Business & Markets

PRCI Report: Bridging Energy Infrastructure Opportunities with Today’s Needs

(P&GJ) — We are at a crossroads, both in the U.S. and globally, as the world works to develop new sources of energy. As the next generation of energy is becoming reality, it is critical to acknowledge the vital role that the current pipelines and associated assets will play in transporting and storing these commodities.

Analysts: US Permit Crackdown Poses New Hurdles for Proposed LNG Projects

The U.S. Department of Energy's refusal to grant export permit extensions to LNG developers that fail to meet a construction deadline poses a new hurdle for greenfield plants, analysts said on Thursday.

ONEOK to Acquire Pipeline Operator Magellan Midstream in $18.8 Billion Deal

ONEOK Inc. agreed on Sunday to buy U.S. pipeline operator Magellan Midstream Partners in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $18.8 billion including debt, bringing natural gas-focused ONEOK into transporting refined products and oil.

AGA Chair Sees Future Shaped by Education, Innovation

(P&GJ) — Suzanne Sitherwood sat down with Pipeline & Gas Journal in March – the same week she announced her upcoming retirement from Spire – to discuss her career, her outlook for the natural gas industry and her objectives as the 2023 chair of the American Gas Association (AGA).

Argentina Seeking New Vaca Muerta Pipeline Work to Move Local Gas Supply

Argentina's government will next week call for bids to reverse the flow of natural gas on a major pipeline designed to transport Vaca Muerta production to the north and center of the country, Economy Minister Sergio Massa said on Friday.

Pipeline Operator TC Energy Finishes Recovering Oil from Kansas Creek in Keystone Spill

TC Energy Corp. finished recovering oil from a rural Kansas creek where its Keystone Pipeline spilled 14,000 barrels of oil in December, the company said on Friday.

Using Resonance Technique to Test Pipeline Weld Fatigue

(P&GJ) — Steel catenary risers (SCRs) are a critical element within many offshore pipeline installations. The ability of these risers to withstand the installation and in-service loading is vital to the success of the projects in which they are used.

Tight Market for Sour Crude Oil to Squeeze US Gulf Coast Refiners

The oil-producing group's 500,000 barrel per day cut will reduce stocks of sour crudes as U.S. oil refiners ramp up purchases for summer driving season.

US Could Start Buying Oil for Reserve After June Sale, Energy Secretary Says

"That congressionally mandated sale of 26 million barrels will be completed by June, and it's at that point where we will flip the switch and then seek to purchase," Granholm told lawmakers in a hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Saudi Arabia and Netherlands Agree to Collaborate on Green Energy

Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the development of green energy and hydrogen.

Academics Come Together to Pool Hydrogen Hub Ideas

(P&GJ) — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstration encouraged a Texas consortium spearheading the development of a regional clean hydrogen hub on the U.S. Gulf Coast to submit a full application in response to a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) designated in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Record US Crude Exports, Rising Shale Output Boosts Oil Flow to Houston

Oil pipelines from the top U.S. shale field to Houston that have run half empty are filling again as rising output has absorbed most of the space on lines to the main south Texas export hub in Corpus Christi.

Republicans Ask Watchdog to Assess US Oil Reserve Management

Two Republicans on Monday asked a congressional watchdog to assess the Biden administration's management of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and audit its modernization program, saying sales from the SPR have undermined U.S. energy security.

Shell Halts Production at Prelude Floating LNG Facility

Shell has suspended production at its Prelude floating LNG facility off Western Australia due to problems with its processes, a spokeswoman said on Friday, and is working through steps to restart production at the world's largest floating LNG platform.

Honeywell Announces Tech to Turn Hydrogen, CO2 into Lower-Carbon Aviation Fuel

Honeywell International Inc. announced on Wednesday a new technology to produce lower-carbon aviation fuel from green hydrogen and carbon dioxide captured from industry, which can help cut greenhouse gas emissions from aviation, one of the hardest sectors to electrify and decarbonize.

Coal-Fired Power Fleet in US to Halve by 2050, EIA Projects

The capacity of coal-fired power plants in the United States by 2050 will decline by more than half from 2022 levels, as environmental regulations raise costs and new plants powered by natural gas and renewable energy displace the aging fleet, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Thursday.

