January 2019, Vol. 246, No. 1

Demand for natural gas in Colombia has continued to increase, but reserves and current transport capacity haven't kept pace to meet demand. Promigas has responded with a series of planned projects to increase supply in the Caribbean Coast, which accounts for 40% of natural gas demand in the area.

The upstream sector started the new year on a cautious note following a sharp decline in oil and gas prices, but the midstream sector roared into 2019 on a wave of pipeline construction activity. The latest Pipeline & Gas Journal survey indicates 145,353 miles of pipelines were planned or under construction worldwide at the start of the year.

An updated look at the the scope, functionality and variations of compressor stations and their essential role in the transmission of natural gas from production fields and re-gasification ports to end customers around the world.

A moderate middle group that strives to put the U.S. as the world leader in environmental protection and energy production is in the best interest of all of us – regardless of political affiliation or socio-economic background.

Upstream and midstream executives have been quick to tell investors how technology and innovation are adding efficiency and cost savings to their operations, even coming out of a three-year global price depression for oil.

At least a small measure of celebration likely buzzed through the offices at Shell Pipeline Company when FERC granted a declaratory order for its Falcon Ethane Pipeline System. The 98-mile pipeline is fundamental to the success the company’s $6 billion ethane cracker plant under construction in Pennsylvania.

McElhanney Geomatics Engineering faced cold weather, thigh-deep mud and an unforgiving timeline during a 74-mile pipeline project in northwest Alberta, Canada. Pipeline surveying software played a critical role in its success.

Digitalization is playing a bigger role in pipeline integrity management – in particular, relating to the threat of internal corrosion.

While the principles of hydrostatically testing a 50-year-old pipeline compared to testing a new pipeline are essentially the same, the execution can be vastly different. This article highlights some of those differences and shares lessons learned by GTS from testing over 1,000 miles of in-situ pipelines, primarily to validate MAOP.

With utilities adding more and more residential and commercial endpoints to their distribution systems, the need to prevent and detect leaks has never been more challenging – or more critical. Thankfully, advanced technologies have emerged that allow utilities to harness new capabilities such as data analytics and remote monitoring to stay on top of leaks and address them before they create significant safety issues.

If high levels of safety and environmental protection in the subsea oil and gas sector are to be maintained, then understanding the risks involved is more important than ever. But it has never been more difficult necessary to optimize IMR activities than it is now.

One solution to protect pipeline companies from potential risks of their decommissioned pipelines comes from re-applying technology that proven in another sector entirely – the world of hard-rock mining.

Legal Perspectives By Eric Hutchins, Principal, H2 Legal, P.C., and Ted Murphy, Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth  On the morning of Aug. 15, 2012, most Saudi Aramco employees were home celebrating Ramadan. Suddenly, the few remaining at work noticed problems with their computers. Screens flickered, a..

Over the past several years this false narrative that business is inherently evil has steadily crept into the social conscious. Nowhere is this animosity on display more—nor more misplaced—than toward traditional energy producers.

Eni’s Indonesia Gas Project may Start Up in 2021   Indonesia’s deputy energy minister said Eni aims to start output of natural gas in 2021 from its offshore Merakes project, which includes construction of subsea systems and pipelines to transport production to a floating production unit (FPU) appro..

FERC Approves Final 2 Laterals on Rover Pipeline Energy Transfer said service has begun on the final two laterals of Rover Pipeline following final approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).   Rover has been operational since August 201..

By Stephen Barlas, Contributing Editor, Washington D.C. Distribution Pipelines Win Big on New Plastic Pipe Rules    Distribution pipelines will not face track and trace requirements for newly installed or repaired plastic pipelines, which comes as a relief for the American Gas Association, a group..

Snider Otis Eastern Service appointed Alan Snider as chief operating officer. He previously served as president of Laney Directional Drilling in Spring, Texas, where he was involved in design and construction management projects. He is a graduate of the Ame..

ENERGY worldnet, Inc. Enters Virtual Reality Arena  ENERGY worldnet, Inc. (EWN) launched its Mobile Training Center to bring blended learning and virtual reality (VR) training to pipeline operators in the oil and gas industry. The mobile training center debuted recently at the Texas Gas Association..

Terry McCallister stepped down from the Board of Directors of the Gas Technology Institute, in conjunction with his retirement as chairman and CEO of WGL and Washington Gas. He will join the Board of Directors of AltaGas, which closed its acquisition of WGL Holdings. ..

Schoneberger Bob Schoneberger, United Piping, Inc. co-founder and pipeline advocate, died of a heart attack Nov. 11 at his northern Wisconsin hunting property. He was 60.   Following years at Lakehead Pipeline, which is now Enbridge Energy, Schoneberger co..

Danish pipe lining system Bluelight uses LED curing of the liners for installation. Manufactured by one of the largest lining contractors in Europe, Per Aarsleff Denmark, the system has been in development for about eight years.

Picote Solutions’ brush coating system for the rehabilitation of deteriorated pipelines has been approved for WRc status. The WRc Group is an independent public limited company providing research and consultancy in water, waste and the environment in the United Kingdom.

Rhino introduced heat-resistant Rhino 406 epoxy for the interior of tanks and pipe-lining applications. The spray-in-place lining is used exclusively with plural component spray equipment and can be used in extreme temperatures.   Applications are tack free within two to three hours and may be imme..

Mazak Optonics introduced direct diode laser-cutting technology with two laser-cutting machines and one automation system. It uses a flying-optics, two-pallet changer design with a Mazatrol Preview G control and high-performance digital drive package.

Gearing Solutions offers roller gear technology featuring Nu Lobe gears for more torque and power in less space.  The compact designs allow the use of aluminum housings that yield weight savings of up to 50% over traditional cast-iron housings. Standard GH..

Belden released a new version of its Hirschmann brand Layer 3 backbone switches – the Dragon Mach4000 Series. These devices allow engineers to transfer larger quantities of data faster without compromising network availability or performance. The devices f..

Polyguard introduced a heavy-duty extension of its impact resistant outer wrap (IRO) product, known as Polyguard IRO HD. This new product is designed to provide additional protection for field joint and mainline coatings. Both the IRO and IRO HD are fiber-..

John Deere improved the G-Series large-frame skid steers and compact track loaders and added an EH boom performance package. This productivity-boosting feature is available as a factory-installed option on the 330G and 332G skid steers, and the 331G and 333G compact track loaders. ..