Business & Markets

Evacuation Ordered Near Chevron Gas Storage Fire

A fire that ignited in an underground natural gas storage area in the San Francisco Bay Area prompted the evacuation of thousands of residents, as Chevron emergency crews worked Thursday to purge gas from a pipeline and prevent an explosion, officials said.

Crimson Midstream, MPLX Launch Open Season for Swordfish Pipeline

Crimson Midstream and MPLX have commenced a binding open season to assess interest and solicit commitments from prospective shippers for transportation service on the Swordfish Pipeline project in Louisiana.

Poland Signs Long-Term Import Deal for Louisiana LNG

Poland's main gas company says it has signed a long-term contract for the purchase of some 40 million tons of liquefied natural gas from a U.S.-based producer in the first such deal in Central and Eastern Europe.

Firefighters Sue SoCal Gas over Aliso Canyon Leak

Firefighters who worked in and around the site of a massive natural gas leak have sued Southern California Gas Co., alleging the utility knowingly let them be exposed to dangerous levels of toxic chemicals.

Tallgrass, Silver Creek Expand Powder River Venture

Tallgrass Energy and Silver Creek Midstream have agreed to expand their Powder River Basin joint venture to transport crude oil production from the Powder River Basin to Guernsey, Wyoming.

West Texas Pipeline to Resume on Schedule after Spill

Energy Transfer Partners said a West Texas pipeline will resume operations on Saturday as planned after it spilled water with nontoxic green dye and residual crude oil near Abilene.

Canada Pipeline Blast Risks Washington Natural Gas Shortage

A pipeline explosion in British Columbia risks cutting off the flow of Canadian natural gas to Washington State, and companies are urging customers to conserve.

Marcellus Producers Lock 100% of Planned Transco Expansion

Demonstrating pent-up takeaway demand for Marcellus Basin natural gas production, Williams' Transco secured binding 15-year commitments for 100% of capacity on its newly proposed Leidy South expansion project

FERC Approves Atlantic Sunrise for Full Service; Williams Plans Oct. 6 Start

FERC has approved Williams' request to place its Atlantic Sunrise project into full service, and the company plans to start service this weekend.

Salt Creek, Noble Midstream to Partner on Delaware Basin Project

Salt Creek Midstream and Noble Midstream Partners have agreed to form a joint venture to build a new 200,000 bbl/d crude oil pipeline and gathering system in the Delaware Basin in West Texas.

Harvest Midstream Acquires Four Corners Assets from Williams

Hilcorp Energy's Harvest Midstream Company has completed its $1.1 billion acquisition of Four Corners area assets from Williams.

Sulzer Installs 15 Pump Skids for Pipeline Conversion Project

The objective of this project was to convert an existing gas pipeline into a crude oil pipeline with a pumping capacity of 320,000 bpd of light crude, a task that would demand considerable expertise.

Leak Detection Challenges on Crude Gathering, Produced Water Networks

A review of the four main leak detection methods and their abilities to overcome the unique challenges of crude oil gathering networks and produced water pipelines.

Stopping Corrosion Under Insulation in Global Oil and Gas Facilities

Corrosion under insulation (CUI) is the root cause of many of the global petrochemical industry’s most serious problems including forced shutdowns, lost production, early repair and replacement, as well as safety and environmental consequences that can cost millions of dollars per incident.

A Look at Government’s Role in Pipeline Safety, Maintenance

As existing U.S. pipeline infrastructure ages and new projects face increased public scrutiny, it’s important that measures are in place to ensure safe operations. Here's an overview of the role government plays in making pipelines the safest way to annually transport 16.2 billion barrels of liquid products and over 25 Tcf of natural gas.

Drones: Flights of Fancy or Future of the Energy Industry?

As wildfires again ravaged much of California and other western states, energy industry responders could hardly imagine how their counterparts dealt with similar disasters just a few years ago without drones.

Energy Outlook in Northeast US

Despite a decline in energy-intensive industries, New England and the Mid-Atlantic States remain the leading market for power in the United States. Growing shale gas production has encouraging a shift from coal.

Canadian Pension Fund Takes 50% Stake in BridgeTex Pipeline

Plains All American and Magellan Midstream have become minority owners of BridgeTex Pipeline after completing the sale of a 50% stake to OMERS, the defined benefit pension plan for municipal employees in Ontario, Canada, and its infrastructure investment manager.

Open Season Starts for Eagle Ford Segment of Gray Oak

Phillips 66 Partners said its Gray Oak Pipeline subsidiary will commence open season today for the Eagle Ford segment of the crude oil pipeline. Interested shippers will have the opportunity to secure long-term crude oil transportation on the Gray Oak Pipeline from the Helena Hub and Three Rivers..

Pipeline Deal Brings Export of Israeli Gas to Egypt Within Sight

Companies operating in both Israel and Egypt will invest in the EMG pipeline to enable a landmark $15 billion natural gas export deal to begin next year.

Enbridge: Petitions Against Approved Line 3 'Expected'

Line 3 pipeline opponents have petitioned Minnesota to reverse its approval of the replacement project, which Enbridge described as an expected step in the process.

ETP Alleges 'Malicious Criminal Conduct' by Greenpeace

The company that built the Dakota Access oil pipeline says environmental group Greenpeace should be held legally accountable for violating federal racketeering laws.

Progressing Cavity Pumps Prove Cost-Effective for Multiphase

Multiphase fluids in traditional field developments will typically free flow to gathering stations, through surface lines pushed by the natural formation pressure. However, heavy oil and extra heavy oil pose particular challenges for flow through pipelines because the increased viscosities result in high friction losses.

PSE&G’s Record Gas Main Project Demonstrates Growing Role of CIPL

When PSE&G identified numerous joint leaks in an aging cast-iron gas main, the Newark-based utility faced the additional challenge of a crowded and complex substructure. Its permanent renewal of the 36-inch main using trenchless methods and a cured-in-place liner set a new world record.

Permian Gas Prices Fall as Production Continues to Grow

As Permian Basin oil production grows, producers must find outlets for the associated natural gas. Once pipeline capacity is fully used, choices are limited. The widening price differential between Waha and Henry Hub indicates pipeline capacity is already somewhat constrained.

Siemens Passes 100th Reciprocating Compressor Order from Permian Customer

With this latest order for 11 HOS compressors, the Permian Basin customer has ordered a total of 106 high-speed reciprocating compressors from Dresser-Rand business Siemens since 2012.

Permian, We Have a Gas Problem

Permian gas prices will remain weak for the next few years despite nearly 2 Bcf/d of additional pipeline capacity coming online by 2020. This is because the Permian, predominantly a shale oil play, has large quantities of associated gas production.

Norwegian Driller's Subsea Robotics Include Pipe-Handling Systems

A family of robots is undertaking subsea tasks of automated drilling. Its primary piece of equipment is a “drill floor” heavy-duty, six-axis robot with a load capacity of 1,500 kg.

Leak Detection Going to the Dogs

Dogs can perform a multitude of services including protection, therapy, rescue, and tracking to name a few. They can be trained to detect virtually anything, including pipeline leaks.

Pipe Pressure Before Explosions was 12 Times too High

The pressure in natural gas pipelines prior to a series of explosions and fires in Massachusetts last week was 12 times higher than it should have been, according to a letter from the state's U.S. senators to executives of the utility in charge of the pipelines.