Community & Environment

Editor’s Notebook: Alaska’s New LNG Pipeline Push Faces Long Odds

Pipeline & Gas Journal Exclusive: Alaska’s ambitious LNG pipeline project might seem like a game-changer, but significant hurdles remain. In this Editor’s Notebook, we dive into the latest developments, investor concerns, and what it all means for the future of U.S. energy exports. Can the Last Frontier overcome the odds?

NextDecade Withdraws FERC Application for Carbon Capture Project

NextDecade announced that its subsidiary, Rio Grande LNG LLC, has withdrawn its application with FERC for the proposed carbon capture and storage project at the Rio Grande LNG facility.

Woodside Wins Approval for $12.5 Billion Scarborough Project After Green Group Backs Down

Woodside's $12.5 billion Scarborough gas project in Western Australia has all primary environmental approvals in place, the firm said on Monday, after a green group agreed to dismiss its challenge in a federal court.

Pipeline Repair Technology Slashes CO2 Emissions by 95%

Innovative new technology used to isolate gas pipelines in need of repair or maintenance has shown to prevent gas leakages and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 95% compared with venting pipeline contents to atmosphere – the equivalent of switching off 1,760 gas boilers for a year or taking 1,000 cars off the road

U.S. Court Overturns FERC Approval for NextDecade’s $18 Billion Rio Grande LNG Project

A U.S. court overturned FERC's approval for NextDecade's Rio Grande LNG project due to a missing supplemental environmental impact statement. NextDecade expressed disappointment and disagreed with the ruling.

Woodside Energy Acquires OCI’s Texas Ammonia Project for $2.35 Billion

OCI Global has agreed to sell its Clean Ammonia project in Beaumont, Texas, to Woodside Energy for $2.35 billion. The project integrates Linde’s low CI hydrogen production and carbon capture technology with OCI’s ammonia production, storage, and transportation infrastructure.

Clean Energy Begins Injecting RNG from Minnesota Dairy into Pipeline Grid

Now producing pipeline quality RNG and injecting it into the interstate natural gas pipeline grid, the facility is projected to supply up to 480,000 gasoline gallon equivalent of RNG annually.

Woodside's Browse Gas Project Awaits Decision from Australian Regulator

The $20.5 billion project in waters off Western Australia is the country's largest untapped gas resource but has been stuck on the drawing board for decades.

Canadian Wildfire Engulfs Jasper, Threatens Trans Mountain Pipeline as Firefighters Struggle to Contain Blaze

A wildfire reached the Canadian town of Jasper, Alberta on Wednesday, one of hundreds ravaging the western provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, as firefighters battled to save key facilities such as the Trans Mountain Pipeline, authorities said.

Williams Begins Louisiana Pipeline Construction Despite Ongoing Legal Dispute with Energy Transfer

(P&GJ) — Williams has notified FERC of its plans to commence construction for its Louisiana Energy Gateway pipeline on July 25. However, Energy Transfer has responded to the filing with concerns, arguing that Williams is proceeding without full regulatory clarity from FERC on the project’s jurisdictional status.

Viridi Signs 20-Year Deal with Énergir for Pipeline-Quality RNG

(P&GJ) — Viridi Energy has secured a 20-year agreement to supply pipeline-quality renewable natural gas (RNG) to Énergir, the largest natural gas distribution company in Quebec.

Illinois Governor Signs Bill Implementing Two-Year Pause on CO2 Pipeline Construction

Governor JB Pritzker has signed the SAFE CCS Act, establishing new safety standards for carbon capture in Illinois and implementing a two-year pause on CO2 pipeline construction.

California Secures $12.6 Billion for Hydrogen Hub Development

ARCHES and the U.S. DOE signed a $12.6 billion agreement to develop clean hydrogen projects across California. Key projects include hydrogen-powered equipment at major ports and building over 60 hydrogen fueling stations.

Editor’s Notebook: Landowners and CO2 Pipelines Amid South Dakota Legislation

(P&GJ) — South Dakota's new bill empowers landowners to challenge forced easements for CO2 pipelines, enhancing rights amid eminent domain concerns. The legislation impacts projects like Summit Carbon Solutions, aiming for fairer terms and compensation for affected property owners.

