Community & Environment
Supreme Court Approves Completion of 303-Mile Mountain Valley Gas Pipeline
The justices granted Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC's request to lift stays imposed by a lower court that had halted construction of a final short section of the 303-mile (488-km) natural gas pipeline. That section is a 3.5-mile (5.6-km) corridor through the federally owned Jefferson National Forest.
TC Energy's Columbia Gas Pipeline Explodes Near Virginia's Interstate 81
(P&GJ) — A gas line explosion occurred near Strasburg, Virginia, in rural western Virginia, not far from Interstate 81. The incident took place on Tuesday morning and was promptly responded to by local officials, according to The Associated Press.
Canada Releases Framework to Phase Out Inefficient Fossil Fuel Subsidies
Climate policy analysts said the framework was an important step forward but fell short in continuing to allow government support for oil and gas projects that plan to reduce emissions through technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS).
US to Spend $700 Million for Oil and Gas Sector to Cut Methane Emissions
The U.S. government will provide up to $700 million in funding to monitor and reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, setting aside half of the amount for grants to states, two agencies said on Monday.
Natural Gas Pipeline at Risk as Wildfire Sweeps Through Washington County
The Newell Road Wildfire has already destroyed several structures in the area and is threatening homes, farms, crops and livestock, solar and wind farms and a natural gas pipeline, county emergency officials said.
Guest Perspective: EJ and Civil Rights in U.S. Construction Projects
(P&GJ) — Since taking office two years ago, the Biden Administration has emphasized efforts to incorporate environmental justice considerations into federal agency permitting, funding and financial support decision-making.
Editor’s Notebook: Alaska’s Long Road Back
(P&GJ) — With the Biden administration’s recent approval of exports from a proposed LNG project and the rejection of a lawsuit challenging construction of related infrastructure, prospects may again be looking up again for the Final Frontier.
World’s Top LNG Players Push for More, But Greener, Gas Investments
Current investments in gas infrastructure are falling short of what is needed, officials at an industry conference in Japan said on Wednesday, citing the role they say the fuel has to play in both global energy security and the transition to net zero.
Riyadh, Tokyo to Cooperate on Energy Security, Hydrogen and Ammonia
Saudi Arabia said on Sunday it remains committed to securing oil supplies for Japan and will continue cooperating with Tokyo on clean hydrogen, ammonia, and recycled carbon fuels.
Exxon Expands Carbon Pipeline Network with $4.9 Billion Denbury Deal
Exxon Mobil Corp. on Thursday agreed to buy Denbury Inc. for $4.9 billion, acquiring a company with a substantial carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration operation that could accelerate its nascent energy transition business.
Gas Operator DESFA Looking to Build 336-Mile Hydrogen Pipeline for $1.12 Billion
DESFA said that the 540-km (336-mile) pipeline will be part of a European corridor connecting regions with high potential for hydrogen production with central Europe and southern Germany, where significant demand is expected by 2030.
TC Energy Urges Canada to Speed Permits for Energy Transition Projects
TC Energy has more than 20,000 kilometers (14,300 miles) of pipeline in western Canada that could be repurposed to carry carbon dioxide for sequestration underground or transport low-emissions hydrogen, CEO Francois Poirier said.
CPC Adopts New Regulations on Tanker Loadings in Its Marine Terminal
Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) said it has adopted new regulations allowing it to reduce the loading speeds of oil tankers in its marine terminal at times of changing weather conditions to minimize air pollution.
Ohio's Columbiana County Evacuates 450 After Gas Leak at Hilcorp Energy Well
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said on Tuesday that more than 450 people have been evacuated from areas within a mile of a natural gas well in Columbiana County while state authorities responded to a gas leak there.
Canada Regulator Issues Order to Trans Mountain Over Community Impact Monitoring
The Canada Energy Regulator issued an "Inspection Office Order" to Trans Mountain for not adhering to an approved plan to monitor the impact of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project on local communities during construction.
Jobs in US Energy Grew 3.8% in 2022, Led by Work in Clean Energy
Jobs in the U.S. energy industry rose 3.8% last year, faster than overall employment growth and led by work in clean energy, the Department of Energy said on Wednesday.
MVP Pipeline Foes Say Congress Can't 'Mandate Victory' for the Project
A provision of the U.S. debt ceiling bill that streamlined the federal approval process for the $6.6 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline and limited court reviews of challenges to the project violates the U.S. Constitution’s separation of powers doctrine, opponents of the pipeline have claimed.
TotalEnergies Faces Second Lawsuit Over Uganda Oil Projects
The French and Ugandan groups, led by Friends of the Earth France, accuse the energy company of failing to protect people and the environment from its Tilenga oil development and the $3.5 billion East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).
