June 2019, Vol. 246, No. 6

To All the Women I’ve Worked with Before OK, a Julio Iglesias song lyric its not, but the women it represents is impressive. I recently received an email requesting abstracts for the Women’s Global Leadership Conference in Energy (WGLC) that’s being held in Houston this October. It is an inspirin..

A glimpse at what is ahead for the oil and natural gas industry politically played out in the first quarter of 2019 in Colorado, a state long recognized for its ability to balance energy development, economics and the environment.

In the Eastern Mediterranean, large discoveries of natural gas have been found off the coast of Israel and Egypt earlier in the decade. This together with increased demand for gas across the region are now reshaping both production and market demand, requiring construction of a series of new pipelines and LNG import and export facilities.

Although rich in energy resources, the United States has increasingly adopted a viewpoint that fossil fuel should be eliminated from the clean energy solution. The industry has been singularly targeted, grouping all fossil fuel into the same category, as a destructive influence in climate change.

Over the years as a pig tracker, I have noticed that getting a good transmitter signal from a steel mandrel (cleaner type) pig has become increasingly difficult compared to smart pigs.

Ultrasonic crack technology, using piezoelectric transducers, is a proven and widely used solution for crack and crack-like defect detection in liquids pipelines. Over the past 20 years, only minor developments and improvements in this area were offered to pipeline operators.

Today, there are millions of miles of pipeline all over the world, and many of these systems are old. Pipelines transport energy (crude oil, refined petroleum, natural gas and biofuels to name a few) and other fluids to various markets across vast distances. The integrity of the pipelines is of paramount concern to ensure the safety of people and the environment.

Stricter regulations, price volatility, and emerging technologies are disrupting conventional operational approaches in today’s midstream pipeline industry; even transport demand has never been greater. Therein lie both challenges and opportunities.

The simple truth is some pipelines may be piggable for certain applications and non-piggable for others.

The main objective of the Dominican Republic’s Energetic Plan 2010-2025 is to reduce the import of oil by replacing it with natural gas by a considerable amount.

This article examines the ways that digitalization can be leveraged in pipeline construction projects for improved quality assurance, project efficiency and overall ROI.

Black powder is composed of different forms of iron sulfide (FeS), iron oxides (Fe3O4, FeOOH) and iron carbonate (FeCO3), mechanically mixed or chemically combined with any number of contaminants, such as salts, sand, liquid hydrocarbons, metal debris, and even naturally-occurring radioactive material (NORM).

The re-emergence of the United States as a leading power in energy markets is good news for all Americans. A secure and resilient energy sector helps all end-users here at home, from manufacturers to residential consumers.

The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) crossed the rocky mountains of Albania, putting it on track to start delivering gas to Europe next year.

Rangeland Midstream Canada plans to design, construct and operate new crude oil and condensate pipelines in the Marten Hills region of north central Alberta.

Cogent Midstream said it plans to build a new 400 MMcf/d pipeline to deliver residue gas from its Big Lake Natural Gas Processing Complex in the Midland Basin to the Gulf Coast Express Pipeline (GCX).

Magellan Midstream Partners is confident a proposed Midland origin point will attract enough commitments from shippers to go forward with a crude pipeline from the oil storage hub in Cushing, Okla., to Houston, Chief Executive Michael Mears said.

Tellurian subsidiaries will begin separate open seasons on two proposed natural pipelines that will connect constrained shale production areas to the growing industrial market in Southwest Louisiana.

Tallgrass Energy is pursuing a project to support crude oil production in northern Weld County, Colo., near the border between Wyoming and Colorado. The Hereford Project will include 30 miles of 12-inch pipeline, as well as expanded capacity on the Pony Express system.

Bayou Bridge Pipeline launched a non-binding expansion open season to solicit shipper interest for expanded joint tariff transportation service received from certain connecting carriers onto the Bayou Bridge Pipeline System.

State environmental regulators in New York denied a water quality permit for a 24-mile (39-km) underwater pipeline from New Jersey to Queens designed to meet rising demand for natural gas in New York City and Long Island.

As American politicians seek sanctions and Denmark debates route approval, construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has moved steadily ahead. By mid-May, more than 745 miles (1,200 km) of pipe — about half the total length of Nord Stream 2 — had been laid in the Baltic Sea, company officials confirmed.

