November 2019, Vol. 246, No. 11

After sitting at the keyboard for several minutes, though, I realized that hitting on the high points of a magazine that was already more than 150 years old when I joined the staff seven years ago – and has grown to be so much more than a magazine in the digital age – would be a fool’s errand for a couple of reasons.

As rhythm and blues singer Richard “Dimples” Fields matter-of-factly proclaimed in the 1980s, “If it ain’t one thing, it’s another.” For the natural gas storage industry, that succinctly summarizes its last five years following the global oil and gas price declines.

The European Union (EU) already has its own de-carbonization effort to coincide with achieving emission reduction targets in the Paris Agreement. It calls for near-complete de-carbonization of the entire energy sector well before 2050, so the natural gas sector and storage are carrying a big target on their backs.

Strain assessments and pipeline movement assessments allow operators to identify and mitigate threats presented by geohazards.

In my experience, there are two common complaints from pipeline operators, and they occur at two different stages of the pipeline – one during construction, and the other during operations – but they are at their core the same: access to readily accurate data.

Demand for refined petroleum products in Tanzania has been increasing in recent years, and the East African country has proposed a new oil pipeline project to meet the consumption requirement for refined fuel

Enterprise Products Partners said it is responding to higher demand for natural gas in the growing Gulf Coast LNG market by expanding and extending the Acadian pipeline system and boosting its capacity through upgrades to the Mansfield compressor station.

The 23rd World Petroleum Congress, which is coming to both Houston and the United States for the first time since 1987, unveiled its presenting sponsors on Oct. 2 during a breakfast event in the host city.

Today, pipeline operators face increasing challenges on multiple sides, from more complex regulatory processes to the need for safer and environmentally friend operations. Baker Hughes has introduced the NovaLT gas turbine family, which is pushing the boundaries of reliability, efficiency and operability in gas turbines range up to 27,000 Hp.

The Alberta Carbon Trunk Line (ACTL) project in Alberta, Canada, is a massive undertaking. It consists of a 150-mile (240-km) pipeline, which will gather 14.6 mtpa of CO2 when it reaches full capacity.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from energy-related sources will continue to grow in the coming decades.

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal by Dominion Energy and President Donald Trump’s administration of a lower court ruling that halted construction of the 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline under a section of the Appalachian Trail in rural Virginia.

Israel is significantly increasing the amount of natural gas it plans to export via the EMED Pipeline to Egypt under a landmark deal, Israeli energy companies said.

India and Nepal have officially opened South Asia’s first cross-border oil pipeline, a project seen as part of New Delhi’s efforts to increase its influence in the Himalayan nation where China is also making deep inroads.

Brazilian state-run oil firm Petrobras said thefts from its pipelines soared to a record high 261 incidents in the states of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo last year, up from just one case in 2014, according to a securities filing and a Reuters report.

China’s natural gas consumption growth rate is expected slow to around 10 percent in 2019, from 17.5 percent last year, amid easing economic growth and pressure on the country’s production, storage and gas sales network, a government report showed.

Occidental Petroleum Corp said it failed to draw an attractive offer for Western Midstream while pipeline stocks are in the doldrums and has decided to wait until next year before trying again to sell the business.

A jury returned a verdict in favor of Weldbend and Boltex on all counts in a lawsuit filed by the American carbon steel flange manufacturers against Spain’s Ulma Forja and its U.S. subsidiary, Ulma Piping.

Two people accused of damaging valves and setting fire to construction equipment along an oil pipeline that crosses Iowa and three other states have been indicted on federal charges in the case, federal prosecutors said.

Tellurian Inc has signed a $2.5 billion investment deal with India’s Petronet for its Driftwood LNG project, making it one of the largest foreign investments in a U.S. infrastructure project.

Kinder Morgan has started production of LNG production from the first plant of its new Elba Island export facility, following regulatory approval.

Record investments of $50 billion have turned 2019 into a banner year for LNG, with Canada and the United States being the main drivers, the chief of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said.

Years after receiving congressional directives to change pipeline safety laws – with similar suggestions coming from the National Transportation Safety Administration – the federal pipeline safety agency finally issued two major rules, one directed at interstate gas pipelines the other at hazardous liquids pipelines.

The Environmental Protection Agency wants to relieve the gas transmission industry from compliance with 2012 and 2016 Clean Air Act standards related to volatile organic chemicals (VOC) and greenhouse gases, chiefly methane.

Blue Mountain Midstream’s Wildcat subsidiaries launched an open season for new crude oil and water gathering systems and services in central Oklahoma.

Netherlands-based Royal Boskalis Westminster has been awarded a contract valued at $162 million (145 million euros) for seabed intervention and shore-crossing activities for the proposed Scarborough export gas pipeline in northwestern Australia.

The second leg of the TurkStream gas pipeline is planned to go through Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said, as Moscow prepares to phase out gas transit to Europe via Ukraine.

Niger began construction on a $7 billion oil pipeline that will reach the coast through West African neighbor Benin. The 1,232-mile (1,982-km) pipeline is Niger’s most important project since gaining independence.

A permit allowing Dominion Energy to build the Atlantic Coast natural gas pipeline from West Virginia to North Carolina has been vacated by an appeals court.

A major natural gas pipeline between Texas and the Mexican Gulf Coast port of Tuxpan that was at the heart of a dispute between Mexico’s government and infrastructure firms begins operations, the companies behind it said.

Iran is building a $1.8 billion oil pipeline to its port of Jask outside the mouth of the Gulf, the country’s oil minister said, as part of plans to protect its exports against potential problems in the region and to boost shipments of Caspian oil.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has given its final approval for the construction of Tallgrass Energy’s Cheyenne Connector pipeline, which will transport natural gas from Colorado’s DJ Basin to Cheyenne, Wyo., for Midwest delivery via the company’s Rockies Express Pipeline.