Meeting Challenges of Safely Repairing Online Pipelines

Oil and gas operators the world over face the same set of challenges, best summed up as requiring that they identify and implement the safest and most cost-effective way of maximizing hydrocarbon output.

Judge Pauses Wyoming Oil, Gas Drilling Leases for Environmental Review

A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to pause approving new permits to drill for oil and gas on nearly 120,000 acres of federal land in Wyoming until it finishes reevaluating the environmental impacts of a lease sale.

Second Gas Pipeline Rupture in Texas’ Reeves County Raises Environmental Concerns

A natural gas pipeline in Reeves County ruptured on July 15, marking the second such incident in the area within 11 months.

Exxon Shuts Joliet, Illinois Refinery After Storm Causes Power Outage

ExxonMobil shut down its 251,800-barrel-per-day refinery at Joliet, Illinois, due to a power outage after a storm, according to a filing late on Monday.

DeLa Express Advances 690-Mile Permian-to-Louisiana Pipeline with FERC Pre-filing Progress

DeLa Express advances its 690-mile Permian-to-Louisiana pipeline project with FERC pre-filing progress, aiming to transport natural gas from Texas to Louisiana markets. The project includes extensive environmental surveys and engages stakeholders early to address regulatory requirements.

Court Orders FERC to Review Emissions Impact of Louisiana LNG Project

A U.S. court on Tuesday ordered the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reassess the impact of greenhouse gas and other emissions from Commonwealth LNG's Louisiana liquefied natural gas project.

Montana Appeals to Overturn Landmark Climate Ruling on Fossil Fuel Project Approvals

Montana's top court is set to hear the state's appeal of a landmark ruling holding that it was violating the rights of young people to a clean and healthful environment by barring regulators from considering the impacts on climate change when approving fossil fuel projects.

Texas Oil Companies Restart Operations After Hurricane Beryl

Oil and gas companies in Texas were restarting operations on July 9 after Hurricane Beryl lashed the state with 80-mph winds, damaging property and leaving millions of people without power.

Gas Pipeline Accident Sparks Fire in Crimea, Disrupting Supplies to Alushta, Officials Say

A fire broke out late Saturday after an accident at a gas pipeline near the village of Vinogradnoye in Moscow-annexed Crimea, cutting gas to the resort town of Alushta and more than a dozen settlements, Russian officials said.

Tropical Storm Beryl Expected to Have Minimal Impact on U.S. Offshore Oil Production

Tropical Storm Beryl is expected to have little impact on U.S. offshore oil and gas production, energy companies said on Friday while evacuating personnel from some facilities out of caution.

Fire at Alberta Gas Metering Station Prompts Temporary Highway Closure

A fire that prompted temporary closure of a major highway near Edson town, Canada, on Monday involved a gas metering station, said Yellowhead County in northern Alberta.

Chesapeake Utilities Begins Renewable Gas Injections in Florida

Chesapeake Utilities Corp. has started injecting renewable natural gas (RNG) at its Radio Avenue site in Yulee, Florida, sourced from its Full Circle Dairy facility in Madison County.

Supreme Court Ruling Puts Biden's Tailpipe Emission Rules at Risk

A U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting federal regulatory powers to interpret ambiguous laws could undermine President Joe Biden's effort to cut tailpipe emissions from the nation’s vehicle fleet, two environmental law attorneys told Reuters.

U.S. Supreme Court Blocks EPA's 'Good Neighbor' Air Pollution Plan

The 5-4 decision granted requests by Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia, as well as U.S. Steel Corp, pipeline operator Kinder Morgan and industry groups, to halt enforcement of the EPA's "Good Neighbor" plan restricting ozone pollution from upwind states, while they contest the rule's legality in a lower court.

Peru State-Run Oil Firm Reports Crude Leak from Illegal Pipeline Connection

Peru's state-run oil producer said on Tuesday it had detected an illegal hook-up that caused crude to leak out from its pipeline in the north of the country that runs from the Amazon to the Pacific.

Enbridge and Indigenous Partners to Launch 200-MW Wind Project in Saskatchewan

The Seven Stars Energy Project aims to produce enough emissions-free power to supply over 100,000 homes. The project, set to be operational by 2027, will be developed and operated by an Enbridge subsidiary.