May 2019, Vol. 246, No. 5

Joe Hollier, Editor While attending the Pipeline Technical Conference in Berlin, Germany, last month, I came across multiple new innovations designed to improve or protect the pipeline industry, and a few projects that are making a big splash in that part of the world. One large project became of..

At the end of 2018, when the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its latest (2017) statistics on proved oil and natural gas reserves, the United States producers were leading the world, and the Marcellus Shale play in Pennsylvania was leading the nation. Both Marcellus and Utica s..

A senior vice president and chief operating officer for Piedmont Natural Gas, Duke Energy’s natural gas business unit, INGAA Foundation Chairman Victor Gaglio is responsible for leading gas utility operations. Gaglio joined Piedmont Natural Gas in 2012 and was responsible for Utility Operations prio..

Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI) exists as a way for its members, who are pipeline operators, service providers and other industry stakeholders, to collectively and collaboratively, conduct research, develop, and evaluate new and emerging technologies that have the potential to improve..

By Nicholas Newman, Contributing Editor Danish gas transmission operator Energinet and Polish gas transmission operator GAZ-System are jointly planning a new bidirectional transnational pipeline, linking the Norwegian North Sea offshore gas fields with markets in both Denmark and Poland. Sourc..

By Mauro Nogarin, Contributing Editor After five years of waiting, the state of Bahia began building the first section of the Gas Southwest pipeline, which will be one of the largest pipelines in the interior of Brazil. Most of the natural gas distribution network of 5,840 miles (9,400 km), is loca..

By: Tony Radoszewski, President, The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. The boom is on in the basin and other areas. That’s the good news. The bad news is that this year, sub-standard plastic pipe has been found in the oil and gas gathering operations of the Permian and Delaware basins in Texas and New..

The Trans Anatolia Natural Gas Pipeline transports Azeri gas from the Shah Deniz field through Turkey and Europe. Construction of the technically challenging project was complicated by the North Anatolian Fault.

By Jeff Griffin, Freelance Energy Writer Every long horizontal directional drilling (HDD) installation has something that sets it apart from other projects, but not many involve crossing international boundaries. The site where a steel gas line was i..

By Richard G. Scott, Attorney, Rutter & Roy, LLP In New Jersey, it is almost impossible for an interstate pipeline company to build a significant pipeline project without crossing state-owned land or land in which the state holds some form of interest. Sev..

By Pipeline & Gas Journal The panel on transporting LNG in the U.S., featuring Andrew Biar, president of Strategic Public Affairs; Kevin Ewing, partner at Bracewell; Guy Nicholls, director of Maritime Operations at Cheniere; Lance Goodwin, vice presid..

According to EIA’s most recent publication of the Natural Gas Monthly, U.S. net natural gas exports in January 2019 totaled 2.3 Bcf/d, marking 12 consecutive months in which U.S. natural gas exports exceeded U.S. imports.  Preliminary data from PointLogic E..

Bulgaria’s Bulgargaz struck a deal to buy 1.5 million megawatt hours of natural gas from Greece’s DEPA, the first time the state provider has bought gas outside its long-term contract with Russia’s Gazprom. Bulgargaz said it will complete the purchase in the second quarter, pumping the gas into its..

Canadian Oil Sands production in 2019 will be almost 230,000 bpd lower than last year, according to ESAI Energy’s recently published North America Watch.   Planned Canadian Oil Sands projects are being pushed back in response to further delays in pipeline egress and the mandated output cuts by the ..

ExxonMobil has revised its Permian Basin growth plans to produce more than 1 MMboe/d by as early as 2024 – an increase that is driving significant pipeline and infrastructure development. The Irving, Texas-based oil giant’s new target represents a significant boost in size and speed over plans set ..

The American Civil Liberties Union is challenging a new law signed by South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem aimed at potential protests against the planned Keystone XL oil pipeline. The Republican governor’s bills require pipeline companies to chip in on protest-related expenses and create a way to pursue..

Consolidated Edison imposed a moratorium on new natural gas service in parts of New York’s Westchester County despite a $250 million state plan to reduce energy usage, to avoid compromising system reliability due to limited pipeline capacity into the region. Several companies tried for years to bui..

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a spending bill that funds a statewide examination of Massachusetts’ natural gas distribution system, a review that was ordered after last September’s gas explosions near Boston that killed one person, injured 25 others and damaged or destroyed dozens of build..

TechnipFMC was awarded a significant subsea contract by Equinor for the Johan Sverdrup Phase 2 development, located in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea at a water depth of 120 meters. The $75–250 million contract covers the delivery and installation of the subsea production system including in..

The United Kingdom Oil and Gas National Data Repository (NDR) has been launched with more than 130 terabytes of data covering thousands of pipelines, offshore wellbores, and seismic surveys going back more than 50 years.  The repository comes from the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA), which hopes the re..