Shippers and refiners put ships heading to the Middle East on alert last month after armed drones struck a Saudi Aramco pipeline and Saudi oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

China announced it would raise tariffs on LNG imports from the United States amid a series of additional levies, a move that could further reduce U.S. LNG shipments to the world’s fastest growing importer of the fuel.

The Balticconnector pipeline, which is due to start operation early next year, will begin with a capacity of between 97 MMcf and 133 MMcf per day from Estonia to Finland, Estonian partner Elering said.

A gas company’s faulty equipment is the most likely cause of an explosion at a suburban Maryland apartment complex that killed seven people in 2016, according to federal report.

The head of the U.S. pipeline safety agency says officials intend to finalize long-delayed rules aimed at preventing oil spills and natural gas explosions by the end of the year.

A California judge fined Plains All American Pipeline $3.35 million for a 2015 California coastal oil spill caused by the rupture of a corroded pipeline.

South Dakota’s governor and attorney general are asking a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit challenging a new law that aims to prevent disruptive demonstrations against the Keystone XL pipeline if it’s built.

Buckeye Partners, which owns and operates one of the largest diversified networks of integrated midstream assets in North America, has agreed to be acquired by IFM Investors in an all-cash transaction with an enterprise value of $10.3 billion.

Two Massachusetts senators, one of them a Democratic presidential candidate, have introduced the first pipeline safety bill as Congress works to put together legislation reauthorizing the Pipeline Safety Act, which expires on Sept. 30.

The Department of Energy will award $24 million in grants for the development of tools, methods and technologies to cost-effectively enhance the safety and efficiency of the nation’s natural gas production, gathering, storage, and transmission infrastructure. Grants will be as much as $3 million but no lower than $1 million.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun an effort to develop a new program to support water reuse. The agency will be putting together an action plan based on input from industry groups and local governments with the intention of using funding provided by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) for whatever types of projects are eventually deemed eligible. Congress provided the EPA with $68 million in funding for WIFIA loans in fiscal 2019, which ends Sept. 30.

Innerspec’s Volta features a high-power, two-channel portable ultrasonic instrument custom-designed for electro-magnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) applications. It has a patented pulser technology to satisfy the most energy-demanding EMAT applications in a compact and rugged package. The software i..

Dresser Natural Gas Solutions (NGS) Blackhawk pressure control fittings have attained the requirements of CSA Z662: Oil & Gas Pipeline Systems, allowing for expansion into the Canadian market. The internal assessment eliminates the need for pipeline owners to assess the design for themselves. The fi..

Emerson is offering new meters and probes: the CMF-110 and CMF-118 flexible clamp meters and the FC-110 and FC-118 flexible clamp current probes. Available in either 10-inch or 18-inch flexible coil offerings, CMF series meter is a standalone device that measures true RMS AC current, AC voltage, res..

E2S Warning Signals launched the flameproof STEx warning device encompasses audible, visual and combined warning devices within 316L stainless steel enclosures to protect against harsh environments where corrosion is a particular problem. The units are IECEx and ATEX approved for Zones 1 and 2 for u..

The Ashcroft® T6500 stainless steel, solid front pressure gauge is now available with the XRA overpressure option. This feature adds an overpressure mechanism that restricts the motion of the Bourdon tube after the specified full-scale value is reached. As a result, the gauge can withstand up to 400..

REMU offers new E-Series Model excavators designed for the challenging environments faced by wetland construction contractors. The amphibious equipment features pontoon undercarriages can be hydraulically adjusted to as narrow a width as 3 meters, depending on model, they can fit on single truck for..

Romet Limited introduced the AdEM CLICK, a direct mount index. The smart module attaches to any type of rotary gas meter for real-time measurements for utilities. New models are available, each with tamperproof, weather-resistant design that can, depending on the design, factor in pressure, temperat..

HMi introduced the 1301-Z1 a durable PC that leads its class with extreme usability and toughness, combined with engineered design. Slim and lightweight with a super-bright 19-inch, 1,000 NIT display, the PC is suitable for Zone 1 areas. It features a wide -40° C to +60° C (-40° F to +140° F) operat..

Pipeline solutions provider T.D. Williamson (TDW) paired its SmartPlug isolation system with hot-tapping and plugging (HT&P) services to enable a pipeline replacement at a Saudi Arabian industrial plant while the facility remained in service.