Useful Considerations for CO2, Hydrogen Pipeline Operators
(P&GJ) — When a pipeline operator becomes a “common carrier” under Texas law, it is granted the power of eminent domain over private property for public use. Texas law provides two independent sources for common carrier status: Texas Natural Resources Code Section 111 and Texas Business Organizations Code Section 2.105. Common carrier status is critical to pipeline projects in Texas, especially when easements are difficult to obtain.
Adapting ROW Strategies to Sustainability, Public Perception
(P&GJ) — Pipeline infrastructure and operations raise two common concerns among landowners and other public entities: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and ecosystem disturbance.
TC Energy Shuts Two Compressor Stations on NGTL Due to Alberta Wildfires
TC Energy said it completed the shutdown of two compressor stations on the NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. (NGTL) System and a gas storage facility on Saturday that were near wildfires in Edson, Alberta.
NET Power, Rice Acquisition Merge to Accelerate Clean Natural Gas Power Generation
(P&GJ) — Occidental's president and CEO, Vicki Hollub, expressed confidence in NET Power's transformative technology, stating that it aligns with Occidental's net-zero ambitions by delivering nearly emissions-free power to their Permian Basin operations and upcoming direct air capture sites.
LNG Developer Venture Global Spars with Customers Over Cargoes
Venture Global LNG, which is building three multibillion-dollar U.S. LNG processing plants, is sparring with two customers of its first project over mechanical failures that have prevented commercial deliveries a year after initial shipments began.
Exxon Mobil Signs Carbon Capture and Storage Deal with Nucor
(P&GJ) — Exxon Mobil will capture up to 800,000 metric tons per year of CO2 from the DRI plant and store the CO2 at an Exxon Mobil-owned facility in Louisiana.
Global Energy Infrastructure Launches Carbon Capture Storage Projects Database
(P&GJ) — Addressing the challenges of climate change requires innovative solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology has emerged as a promising approach to mitigate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from energy-intensive industries and power generation.
Mexico Energy Regulator Gives Natural Gas 'Clean' Label, Drawing Criticism
A move by Mexico's energy regulator to declare some natural gas-fired power as "clean" drew criticism from environmental groups that say the change will not help the country reach its clean energy targets.
US Offers Oil, Gas Drilling Rights in First Auction Since Biden's IRA
Biden's Interior Department had attempted to suspend federal oil and gas leasing to study its environmental and climate impacts, but the Inflation Reduction Act that passed last year requires some oil and gas auctions if federal rights of way are offered for renewable energy projects.
Alaska LNG Project Clears Legal Challenge, Advances 800-Mile Gas Pipeline
A U.S. appeals court has rejected a lawsuit filed by environmental groups that challenged the federal approvals required for a $39 billion project aimed at transporting natural gas across Alaska, starting from the North Slope. According to a spokesperson, construction on the 800-mile pipeline and related infrastructure has not yet commenced.
Biden Administration Clears Mountain Valley Pipeline for Progress Through Jefferson National Forest
(P&GJ) — The Department of Agriculture's Forest Service issued a record of decision Monday afternoon, allowing the Mountain Valley Pipeline project to cut through a 3.5-mile stretch of the Jefferson National Forest along the West Virginia-Virginia border. The determination clears the way for the project — which is 94% complete but has been mired in a lengthy permitting process for years — to finish construction.
Democratic US Senator Manchin Says He Will Oppose All EPA Nominees
Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Manchin said on Wednesday he would oppose all nominees for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) posts until President Joe Biden's administration halts what he described as its "radical climate agenda."
- Army Corps Lists Enbridge’s Line 5 as ‘Emergency’ Project Eligible to Bypass Environmental Review
- Missouri Loses Control Over 1.5 Million-Mile Gas Pipeline Network as Feds Step In
- 1,000-Mile Pipeline Exit Plan by Hope Gas Alarms West Virginia Producers
- Greenpeace Ordered to Pay $667 Million to Energy Transfer Over Dakota Access Pipeline Protests
- Canada’s Canceled Oil Pipelines: The Projects That Didn’t Make It
- Army Corps Lists Enbridge’s Line 5 as ‘Emergency’ Project Eligible to Bypass Environmental Review
- Kinder Morgan Approves $1.4 Billion Mississippi Crossing Project to Boost Southeast Gas Supply
- India’s GAIL Eyes U.S. LNG Deals Following Trump’s Policy Shift
- TC Energy Beats Q4 Profit Estimates, Driven by Mexico Pipelines' Success
- Colonial Pipeline's Main Gasoline Artery Shut for Leak Investigation Through Friday