A consortium led by France’s Engie SA submitted the highest offer for a major gas pipeline unit owned by Brazil’s Petroleo Brasileiro SA, the state-run oil firm said in April, as the company’s biggest divestment draws to a close. In a filing, Petrobras said the Engie consortium, which includes Cana..

Stephen Barlas, Contributing Editor, Washington, D.C. Congress had its first hearings in April in both the House and Senate on reauthorization of the Pipeline Safety Act, which loses its current authority Sept. 30, 2019.  There will perhaps be some new safety requirements passed given that both De..

Stephen Barlas, Contributing Editor, Washington, D.C.  There seems to be a pretty good chance that Congress will pass a reauthorization of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) this Congress given strong bi-partisan support for the Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2019 (H.R. ..

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new permission for TransCanada Corp to build the Keystone pipeline for imports of Canadian oil, replacing his previous permits in an effort side step the blocking of the project by a Montana court. In issuing the executi..

Moda Midstream is considering building a second berth at its Ingleside, Texas, crude export terminal to accommodate supertankers, the company’s chief executive said. The expansion to the terminal that loads oil tankers will come as three major pipelines open in the second half of this year, CEO Bo ..

Three consortiums have submitted bids in a 1.4 billion euro ($1.6 billion) tender to build a pipeline to carry Russian natural gas across Bulgaria, state-owned network operator Bulgartransgaz said. The consortiums include companies from Italy, Hungary and Saudi Arabia, it said. The pipeline could b..

The Danish Energy Agency has requested an environmental assessment of a third route option for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in Danish waters, a move that could delay the project to pump Russian gas to Europe. The 765-mile (1,225-km) pipeline, now under construction, has come under fire from the U..

Argentina’s energy minister reiterated his country’s commitment to build infrastructure and boost output of natural gas, citing plans for a new 22 MMcm/d pipeline from the Vaca Muerta shale producing region to Buenos Aires. Minister Gustavo Lopetegui said at a Houston news conference that Argentina..

Lebanon warned its Mediterranean neighbors that a planned East Med gas pipeline from Israel to the European Union must not be allowed to violate its maritime borders. Beirut has an unresolved maritime border dispute with Israel,  which it regards as an enem..

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has ordered state departments and agencies to take no further action on legislation enacted in late 2018 authorizing construction of an oil pipeline tunnel beneath lakes Huron and Michigan. Whitmer made the move after Attorney General Dana Nessel issued an opinion st..

Tellurian subsidiary Permian Global Access Pipeline is conducting a binding open season to secure prospective shippers for its proposed Permian Global Access Pipeline (PGAP) project. PGAP is a proposed 42-inch interstate natural gas pipeline originating at the Waha Hub in Pecos County, Texas, and t..

Mehrer Compression GmbH introduced a high-pressure compressor, the TRx 400. The air-cooled piston compressor offers a solution for applications that require high final pressures of up to 200 bar, combined with high suction pressures of up to 35 bar. The TRx 400 is suited for the compression of H2, N..

Technical Toolboxes released Version 19.0 of its The Pipeline Toolbox. The device features a range of improved calculations and applications, along with an embedded new license manager that strengthens security and enables better visibility. With its more than 230 pipeline-specific oil and gas appli..

Software and hardware systems can be costly to install on a broad scale, but Osprey, designed and built by Abriox, is helping utilities supplement surveillance at multiple locations by monitoring, gathering and processing real-time data, economically. Osprey allows users to see daily compilations of..

Trimble offers a new wearable hard hat-compatible device that enables workers to access holographic information on the worksite – the Trimble XR10 with HoloLens 2. In addition, an expanded set of Trimble software and services will be available to provide field-oriented workflows that leverage constr..

High Pressure Equipment Company (HiP), a subsidiary of Graco, added 3/8- and 9/16-inch O.D. valves and fittings to its ultra-high pressure family, designed to ensure safe and easy plumbing for pressures up to 100,000 psi. The new sizes of valves are available in four body styles – two-way straight, ..

Huntingdon Fusion Techniques (HFT) introduced peripheral sealing plugs for heavy-duty applications, such as immersion in chemicals or exposure to high temperatures. Pipe stopper sealing plugs are manufactured to suit pipe ends or orifices having a 17-inch (432 mm) diameter, extending to 96 inches (2..

Opto 22 announces the addition of international standard IEC 61131-3 programming options in its groov EPIC edge programmable industrial controller. All IEC 61131-3 standard languages are supported by groov EPIC, including function block diagram (FBD), structured text (ST), sequential function charts..

