Community & Environment

Tanzania Approves Construction of New 900-Mile Crude Pipeline

(P&GJ) — The construction of a crude oil pipeline for $3.5 billion has been approved by Tanzania's government. The 1,443-km (900-mile) pipeline will carry crude from sizable oilfields being built in Lake Albert in northwest Uganda to a Tanzanian port on the Indian Ocean for distribution to global markets.

Damaged Line Triggers Natural Gas Leak in College Station, Texas

(P&GJ) — At around 4:00 p.m. on Monday, the Texas Avenue and Richards Street neighborhood was the scene of a gas leak that the College Station Fire Department and College Station Police attempted to contain.

US Energy Regulator Approves Partial Restart of Freeport LNG

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the partial restart of two liquefaction trains, two tanks, and one loop and dock each, a filing showed on Tuesday. Restart of a third train, along with a tank, a loop, and a dock, would require additional permission.

Nord Stream Blast Inquiries Ongoing, Say Denmark, Sweden, Germany at UN

Investigations by Denmark, Germany and Sweden into explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines have not yet concluded, the three countries told the U.N. Security Council in a letter on Tuesday ahead of a meeting called by Russia on the September incident.

EPA Sets Soot Pollution Rule, Kinder Morgan Warns of Hefty Costs

The U.S. environmental regulator said it sent the White House its final plan to slash interstate smog and soot pollution from the power sector. Pipeline operator Kinder Morgan warned the plan would cost an estimated $4.1 billion in upgrades and retrofits to about 950 engines along its pipelines, which carry about 40% of the natural gas consumed in the U.S.

Navigator to Submit Expanded Proposal for 1,300-Mile Carbon Pipeline Project

(P&GJ) — Navigator CO2 plans to resubmit an enhanced proposal to the Illinois Commerce Agency before the end of February, over six months after initially submitting an application to the commission for its multistate pipeline. The expanded proposal is set to include at least one new sequestration site and an additional lateral route.

U.S. Treasury to Open Advanced Energy Tax Credit Applications on May 31

The U.S. Treasury said on Monday it will open applications on May 31 for $4 billion worth of new tax credits for advanced energy manufacturing and decarbonization projects, with $1.6 billion of those required to be in communities hit by closures of coal mines or coal-fired power plants.

UGI, Archaea Energy Partner to Develop Renewable Natural Gas Project in Pennsylvania

(P&GJ) — UGI Energy Services LLC and Archaea Energy Inc., a subsidiary of bp, have entered into a joint venture, Aurum Renewables LLC, to develop a renewable natural gas (RNG) project at the Commonwealth Environmental Systems landfill in Hegins, Pennsylvania.

Turkey's Ceyhan Oil Terminal, Iraq's KRG Pipeline Halted After Earthquake

Turkish pipeline operator BOTAS said there was no damage on main pipelines which carry crude oil from Iraq and Azerbaijan to Turkey. An emergency meeting will take place on the issue, the Tribeca shipping agency said.

Italian Union Files Legal Complaint Against Snam's LNG Terminal Over Environmental Concerns

The Italian trade union USB filed a legal complaint against a plan by gas grid operator Snam to set up a new LNG terminal in the Tuscan port of Piombino, it said in a press release on Friday.

Carbon Pipeline Company Sues Iowa County Over Local Siting Ordinance

The developer of a Midwest carbon capture pipeline network has sued Shelby County in Iowa, saying its ordinance restricting the siting of hazardous pipelines is overruled by a federal pipeline safety law.

2,000-Mile Carbon Pipeline Project Sparks Battle Among North Dakota Landowners

(P&GJ) — Landowners from North Dakota gave testimony on Jan. 27 in favor of and against Summit Carbon Solutions' use of eminent domain to construct a 2,000-mile carbon pipeline network beneath hundreds of homes and farms in the Midwest.

Texas Oil Regulator Advises Pipeline Operators to Prepare for Severe Winter Conditions

The Texas oil regulator on Sunday advised oil and gas pipeline operators to secure equipment and facilities after forecasts for severe weather over the next several days.

Exxon Stops Routine Gas Flaring in The Permian, Wants Others to Follow

Exxon Mobil Corp. said it has stopped routine flaring of natural gas from production in the top U.S. shale basin and will press for stronger regulations for rivals to do the same, company officials said in an interview.

