Natural Gas

Canadian Oil, Gas Producers Plan to Drill 8% More Wells in 2024, Riding Pipeline Expansion Wave

Canadian oil and gas producers will drill 8% more wells in 2024 to take advantage of greater access to pipelines, with the Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion due to open, an industry group said in an annual forecast on Friday.

BASF Shares Rise on Report of ADNOC Exploring Wintershall Dea Deal

Shares in chemicals giant BASF rose on Friday after a report that Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) is exploring an acquisition of the German group's energy business Wintershall Dea.

INGAA Releases Key Initiatives Product to Boost Safety with Voluntary Efforts

(P&GJ) — The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) and its member companies have released their “Integrity Management – Continuous Improvement (IMCI) 2.0” program work products. The IMCI program is a series of voluntary initiatives to bolster the industry’s safety efforts.

Santos Forecasts Lower 2024 Output as Bayu-Undan Gas Field Nears End of Life

Australia's Santos forecast a fall in 2024 output on Wednesday, as its Bayu-Undan gas field's life comes to an end and production from the West Australian offshore field declines.

Eni to Invest $10 Billion in Ivory Coast's Baleine Field for Oil and Gas Development

The Baleine field, where certified reserves are estimated at 2.5 billion barrels of oil and 3.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, was discovered in 2021 by the Italian energy group off the east coast of the West African country.

CEZ Books 2 Bcm Capacity at German LNG Terminal

Czech majority state-owned utility CEZ has agreed to book 2 billion cubic meters (Bcm) of annual capacity at the Stade LNG terminal in Germany from 2027, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Thursday.

Balticconnector Gas Pipeline to Expand Transmission Capacity Post-Repair

The Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, which was damaged last month, will get a bigger northbound transmission capacity next year following repairs, Finnish operator Gasgrid said in a statement on Wednesday.

Ecopetrol Considers Gas Imports from Venezuela's PDVSA for December 2024

Colombia's majority state-owned oil company Ecopetrol is exploring an offer from Venezuela's PDVSA to supply the Andean country with gas from December 2024, it said on Tuesday.

Nigeria, Germany Sign Gas Export Agreement

A gas export partnership deal was reached between Riverside LNG of Nigeria and Germany's Johannes Schuetze Energy Import AG. Under the agreement, Nigeria will annually supply 850,000 tons of natural gas to Germany, with expectations for this to rise to 1.2 million. The initial deliveries are scheduled for 2026.

Turkey Extends LNG Deal with Algeria for Three Years

Turkish state energy company Botas has signed a deal with Algerian state oil and gas company Sonatrach to extend their existing gas supply contract for three years, Turkey's energy minister said on Tuesday.

Capital Power Acquires Two Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants in US for $1.1 Billion

Canadian energy company Capital Power said on Monday it was acquiring two U.S.-based natural gas-fired generation facilities in California and Arizona for a net cost of $1.1 billion.

TC Energy Receives FERC Approval for Virginia Reliability Project

Columbia Gas Transmission’s Virginia Reliability Project (VRP) is an expansion project that would replace two existing segments of the pipeline system to continue reliable and abundant natural gas supply.

Venezuela Close to Approving Offshore Gas License with Trinidad, Shell

Venezuela is close to approving a license for Shell and the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago to develop a promising offshore natural gas field and export its production to the Caribbean country, two people close to the matter said.

ConocoPhillips' $8 Billion Willow Project Approvals Upheld by US Judge

A federal judge in Alaska upheld U.S. approvals for ConocoPhillips’ multibillion-dollar Willow oil and gas drilling project in the state’s Arctic on Nov. 9, rejecting environmental and indigenous groups' concerns that the project poses too large of a climate threat.

Japan's Okinawa Electric Plans to Trial Using Hydrogen at Gas-Fired Power Plant

Japan's Okinawa Electric Power plans to start co-firing hydrogen on a trial basis at a commercial gas-fired power plant from March in a bid to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, its president said on Friday.