Alliance Sensors Group introduced the SS-7 series linear variable inductive transducer (LVIT), designed for subsea environments. The transducer is embedded into a hydraulic cylinder and uses the gun-drilled piston rod as a target, sensing its position without the need for a magnet. The SS-7 Series c..

Haydale produced and delivered eight general transition, piece-sealing systems to National Grid UK and has received interest for an additional 60 over the next six years.  This first commercial order is for transitions across two sites on the U.K. gas trans..

Ruben E. Esquivel retired from Atmos Energy’s Board of Directors. He joined the board in 2008 and served as chairman of its Work Session/Annual Meeting Committee since 2017. He served as president and CEO of the company in 1985 and vice chairman in 1994. P&GJ..

WFS Technologies appointed Moray Melhuish as commercial director. He was previously the business development director at independent underwater robotics specialist ROVOP. P&GJ Melhuish ..

Romet Limited promoted Steven F. Ditcham to international sales director with responsibility for Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He has 36 years’ experience selling gas and water metering, and process instruments to transmission and utility companies. Previously, Ditcham worked for Sensus and Schl..

Sean Churchill joined Tenaska Marketing Ventures as director of origination and will work out of the new Houston office. He has held natural gas trading and origination positions with EDF Trading, Sequent Energy Management and Calpine Energy Services. Churchill’s experience includes electric generat..

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Engineering services firm Stress Engineering Services promoted Kenneth Bhalla to chief technology officer. Previously, he led the company’s drilling, completion and intervention systems sub-practice and was one of the key architects of the company’s Realtime Fatigue Monitoring System. P&GJ..

i-Tech 7, a Subsea 7 business unit, appointed Simon Hird as its regional director for the Asia-Pacific region. He has more than 40 years’ experience in the subsea oil and gas industry, working for several major construction contractors.  Hird joins i-Tech 7 from UTEC Survey, where he was the Asia-Pa..

OPITO, a skills-development body for the energy industry, appointed Stuart Clow as director. He has over 30 years’ experience in the industry, spending 28 years with Transocean. Clow spent the last 16 months with Norwegian firm COSL Drilling Europe AS. P&GJ ..

PTS Advance appointed Jeanne Guzman Farias as account director for its Gulf Energy & Infrastructure Division. She has over 15 years’ experience in oil, gas and chemicals, as well as renewables and power generation industries. P&GJ..

PTS hired Kyli Tamas as account recruitment manager for the Gulf Coast operation. Tamas has over 10 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry. P&GJ..

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Tellurian announced Octávio M.C. Simões has joined the company as senior advisor to the CEO. Simões recently retired from his role as president and CEO of Sempra LNG & Midstream. P&GJ..

UGI Corporation’s Board of Directors elected Kelly A. Romano as a director.  She is the founder and CEO of BlueRipple Capital, a consultancy firm focused on strategy, acquisitions, deal structure and channel development for high technology companies. She retired from United Technologies in 2016. P&G..

Natural gas marketer Tenaska Marketing Ventures is opening a new regional office in Houston. The downtown office is scheduled to begin operations in the second quarter of 2019. The Houston staff will work in conjunction with TMV trading and scheduling teams in Omaha, Neb. P&GJ..

TPG signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in Goodnight Midstream, a leading midstream-produced water infrastructure company, for $930 million. P&GJ..

Chet Morrison Contractors acquired two pipelay/construction barges and a saturation diving system, effectively doubling the size of its fleet. The vessels are the LB Super Chief and the DLB Subsea Vision. The diving system is capable of depths of 1,000 feet. P&GJ..

Nuevo Midstream Dos entered into a definitive agreement with an affiliate of ArcLight Capital Partners to buy Republic Midstream, which owns and operates a crude oil gathering, storage and intermediate transportation system in the Eagle Ford Shale. The transaction is expected to close in the second ..

Quorum Software completed the acquisition of Houston-based Coastal Flow Measurement, a family of energy measurement services and software companies. This transaction includes Flow-Cal, Inc. (Flow-Cal), a subsidiary of Coastal Flow that provides gas and liquid measurement software for the hydrocarbon..

Colonial Pipeline President and CEO Joseph A. Blount Jr. has been appointed to the National Petroleum Council (NPC) Committee on U.S. Oil and Natural Gas Transportation Infrastructure. The NPC provides advice for the U.S. Secretary of Energy office. P&GJ ..

NACE International, the nonprofit association for corrosion expertise and education, launched its redesigned website, www.nace.org. Based on feedback from frequent users and customers, the new site features enhanced tools and search functions, intuitive navigation to help users quickly locate inform..

Angela Kolar, Colonial Pipeline’s vice president of Operations Services, has been selected to chair the Pipeline Safety Management System (SMS) Industry team. The team represents oil and gas industry pipeline operators and trade associations in their efforts to improve safety performance. Members in..