Tennessee Community Pushes Against Kinder Morgan’s 32-Mile Cumberland Pipeline Project

(P&GJ) — Residents in Dickson County, Tennessee, are hesitant to welcome Kinder Morgan’s 32-mile-long Cumberland gas pipeline project in the community, citing concerns over living within the pipeline's "explosion zone," a fear sparked by a 1996 explosion in a neighboring town.

Keystone Pipeline Operator Recovers About 2,600 Barrels of Oil from Kansas Creek

Canada's TC Energy Corp. said it had cleaned up almost 2,600 barrels of oil from the largest U.S. crude spill in nearly a decade, but the timetable to restart the Keystone Pipeline following its rupture last week remained unclear.

TC Energy’s Keystone Pipeline Shut After Oil Release into Kansas Creek

TC Energy on Thursday said it shut the 622,000 barrel-per-day Keystone pipeline due to an oil spill into a Kansas creek. The size of the leak, which occurred about 20 miles south of a key junction in Steele City, Nebraska, is currently unknown.

Exxon to Exit Africa in Crude Phaseout, Eyeing Low-Carbon Natural Gas Options

Exxon's departure reflects a wider move by major oil producers to reduce crude production in West Africa and shift investments to lower-carbon natural gas development on the continent, and to more lucrative projects in the Americas.

US Proposes Rules to Limit Methane Leaks from Public Lands Drilling

The U.S Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management on Monday proposed rules to limit methane leaks from oil and gas drilling on public lands, the latest move by the Biden administration to crack down on the potent greenhouse gas.

Equitrans Expects to Stop Pennsylvania Gas Leak in Next Couple of Days

U.S. energy company Equitrans Midstream Corp. said on Thursday it expected to stop a natural gas leak at its Rager Mountain storage facility in Pennsylvania in the next couple of days.

White House Asks Congress for $500 Million to Modernize Oil Reserve

The Biden administration has asked Congress for $500 million to modernize the U.S. strategic petroleum reserve (SPR), a document outlining the request shows. The SPR oil is stored in hollowed-out, underground salt caverns that can shift and potentially require maintenance when petroleum is removed and replaced.

Green Groups Sue Louisiana Over Venture Global LNG Permit Exemption

Three environmental groups have sued the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources for exempting Venture Global LNG from needing an environmental permit to build a LNG terminal, the organizations said on Wednesday.

One Killed, Two Injured in Petronas-operated Pipeline Explosion in Malaysia

Malaysian state energy company Petronas reported a fire at the Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline near Lawas on Wednesday afternoon, which the Borneo Post online said led to an explosion that killed one person and injured two others.

UGI to Develop Fifth Renewable Natural Gas Project in Upstate New York

(P&GJ) — The project is expected to produce approximately 35 million cubic feet of RNG annually that will be delivered to a local natural gas pipeline serving the regional distribution system.

Mexico's Pemex to Work with EPA to Bring Down Methane Emissions

Mexican state oil company Pemex said Saturday that it would work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — especially methane — to meet ambitious international commitments.

Canada, Nigeria Target Oil and Gas Methane Emissions with New Laws

Oil and gas producers Canada and Nigeria have become the latest countries to tackle the potent greenhouse gas methane with laws to rein in emissions in the fossil fuel energy sector.

Enbridge to Sell Stake in Seven Oil Pipelines to Indigenous Groups for $819 Million

Canada's Enbridge Inc. will sell an $818.83 million minority stake in seven Alberta oil pipelines to a group of Indigenous communities, the company said on Wednesday, adding that it may also sell at least part of its Trans Mountain pipeline to Indigenous groups once its expansion is closer to completion.

Sustainability: Energy Company ESG Efforts

(P&GJ) — Late in 2021, a global energy think tank at Columbia University held a private workshop with representatives from the national and international oil, financial, consulting and nongovernment organization (NOC) sectors, along with academia, to better understand the dynamics and impact of the global sustainability movement on the energy space.

Reducing Carbon Footprints at Oil, Gas Infrastructures

(P&GJ) — The energy and resources industry is undergoing one of the most significant shifts in generations. This transition is toward green energy – or renewable energy created from natural resources – that does not release greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during production.

Activists, Fishermen Argue Rio Grande LNG Terminal Permit is Too Obliging to Industry

Environmental groups and fishermen on Wednesday told a federal appeals court the U.S. government’s permitting for a Gulf Coast natural gas export terminal was too accommodating to industry interests at the expense of wetlands.