Business & Markets

Petrobras Sells Pipeline Unit to Engie for $8.6 billion

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 on Friday, as the company's biggest divestment draws to a close.

Tellurian Announces Binding Open Season for the Permian Global Access Pipeline

Tellurian announced today that its subsidiary Permian Global Access Pipeline is conducting a binding open season to secure prospective shippers for its proposed PGAP project.

Sunoco Settles Mariner East 1 Case with Pennsylvania PUC

Energy Transfer's Sunoco Pipeline subsidiary has reached a $200,000 settlement agreement with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) over an 840-gallon ethane and propane leak from Mariner East 1 pipeline in 2017.

Hastings Announces Sale of Cactus Fuel

Hastings Equity Partners, a private equity firm focused on investing in lower, middle-market energy and industrial services businesses, is pleased to announce the sale of assets of Cactus Fuel, LLC to Pilot Thomas Logistics, LLC.

New Pipelines Drain West Texas Crude Stocks to 4-Month Low

Crude inventories in West Texas dropped in February to the lowest in four months after a converted pipeline began transporting crude from the nation’s biggest shale oil field to the U.S. Gulf Coast, according to data from Genscape.

Lebanon Warns Against Using Disputed Territory for East Med Pipeline

Lebanon warned its Mediterranean neighbors in March that a planned East Med gas pipeline from Israel to the European Union must not be allowed to violate its maritime borders.

China Plans State Pipeline Company to Spur E&P

China is expected to introduce a plan this year to combine the long-distance pipeline assets of its state-owned energy companies into a single, national oil and gas pipeline group and open access to private and foreign energy producers.

West Coast Perched at Forefront of Natural Gas Movement

Gas, widely seen as a transition fuel, provides 45% of California’s power, augmented by sustainable large-scale hydro (17.89%) and wind and solar. Indeed, California is one of only three U.S. states in which solar exceeds 10% of power generation. As of 2017 coal accounted for only 4.1% of California’s power, compared to 30% nationally and it will be zero by 2026.

Operational Intelligence Needed in Preparing for Oil and Gas Upswing

In the oil and gas industry, pressure can ramp up twofold during peak times and companies must figure out how to maximize extraction to optimize return.

Growing Offshore Activity Creates Infrastructure Demand

Growing offshore exploration and production activity at locations around the globe is creating stronger demand for construction of pipelines and subsea infrastructure.

Optimism Abounds for M&A in the Gulf of Mexico

A comeback is expected for M&A activity in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The combination of substantial inventory on the block, potential proof-of-concept developments on the horizon and continued focus by many players in the region on divesting of non-core properties, may set the stage for heightened deal flow in the region, assuming commodity prices continue to cooperate.

Future of US Offshore Sector

One of the early lessons of the new year that revealed itself in the first few weeks of January is there is a renewed bullishness in the offshore oil and natural gas potential for the Gulf of Mexico.

Trump to Sign Order Seeking to Clear Gas Pipeline Hurdles: Kudlow

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said the Trump administration would soon issue an executive order that will open the door for more natural gas pipelines and exports of LNG. The administration has been considering an order that would push back against states, including New York, that have blocked interstate natural gas pipelines.

Greece's DEPA to Become First Gas Supplier to Bulgaria Outside Gazprom

Bulgaria's Bulgargaz has 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.

EagleClaw Midstream to Proceed with Delaware Link Pipeline

EagleClaw Midstream said Wednesday it has made a final investment decision to proceed with construction of the Delaware Link pipeline, a new pipeline designed to transport residue natural gas from the Delaware Basin in West Texas to the Waha hub.

Noble Energy Sanctions the Alen Gas Project with Startup Planned in the First Half of 2021

Noble Energy, Inc. announced today that the Company has approved the Alen natural gas development offshore Equatorial Guinea (EG).

NextDecade and Shell Execute 2 MTPA, 20-Year LNG Sale and Purchase Agreement

NextDecade Corporation (“NextDecade”) announced at the LNG2019 conference in Shanghai, a 20-year sale and purchase agreement (“SPA”) with Shell for the supply of two MTPA of LNG from NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG export project in Brownsville, Texas.

Mass. Budgets Statewide Review of Natural Gas Systems

Gov. Charlie Baker has signed a spending bill that funds a statewide examination of Massachusetts’ natural gas distribution system. The review was ordered after the Sept. 13 gas explosions that killed one person, injured 25 others and damaged or destroyed dozens of buildings in the Merrimack Valley.

Trump Signs New Permission for Keystone XL Pipeline

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday signed a new permission for TransCanada Corp to build the long-delayed Keystone pipeline for imports of Canadian oil, replacing his previous permits in a fresh attempt to get around the blocking of the $8 billion project by a court in Montana.

Denmark Asks Nord Stream 2 to Assess Third Route Option for Gas Pipeline

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.

NextDecade to Make Major Announcement at LNG2019

NextDecade Corporation (NextDecade) will make a major announcement related to its Rio Grande LNG project at LNG2019 in Shanghai, China. The announcement will take place on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 11:00 a.m.

UK Oil and Gas Authority Releases Data on Over 3,000 Pipelines

Earlier this week, the UK Oil and Gas National Data Repository (NDR) was launched with over 130 terabytes of data covering thousands of pipelines, offshore wellbores, and seismic surveys going back more than 50 years. This is believed to be one of the largest ever single open releases of data in the industry.

Additional Pipeline Takeaway Capacity Increased Permian Crude Price

Crude oil prices in the Permian region have increased since the beginning of the year as two recent pipeline capacity additions reduced some of the takeaway constraints that developed in the middle of 2018. These transportation constraints had forced producers to use more expensive ways to transport crude oil, resulting in lower received prices.

No-Deal Brexit Won't Disrupt UK Gas Flows from Europe: National Grid

Britain's National Grid said electricity and gas flows from continental Europe would continue as normal even under a no-deal Brexit.

U.S. Shale Boom Drawing Big Oil Back to Permian Pushing Out Independents

Major oil companies are pouring money and resources back into the Permian after new shale discoveries and improvements in technology will enable the U.S. to quickly become the world's second largest oil producer behind only Saudi Arabia.

US Court Stays Ruling Against Dominion Atlantic Coast Pipeline

US Court Stays Ruling Against Dominion Atlantic Coast Pipeline   A U.S. appeals court has stayed a previous court decision against Forest Service permits that allowed Dominion Energy Inc to build the $7 billion Atlantic Coast natural gas pipeline across national forests and the Appalachian Trail.  ..

Project Delays Sink Oil Sands Output in 2019

Canadian Oil Sands production in 2019 will be almost 230,000 b/d lower than last year, according to ESAI Energy’s recently published North America Watch.

Surging LNG Imports Drive Down British Wholesale Gas Prices

Britain's imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for March are at their highest levels since October 2015, helping British wholesale gas prices slide to a more than 18-month low.

Petrobras Looking at $10 Billion in Divestments, Including Pipeline Unit

Roberto Castello Branco, the chief executive of Brazil’s Petroleo Brasileiro SA, said he believes the company will divest $10 billion in assets in the first four months of 2019, aided by the sale of a major pipeline unit.

Boost Productivity During Power System Upgrades

Oil and gas plant resources around the globe are feeling the pain of relying on aging power-distribution systems. Using intelligent packaged power can help reduce risk and costs, while unleashing information for performance improvements.