INGAA Responds to Biden Administration Outline of Permitting Reform Priorities

(P&GJ) — "While President Biden and Secretary Granholm have both, at times, acknowledged the prolonged need for natural gas as part of the energy mix to support reliability and affordability while contributing to emissions reductions, we were disappointed to see almost no mention of natural gas or its related infrastructure in the Administration’s new Permitting Reform Priorities Fact Sheet," said Amy Andryszak, president and CEO of INGAA.

Biden's EPA Proposes Crackdown on Power Plant Carbon Emissions

The Biden administration on Thursday unveiled a sweeping plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions from the U.S. power industry, one of the biggest steps so far in its effort to decarbonize the economy to fight climate change.

Iraq Asks Turkey to Resume Northern Oil Export Pipeline

Iraq has sent an official request to Turkey to restart oil export flows through a pipeline that runs from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq to the Turkish port of Ceyhan.

Regulator: Nigeria's April Oil Production Below 1 MMbpd

Oil / Africa / E&P

Nigeria's oil production fell below 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in April, its lowest level in seven months, data from the petroleum regulator showed on Thursday, after a strike at Exxon Mobil's local units hit the country's output.

Sources: GAIL Plans $4.9 Billion Ethane Cracker in West India

GAIL (India) Ltd., the country's top gas supplier, plans to build a 400-billion rupee ($4.89 billion) ethane cracker near its LNG import plant in Western India, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said, as it seeks to meet an expected surge in demand.

White House Backs Manchin on Expediting Energy Project Permits, Calls on Congress to Pass Bill

The White House on Wednesday called on Congress to pass permitting legislation that would help speed up clean energy and fossil fuel projects, betting that the bipartisan measure may help end a standoff on the debt ceiling. The bill also calls for the completion of the $6.6 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline.

Russia's Transneft Says Druzhba Pipeline 'Attacked' Near Ukraine Border

Russia's oil pipeline operator Transneft said on Wednesday that a filling point on the Europe-bound Druzhba pipeline in a Russian region bordering Ukraine had been attacked, the TASS news agency reported, citing the company.

Focus: BP Ventures Back into Oil Frontiers to Boost Output

BP is ramping up oil exploration and drilling activity in frontier prospects as the energy giant tries to stem a decline in its oil and gas output after years of focusing on a shift to renewables to cut carbon emissions.

Texas Waha Natural Gas Prices Turn Negative on Low Spring Demand

Spot natural gas prices for Wednesday at the Waha hub in the Permian Shale in West Texas fell into negative territory as pipeline maintenance prevented some gas from leaving the basin and mild spring weather reduced demand for the fuel.

Congo in Discussions with Uganda Over Use of 898-Mile Crude Pipeline

Uganda is developing the $3.5 billion 1,445-km (898-mile) East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) that will start from oil fields in its Albertine rift basin on its western border with Congo to Tanzania's Indian Ocean seaport of Tanga.

Cleveland-Cliffs Completes Successful Blast Furnace Hydrogen Injection Trial

(P&GJ) — Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. has successfully completed a hydrogen (H2) injection trial at its Middletown Works blast furnace. This groundbreaking introduction of hydrogen gas as an iron-reducing agent in the blast furnace is the first-ever use of this carbon-friendly technology in the Americas region.

DOE Selects Crescent Midstream-Supported Project to Advance Commercial-Scale CO2 Storage

(P&GJ) — The company plans to repurpose an existing 110-mile pipeline corridor it owns and operates, positioning Crescent to become one of the first full-service midstream solutions for CCS while also reducing the initiative’s carbon footprint.

EU Joint Gas Buying Scheme Attracts Demand From 65 Firms

More than 60 companies have submitted demands to buy gas through the European Union's scheme for joint purchases, with the bloc aiming for the first deals to be signed within months.

Chile, Argentina’s YPF Ink Deal to Import Oil via Trasandino Pipeline

The contract, which is valid for 45 days, would enable the Chilean firm to buy 41,000 barrels of oil per day between May and June.