Business & Markets

Massachusetts Gas Explosions Shine Spotlight on Century-old Pipelines

Thousands of miles of natural gas pipelines in Massachusetts are leak-prone and need repair, utilities have told state regulators, highlighting aging energy infrastructure risks after explosions ripped through three towns outside of Boston this week.

Pipeline Thieves Cause Leak, Evacuation in Mexico

A gas leak caused by pipeline theft prompted neighborhood evacuations in Puebla, Mexico.

Moldova Plans Pipeline for Romanian Gas Supply

Moldova plans to construct a new pipeline after signing a $107 million gas deal with Romania to lessen its dependence on Russian gas.

California Jury Finds Plains All American Guilty in Oil Spill Trial

A California state jury found Plains All American Pipeline guilty of criminally fouling state waters or harming wildlife in a 2015 oil spill along the Pacific Coast.

Nord Stream 2 on Track Despite Sanction Risk, Operator says

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is on track to start flowing Russian gas to Germany by the end of 2019, its operator said Friday, with European investors still committed to the project despite criticism and the threat of sanctions.

FERC Allows Construction to Resume on Mountain Valley Pipeline

Construction can resume on the 300-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline following a decision by FERC on Wednesday to modify an order that halted work on the project in early August.

Fire Breaks Out at Plains All American Crude Tank

A fire broke out Tuesday morning at a Plains All American Pipeline crude storage tank east of Wichita Falls, Texas. It was limited to a single storage tank at the Wichita Falls Station, the company said, and none of its workers were missing.

Judge Rules Dakota Access Developer Can't Sue Earth First

A federal judge has dismissed a second defendant from a $1 billion racketeering lawsuit that the developer of the Dakota Access oil pipeline filed against environmental groups, leaving Greenpeace as the only remaining group facing the claim.

Commerce Dept: 6 Countries Dumped Welded Pipe in US Market

The U.S. Commerce Department said it made a preliminary determination that large-diameter welded pipe from Canada, China, Greece, India, South Korea and Turkey was being dumped in the U.S. market.

Malaysia Cancels China-backed Pipeline, Rail Projects

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Tuesday that the Chinese-funded $20 billion East Coast Rail Link project and a natural gas pipeline project in Sabah will be cancelled for now, according to media reports.

Unconventional Well Demands and EOR Drive Innovation in Subsea Sealing Technology

As the subsea industry continues to evolve to help meet the demands of oilfield operators, there is now an even greater requirement for ground-breaking sealing technology.

Preparing Pipelines for Successful In-Line Inspection

Gauge pigs provide insight into some conditions inside the pipe, but not all of them. They’re not intended to measure pipeline cleanliness or indicate if debris has built up to the point that it will impair the inspections tool’s data-gathering capabilities.

Pipeline Digs Get Assist From PMO

Performing direct assessments to verify a pipeline’s MAOP is not new, but as federal regulations become more stringent, the volume of digs will increase significantly, and operators need to keep up with the pace.

NACE President Looks to Bolster Corrosion Education

NACE International’s president for 2018, Jeffrey Didas, discusses corrosion education and other issues of importance to the organization in its 75th anniversary year.

More Skin in the Game: New Technology to Find, Fix Leaks

Technology has not only helped re-energize the natural gas sector of the global energy economy, but also led to safety advancements, such as methane-detection systems continuously monitor and alert operators to a significant leak.

Mexico Likely To Keep Making the World’s Biggest Oil Hedge

First signals from President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s staff and advisors are that the new administration will not seek to backtrack on energy reforms that allow foreign firms to win E&P contracts in Mexico.

Italian Energy Hub Seen as Key to EU Goals

European energy policy is largely determined by Brussels and implemented by individual member states, but integral to improving European energy security are joint plans to turn Italy into Southern Europe’s energy hub.

In-Line Inspection of Low-Pressure, Low-Flow Gas Pipelines

Maintaining control of an In-Line Inspection (ILI) tool’s speed is one of the most critical elements in successfully assessing the condition of a pipeline. Success is defined as receiving an intact tool at the conclusion of the inspection and acquiring data of sufficient quality to achieve the vendor’s sizing and accuracy specifications.

How the Historic Energy Reform Transformed Mexico’s Oil Fortunes

Five years ago, few would have predicted that Mexico would be capable of overhauling its oil and gas sector, much less through a downturn. Yet since the constitutional reform of 2013, Mexico has dramatically revivified its upstream sector.

Embedding Operating Procedures in Pipeline SCADA

The pipeline SCADA operator has one of the most critical jobs in the industry and should be given all the help available to keep pipelines safe and operational. To this end, more than 25 years ago, a major oil company determined that SCADA-embedded operating procedures and safety features were needed.

2018 Midyear International Update: Pipeline Construction & Market Trends

Global energy trends and forecasts entering the second half of 2018 continue to support a generally bullish outlook for oil and gas production and infrastructure construction to meet growing demand and evolving patterns of interregional trade.

Premier Sanctions North Sea Gas Development, Export Pipeline

Premier Oil said it reached a final decision with its joint venture and infrastructure partners to invest in the development of the Tolmount gas field in Britain's North Sea, including construction of a minimal facilities platform exporting gas to shore via a new gas pipeline.

Regulators Greenlight Construction of Trans Mountain Segments

Canada's energy regulator said it had given the go-ahead for the construction of a large portion of the Trans Mountain expansion project, which will nearly triple capacity on the oil pipeline from Alberta to a Vancouver area port.

Tallgrass Energy Announces Seahorse Pipeline Open Season

Tallgrass Energy announced an open season soliciting binding shipper commitments for crude oil transportation service on Seahorse Pipeline , a proposed 700-miles project with the capacity to transport up to 800,000 bpd from Cushing to the Louisiana coast.

Supplemental Open Season Launched for Medallion Expansion

Medallion Pipeline Company said it successfully closed a binding open season for a major expansion of its Permian crude oil pipeline and launched a supplemental open season for additional capacity in response to "compelling interest" by potential shippers.

FERC Approves Transco Expansion Project in New Jersey

Williams said FERC has authorized an expansion of the Transco natural gas pipeline to meet growing heating and power generation demand in the U.S. Northeast.

Australia’s APA Backs $9.5 Billion Bid from Hong Kong’s CKI

The board of Australia’s APA Group has recommended shareholders vote for a $9.45 billion (A$12.98 billion) takeover offer from a consortium led by Hong Kong’s CK Infrastructure Holdings Ltd (CKI) at a meeting in late November.

Apache, Kayne Anderson Form $3.5 Billion Permian Basin Pipeline Firm

U.S. oil producer Apache Corp is putting its West Texas pipeline assets into a joint venture with investment firm Kayne Anderson that will operate in the largest U.S. shale field, the companies announced.

Lotus Midstream to Acquire Centurion Pipeline

Crude oil logistics provider Lotus Midstream entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Centurion pipeline system and a Southeast New Mexico crude oil gathering system from Occidental Petroleum. The transaction is expected to close later in the third quarter of 2018, subject to customary closing conditions.

Plains to Bring Two Permian Pipeline Projects Online Early

Plains All American Pipeline LP said two West Texas crude oil projects would begin partial operations slightly ahead of their original schedules as bottlenecks in the region depress prices to the weakest level in four years.