Editor's Notebook
Showing the Show-Me State
In this month's Editor's Notebook, Editor-in-Chief Michael Reed unpacks how federal regulators stepped in to take control of Missouri’s natural gas pipeline safety enforcement after years of inadequate penalties, and what it means for the Show-Me State’s residents, utilities and lawmakers.
Greenpeace Lawsuit Pays Off, Maybe
Editor-in-Chief Michael Reed unpacks the legal drama between Energy Transfer and Greenpeace, as a North Dakota jury awards the pipeline company nearly $667 million in damages. While Greenpeace seeks protection under European anti-SLAPP laws, the case highlights the growing global intersection of activism, infrastructure, and legal accountability.
Editor’s Notebook: Fire Fuels Pipeline Concerns
Editor-in-Chief Michael Reed examines how recent West Coast wildfires exposed vulnerabilities in fuel supply chains, leading to temporary pipeline shutdowns and regional fuel concerns. While quick action restored operations, the incident underscores the importance of pipeline resilience and emergency preparedness.
Editor’s Notebook: Better Days, Sure – but How Much?
Pipeline & Gas Journal Editor-in-Chief Michael Reed discusses how a potential second Trump administration could spur renewed investment in midstream, though challenges like permitting hurdles and production growth limits may temper expectations.
Editor’s Notebook: Happier Days Off the U.S. Gulf Coast
In this exclusive Pipeline & Gas Journal article, Enbridge unveils plans for two new offshore pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico to support bp's Kaskida project, showcasing the region's ongoing oil and gas infrastructure expansion.
Editor’s Notebook: Chevron-Hess Mega-Deal Revisited
With the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) giving its blessing to Chevron’s acquisition of oil and gas explorer and producer Hess, we find ourselves firmly entrenched in the era of the oil and gas mega-deal.
Editor’s Notebook: TMX Expansion Faces Quality Concerns from West Coast Refiners
For a couple of months now, U.S. West Coast oil refiners have been voicing concerns about some of the attributes of crude oil being shipped along the recently completed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (TMX) from Canada.
‘Capricious’ You Say?
Is it just me or does the decision by the D.C. appeals court to throw out FERC’s approval of a Williams Cos. pipeline project due to the regulator’s “arbitrary and capricious” review process seem a bit more short-sighted than usual?
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?
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.
Editor’s Notebook: Permian’s New Kid on the Block?
As the 580-mile Matterhorn Express prepares to go into service next quarter, a new long-haul gas pipeline is looking to step forward as the next major Gulf Coast midstream project.
Editor’s Notebook: M&A Appears Here to Stay
It appears likely that the wave of midstream merger-and-acquisition activity of the past few years hasn’t reached its peak yet. In fact, to hear some insiders tell it, a full-on tsunami may not be far away.
Editor’s Notebook: Few Winners in Iraq-Turkey Pipeline Fallout
Increasingly frustrated by impasses regionally, the eight member companies of the Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR) have gone so far as requesting that two U.S. lawmakers exert pressure on Iraq to reopen the Iraqi-Türkiye pipeline.
Editor’s Notebook: Nord Stream’s $20 Billion Question
It has been more than two years since the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines and still nobody knows for sure who were the perpetrators – or if they do, they are not saying so publicly.
Editor’s Notebook: Niger’s Bold Move as Exporter
Last month, Niger’s military chief, Abdourahamane Tiani, told an audience on state television that his fellow citizens could expect the west African nation to export its first barrels of crude within the next few weeks.
Editor’s Notebook: In Canada, A Tale of Two Pipelines
Well, well, well. It looks as if Canada is likely to be in the market for some new pipelines if word that the nation’s oil and gas producers plan to drill 8% more wells in 2024 comes to pass.
Editor’s Notebook: Trouble in the Heartland
(P&GJ) — It seems that even CO2 pipelines — a centerpiece of the Biden administration’s net zero greenhouse gas reductions policy — can’t catch a break when it comes to getting out of the starting block where permitting and public opinion are concerned.
Editor’s Notebook: It Could Have Been Worse, Revisited
(P&GJ) — With its approval of the Willow Project on the North Slope Alaska early this year, along with its continued of drilling permits on federal lands, the Biden administration has begun to show at least some desire to play ball where oil projects are involved, much to the chagrin of the anti-fossil fuel forces.