Equitrans Midstream appointed Stephen M. Moore as senior vice president and general counsel. He previously was special project counsel for UGI Corporation. P&GJ ..

Tallgrass Energy announced the promotion of Chief Operating Officer Bill Moler to President. David G. Dehaemers Jr. remains CEO and Moler will retain his current COO title. P&GJ ..

Shawn Fields has joined Western Land Services as president in the company’s Oklahoma City office.  He moves to WLS from NextEra Energy Resources, where he was executive director of Upstream Development. P&GJ ..

Donald R. Sinclair and Michael A. Creel have been appointed to serve on the Lucid Energy Group’s board of directors.  Sinclair is chairman and president of WTX Pumping Services.  Creel previously was CEO of Enterprise Products Partners. P&GJ..

Romet Limited promoted Steven F. Ditcham to international sales director with responsibility for Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He holds a mechanical engineering degree from Aston University and has worked for both Schlumberger and Sensus. ..

Roan Resources Director Joseph A. Mills has been appointed executive chairman of the board and will assume the duties of principal executive officer of the company following the resignation of Tony Maranto as chairman, CEO and president. Mills also serves as president and CEO of Samson Resources II...

Timothy J. Harris joined Allegheny Technologies in the newly created position of senior vice president, chief digital and technology officer. P&GJ ..

Michael France was named a managing director at Intrepid Investment Management, which makes private investments across the energy sector.  France will co-lead Intrepid’s investing business Robert Cabes. P&GJ..

Neil Smith has been hired to develop CCI & Associates Engineering and EPC capabilities for specialized projects from the Houston office. He has 30 years’ experience with horizontal directional drilling. P&GJ..

Atlantic, Gulf & Pacific appointed Rachelle Goebel as senior vice president to lead its major LNG projects across the Americas and the global expansion of its gas engineering and project management services, based in Houston. P&GJ..

Devon Energy’s board of directors announced that Ann G. Fox and Keith O. Rattie were nominated to stand for election to the board at the company’s annual meeting of stockholders on June 5. Devon had previously said board chairman John Richels would retire and not seek re-election at the 2019 annual ..

Nickolas Stavropoulos, who retired last year as president and chief operations officer at Pacific Gas & Electric, has been elected to the board of directors of Ameresco, a Massachusetts-based energy efficiency and renewable energy company. P&GJ ..

Glen Ragland joined management and technology consulting Capco as a Partner in its Houston office, focusing on digital transformation, market growth and alliance partnerships. P&GJ..

Columbus McKinnon appointed Appal Chintapalli to the position of vice president, Engineered Products. He succeeds John Stewart, who retired after 39 years with the Company. P&GJ..

Priority Power Management hired Justin Courtney as executive vice president and CFO. He previously was a managing director at Stephens Inc. P&GJ..

Michael Rutkowski joined GTI as the senior vice president, with a primary focus on unconventional supply, energy conversion and natural gas delivery. Previously, he spent nearly 15 years as a managing director in the energy practice of Navigant. P&GJ..

Sam Sebo joined Construction MediCamp as business development manager. Sebo previously worked as a project developer at Allan Edwards, developing buoyancy products for pipeline construction. ..

Pin Oak Energy Partners increased its acreage position across the Appalachian Basin to 167,000 net deep acres with the acquisition of 43,000 acres in the Utica Basin from Shell subsidiary SWEPI LP. P&GJ..

ConocoPhillips has completed the sale of its 30% interest in the Greater Sunrise Fields to the government of Timor-Leste for $350 million plus customary adjustments. The Sunrise and Troubadour gas and condensate fields, collectively known as the Greater Sunrise Fields, are located in the Timor Sea. ..

Equitrans Midstream Corporation and EQM Midstream Partners acquired a 60% interest in Eureka Midstream Holdings and 100% interest in Hornet Midstream Holdings in a transaction valued at $1.03 billion. P&GJ..

Williams has sold its 50% interest in Jackalope Gas Gathering Services to an affiliate of Crestwood Equity Partners for $484.6 million. Prior to the transaction, Crestwood was marketer and Williams was operator for the 50-50 joint venture. Crestwood has assumed operatorship of Jackalope. P&GJ..

Michels Welding Superintendent Charles “Buddy” Kervin was named Man of the Year by United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada. Kervin entered the pipeline industry in 1955 and has been a welder since 1962. He has been in..