Illinois Regulators Slash Gas Utility Rate Hikes and Halt Controversial Pipe-Replacement Program

(P&GJ) — In a sweeping rebuff of four different utilities, Illinois regulators have sharply curtailed record rate hikes proposed for more than 4 million gas customers across the state, while also blocking most spending on a controversial pipe-replacement program that has fueled a heating affordability crisis for consumers in recent years.

EU Sues Poland Over Restrictions in Cross-Border Trade of Natural Gas

The European Commission on Thursday said it is suing Poland over measures imposing additional costs in cross-border trade of natural gas.

Russian Pipeline Gas Exports to Europe Drop 6.7% in November

Average daily natural gas supplies to Europe by Russian energy giant Gazprom were down 6.7% in the first half of November from their October levels, Reuters calculations show.

Texas Regulator Assesses Over $1 Million in Fines for Oil, Gas Operators

(P&GJ) — The Railroad Commission of Texas assessed $1,063,647 in fines involving 342 enforcement dockets against operators and businesses at the Commissioners’ Conference on Nov. 15.

Russian Pipelines Facing Significant Pressure from Tightening Sanctions

(P&GJ) — The Russian pipelines’ sector is experiencing serious pressure amid ever tightening sanctions and the ever-growing isolation of the country in the international arena. Historically, pipelines have been a strategic asset in Russia, with the largest volume of cargo coming in the form of crude oil and natural gas.

Biden Wants to Count Emissions Downstream of Pipeline Projects

(P&GJ) — The Biden administration announced its latest effort to throw a wrench in pipeline construction. The Biden Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) wants to roll back Trump administration pro-pipeline changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Editor’s Notebook: It Could Have Been Worse, Revisited

(P&GJ) — With its approval of the Willow Project on the North Slope Alaska early this year, along with its continued of drilling permits on federal lands, the Biden administration has begun to show at least some desire to play ball where oil projects are involved, much to the chagrin of the anti-fossil fuel forces.

North Dakota Natural Gas Output Hits Record High in September, Flaring Edges Up

Natural gas production in North Dakota rose to a record 3.440 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in September from an all-time high of 3.313 Bcf/d hit in August, while gas flaring also edged up.

Serbia Signs Gas Supply Deal with Azerbaijan

Serbia signed a deal with Azerbaijan to purchase 400 million cubic meters of natural gas per year from 2024, Azerbaijan's energy ministry said on Tuesday.

Aussie Court Halts Santos' Barossa Pipeline Near Tiwi Islands

Santos was told by a court on Wednesday to halt its pipeline project around 70 kilometers (43 miles) north of the Tiwi Islands pending a final ruling, although it was allowed to begin laying gas pipelines for a section of its $3.6 billion Barossa gas project.

M6 System Expansion Nears Completion, Set to Enhance Gulf Coast Connectivity

(P&GJ) — A critical aspect of the M6 system expansion is the completion of the New Generation Gas Gathering (NG3) project, expected in 2024. This project will add approximately 275 miles of natural gas gathering pipelines and 2.2 Bcf/day of capacity to premium Gulf Coast and LNG markets, playing a pivotal role in serving the Gulf Coast market.

TotalEnergies CEO Predicts Continued Gas Market Volatility Until New Supply Emerges

The CEO of French energy giant TotalEnergies said on Tuesday that the LNG market will continue to experience volatility until new supply is available, but prices are reasonable compared to 2022.

Chevron Resumes Natural Gas Supply from Israel's Tamar Offshore Field

Chevron said on Monday it had resumed the supply of natural gas from the offshore Tamar field, a month after it was told by Israel to halt operations due to violence in the region.

US Needs More Pipeline Capacity for Reliable Gas Supply, INGAA Says

The U.S. needs more natural gas pipeline capacity to maintain reliable gas supply during extreme cold weather, a trade group representing pipeline companies said on Monday in support of regulators who last week urged sought new rules to prevent a repetition of last winter's power outages.

Mach Natural Resources to Buy Anadarko Basin Assets for $815 Million

Mach Natural Resources said on Monday said it will buy certain oil and gas assets in the Anadarko Basin in Oklahoma from privately-held Paloma Partners for $815 million in cash.