Kinder Morgan’s 2 Bcf/d Gulf Coast Express Pipeline (GCX) began full commercial in-service ahead of schedule helping relieve natural gas takeaway constraints and reduce flaring in the Permian Basin.

Bulgaria’s state gas company signed a $1.2 billion (1.1 billion euro) contract with Saudi-led group Arkad to build a gas pipeline to carry mainly Russian natural gas.

Allseas installed WFS Technologies’ new Seatooth Pipelogger for the real-time measurement of process temperature on a subsea pipeline system. The pipeline system is designed to have a total gas throughput capacity of 31.5 Bcm per year.

United Electric Controls offers a wireless gas detector that can reduce the cost of added leak-monitoring points by more than 50%. The Vanguard detector communicates using WirelessHART technology, which is currently the industry’s dominant non-proprietary wireless communication protocol. Vanguard’s ..

Novarc Technologies offers the Spool Welding Robot (SWR), a collaborative welding robot that increases productivity on the shop floor and reduces costs for the pipe shop while significantly improving the weld quality. It is capable of storing and quickly recounting weld data and videos for accurate ..

Dräger released its X-pid 8500 portable gas measurement device to the U.S. market. The gas chromatography-photoionization detector (GC-PID) allows selective measurement analysis of pre-determined compounds, such as benzene and butadiene, providing results in as little as 30 seconds. The device allow..

Intertec Instrumentation launched a range of tough field enclosures for housing remote I/O and other control and instrumentation electronics, featuring compact passive cooling to dramatically reduce costs of ownership. The enclosures help eliminate the need for large satellite instrument houses or r..

Jet-Vac Technologies offers shell and tube type heat exchangers and condensers, along with barometric devices. Both types are used to reduce condensable components from the process stream. These systems range from 4-inch to 60-inch diameters. The parts are manufactured in carbon steel, 300 Series gr..

Avanti International added the AV-500 Epoxy line to its portfolio of injection solutions used to stabilize soils and rock, restore structural integrity and stop leaks. Additionally, the AV-502 Series formula developed for structural concrete repair by crack injection, gravity feed or patching. It ca..

Exact Tools launched its latest portable pipe-cutting innovations for the Pro Series 280 and 360 models. Standard features include a 2,500-watt, 230-volt motor that can cut pipe wall thicknesses of 20 mm in steel and up to 50 mm in plastic. 110-120 volt versions are also available with a 2,200-watt ..

In this Executive Q&A, Joel Bailer, vice president of Construction at Duluth, Minn.-based United Piping Inc, reflects on his career and discusses management of unplanned pipeline outages.

Today, more than ever, oil and gas pipeline companies are depending on engineering, environmental, and field-service firms to help design and maintain their systems while keeping them in compliance with increasingly strict regulations. Operators want to partner with the best companies. Pipeline & Gas Journal’s Engineering Services Guide highlights services to owners/operators from around the world.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced that vice president of Human Resources, Mary King, will also serve as the company’s chief diversity officer, overseeing the company’s diversity and inclusion efforts.

Matador Resources appointed Monika U. Ehrman to its Board of Directors.

Columbia Gas of Kentucky named Kimra H. Cole as its president and chief operating officer, replacing the retiring Herbert A. Miller Jr. Cole has served in various leadership roles in marketing, engineering and operations during her 22 years with Columbia Gas of Kentucky and NiSource. She also served..

Prumo Logística announced that José Firmo was named CEO of Porto do Açu Operações, the Prumo subsidiary that operates and manages the Port of Açu, in São João da Barra...

International energy consultancy Xodus Group appointed Stephen Rivers as Subsea & Pipelines manager for Asia-Pacific as the company targets strategic growth and new projects in the region. His past roles have included engineering director for Peritus International Pty Ltd and senior vice president f..

Tierra Energy of Calgary appointed Tony Berthelet as chief operating officer. Berthelet was the president and CEO of Strategic Oil and Gas Ltd...

Venturo named Brant Steele as sales territory manager in the Southeast United States. In his new role, Steele will serve crane customers across the region. ..

Energy recruitment firm MDE Group of Norway announced it will consolidate its position in the North Sea through the opening of an Aberdeen office and the appointment of Zander Thornton as its first regional manager in Scotland. Thornton, a specialist in technical recruitment and energy business deve..

Gulfstream Services International (GSI), an offshore equipment and engineered solutions provider, also has announced its continued growth with a move into new Aberdeen headquarters. The firm expanded into an 8,000-square-foot workshop with a team of 15, where it will manufacture and deliver edge equ..

The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) announced Nichole Francis Reynolds joined the association’s leadership team as vice president of Government and Public Affairs.

GTI announced it has a new virtual reality training module available for use by natural gas leak emergency first responders.  The module is designed to help prepare utility personnel be more effective and efficient with identifying and responding to hazardous conditions. ..

Former Pipeline & Gas Journal editor Maretta Faye Tubb, commonly known as Rita, died Sept. 27 at age 80. Tubb spent 21 years on the staff at P&GJ in the roles of managing editor and executive editor before retiring in 2016. She previously was on the editorial staff of McGraw Hill, where she helped ..

Oil and gas businessman Alfred John “Jack” Maki, 74, died at his home in Houston surrounded by his family after an illness. Maki’s career spanned over 50 years with stints working as a corrosion coating engineer and selling coating for pipelines.  Maki was born in Brockton, Mass. to Alfred and Marg..