Editor’s Notebook: ‘Peace Pipeline’ Project Appears Dead
At least for a while over the last couple of decades, the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline was perceived by some as something that would bring at least a measure of harmony to Pakistan’s relationship with Iran. However, once again, the project has been shelved – this time apparently under U.S. pressure.
Editor's Notebook: Colorado’s Bold Initiative
(P&GJ) — The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) recently adopted rules aimed at increasing repair inspections and leak detection at oil and gas facilities throughout the state. While these new guidelines do not affect midstream directly, there are implications for the sector due to the growing emphasis on carbon-capture and related pipelines.
Editor’s Notebook: Is Rerouting Line 5 the Best Option?
(P&GJ) — In a ruling that could be interpreted as a split decision, a U.S. District Court judge has told Enbridge it can continue to operate its Line 5 pipeline through an indigenous people’s territory but must relocate a portion of the line by 2026.
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.
See You at the Movies … OK, Probably Not
(P&GJ) — The movie "How to Blow Up a Pipeline" tells a fictional story set in West Texas, where a group of people from different walks of life band together for various reasons and decide to blow up a pipeline. You already know the muddled thinking behind arriving at this decision – you've heard it before.
Editor’s Notebook: Nord Stream Questions Grow Murkier
(P&GJ) — While the investigation into who deliberately blew up Nord Stream continues, the operator of the previously functional first line appears to be taking a serious look at how it will seal and empty the pipeline before more damage occurs.
Editor’s Notebook: California’s Pipeline, CCUS Quandary
(P&GJ) — California, in laying out a bold clean air initiative, has placed a great deal of emphasis on carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) in an effort to start removing the same amount of carbon from the air as what the state emits by 2045.
Editor’s Notebook: Getting the CO2 Out
(P&GJ) — Navigator Heartland Greenway has voluntarily withdrawn its application for a certificate of authority to build a 250-mile portion of its CO2 pipeline through a part of western Illinois, but the company said it plans to refile soon.
Coastal GasLink’s Year of Milestones
(P&GJ) — As 2022 drew to a close, news came that one of the more complex pipelines projects ever seen in North America, the Coastal Gaslink project, had eclipsed the 80% completion mark in British Columbia. The project, in combination with the Kitimat LNG plant, is the largest Canadian infrastructure investment since the 1950s when the St. Lawrence Seaway was constructed.
Editor’s Notebook: Big Early Win for Northwest Capacity
(P&GJ) — The venerable Gas Transmission Northwest pipeline system, which runs from the Canadian border to California, appears headed toward an important regulatory victory in the effort to increase its capacity by about 150 MMcf/d.
Editor’s Notebook: The Digital Future Is Now
(P&GJ) — For the past 163 years, Pipeline & Gas Journal has arrived in our readers’ mailboxes each month without fail. This, however, the December issue, will be our final printed edition of the magazine. Rest assured, though, we are not going away – not by a long shot.
Editor’s Notebook: Sabotage at the Highest Level?
(P&GJ) — Amid the finger-pointing and alternative conclusions that come with just about everything involving the energy sector these days, one hard fact has emerged concerning the Nord Stream: Someone deliberately blew four holes in its pipelines during a three-day period.
- 1,000-Mile Pipeline Exit Plan by Hope Gas Alarms West Virginia Producers
- Valero Plans to Shut California Refinery, Takes $1.1 Billion Hit
- Three Killed, Two Injured in Accident at LNG Construction Site in Texas
- Greenpeace Ordered to Pay $667 Million to Energy Transfer Over Dakota Access Pipeline Protests
- Boardwalk’s Texas Gas Launches Open Season for 2 Bcf/d Marcellus-to-Louisiana Pipeline Expansion
- New Alternatives for Noise Reduction in Gas Pipelines
- Construction Begins on Ghana's $12 Billion Petroleum Hub, But Not Without Doubts
- Missouri Loses Control Over 1.5 Million-Mile Gas Pipeline Network as Feds Step In
- Gazprom’s Grandeur Fades as Europe Moves Away from Russian Gas
- Greenpeace Ordered to Pay $667 Million to Energy Transfer Over Dakota Access Pipeline Protests
