has been among Alaska legislators and members of their staffs.

Several state legislators said they’ve heard chatter that the announcement will involve Exxon Mobil joining with up with TransCanada to pursue construction of a pipeline from the North Slope to the Lower 48.

"I've heard the rumor, I don't know anything as far an any truth to it or not," said state House speaker Mike Chenault, a Republican from Nikiski,

Chenault said that it could be true, since Gov. Sarah Palin told Sean Hannity on Fox News that "some really good, exciting news" was coming soon

Anchorage Rep. Mike Hawker said he doesn't have any confirmation either but heard a rumor an announcement could come as soon as Thursday morning. He said he asked Exxon officials recently to clarify exactly what is going on because of all the buzz that they were in discussions with TransCanada.

“And they said we really want to make an announcement, it will be in the next couple of weeks,” Hawker said. “So that leads me to believe this is the follow on to that.”

Hawker said there's a huge range of speculation as to what the details of such an arrangement might be.

The Houston Chronicle is reporting on its Web site tonight that Exxon Mobil is in discussions with TransCanada, based on an unnamed source said to be familiar with the deal. The company would not be just a passive customer of the pipeline, which could cost as much as $30 billion and run 1,700 miles, but would likely be involved in the design and construction, according to the Chronicle.

Anchorage Senator Lesil McGuire said she is grateful for news that Exxon Mobil and TransCanada may be negotiating a partnership.

“An Exxon/TransCanada partnership would be great news for Alaskans. The fact that we might have an Exxon/TransCanada venture competing with a BP/ConocoPhillips Denali project brings the prospect of fulfilling Alaska’s over three-decade old dream of bringing North Slope gas to market that much closer to a reality,” said McGuire, Chair of the Senate Energy Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Resources Committee in a written statement.

TransCanada spokesman James Millar said his company's policy is not to respond to rumors or speculation.

He would not say whether the company is going to make any gas line-related announcements this week, saying that also falls into the rumor category.

Exxon did not respond to a request for comment.

A spokesman for BP Alaska said he'd heard talk of a Transcanada-Exxon announcement but he had no further information.

Gov. Sarah Palin is in Texas, where both ExxonMobil and competing oil company Conoco Phillips have their national headquarters, but her spokeswoman would provide no details on what the governor was doing there or say anything about a possible announcement. The governor’s office would only say no announcement is forthcoming from Palin.

Politico reported earlier this week that Palin would be holding meetings in Washington, D.C., and Texas on a natural resources issue. Politico quoted Palin spokeswoman Meg Stapleton saying that it was likely negotiations over a key pipeline project.

An announcement by TransCanada or Exxon would have major implications for the gas pipeline project. Legislators last year agreed with Palin in giving the TransCanada project a state license and up to $500 million in state reimbursement, saying it offers the "must-have" terms for the state.

But TransCanada holds no leases to North Slope natural gas. Exxon controls more known reserves of gas on the slope than any other company.

The other two major leaseholders, BP and ConocoPhillips, have their own competing gas line project called Denali.

Exxon, like BP and ConocoPhillips, has previously said that it would not participate in the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act process that led to TransCanada receiving the state license for the project.

(Daily News reporter Elizabeth Bluemink contributed)