Infrastructure

Pipeline Operator Enbridge Reaches Mainline Toll Agreement with Oil Shippers

Canada's Enbridge Inc. said on Thursday it has reached a toll agreement with oil shippers for its Mainline crude pipeline system, one of North America's biggest, after scrapping earlier plans for long-term contracts.

New Fortress Energy Could Install Fast LNG Units Onshore at Altamira, Mexico

U.S. energy company New Fortress Energy Inc. said on Thursday it could install the second and third of its Fast LNG production units onshore at Altamira in Mexico in the second half of 2024.

Poland to Boost Military Protection of Baltic Energy Infrastructure

The Polish government has approved draft legislation that would allow the military to sink an enemy ship targeting a key gas pipeline from Norway via the Baltic Sea following NATO's warning that Russia might sabotage undersea energy infrastructure.

Timor Gap CEO Expects Great Sunrise Gas Project Decision by November

The head of East Timor's national oil company said he expects a decision by November on whether to pipe natural gas from its offshore Greater Sunrise project to the Southeast Asia island or to Australia for liquefaction and export.

Biden to Support Manchin's Permitting Bill, Adviser Podesta Says

The White House will support Senator Joe Manchin's bill introduced on Tuesday to speed energy project permits, because it would help clean power companies use vast incentives in President Joe Biden's climate law, adviser John Podesta said.

Mexico Pacific to Pump $14 Billion Into Building Natural Gas Pipeline

Mexico Pacific is set to build a natural gas pipeline and liquefaction plant in the northern state of Sonora for an investment of up to $14 billion, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and his office said on Tuesday.

Equitrans May Still Complete 303-Mile Mountain Valley Gas Pipeline by End-2023

U.S. energy company Equitrans Midstream Corp. said on Tuesday it expects federal agencies to issue the required authorizations for its $6.6 billion Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline from West Virginia to Virginia by the early summer.

Enterprise Products' Oil Pipeline Volumes Rise on Permian Basin Output Growth

Enterprise has remained bullish on oil production from the Permian basin, spread across Texas and New Mexico, and is looking to build a crude oil export terminal on the Gulf Coast to help push some of those barrels into the foreign market.

Senator Manchin Introduces New Energy Permitting Bill, Urges Completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin introduced on Tuesday his latest measure to speed permitting of both fossil fuel and renewable energy projects, as he tries to win support from both major parties after similar bills failed several times last year. The bill also calls for the completion of Equitrans Midstream Corp.'s Mountain Valley Pipeline.

MPLX Reports Boost in Total Pipeline Throughputs in Q1 2023

The company's overall gathered volumes averaged 6.4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), a 21% increase from the first quarter of 2022, it said. Gathered volumes in the Marcellus in Pennsylvania averaged 1.4 Bcf/d, or a 4% increase. Additionally, it announced that it is working to expand natural gas long-haul and crude gathering pipelines for the Permian and Bakken basins.

Mississippi Gas Pipeline Operator Lifts Contract Suspension After Repairs

Canadian energy pipeline operator TC Energy Corp. said on Saturday that unit completed repairs on a portion of its Columbia Gulf Transmission gas transmission line in Mississippi that was halted a day earlier.

API, LEPA Report Shows Strengthened Pipeline Safety Performance

(P&GJ) — This year’s report found that the safety of liquids pipelines increased across several key indicators, even as pipeline mileage and barrels delivered have increased.

STATS Claims Record Diameter for Subsea Pipeline Intervention

(P&GJ) — Pipeline technology specialist STATS Group has been commissioned to complete a range of work in the Asian Gulf that is believed to include a record subsea intervention on a 56-inch pipeline.

Global News May 2023

Latest industry developments.

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.

Pipeline Operator Enbridge Acquires Gas Storage Facility in British Columbia for $295 Million

The storage facility, which is connected to all three major long-haul natural gas transportation lines in Western Canada including Enbridge's Westcoast Pipeline and Alliance Pipeline, has a working storage capacity of 77 Bcf, the company said.

TC Energy Declares Force Majeure on 3,300-Mile Columbia Gulf Pipeline After Fire in Mississippi

Canadian energy company TC Energy Corp. said on Friday that its Columbia Gulf Transmission unit declared a force majeure event at its Corinth natural gas compressor station in Mississippi due to a fire, which had been extinguished.

BP Agrees to Buy Shell's Stake in Australian Browse Gas Project

BP has agreed to buy rival giant Shell's 27% stake in the Browse joint venture, expanding its holding in Australia's largest untapped gas resource in a move that could improve the development prospects for the long-stalled project.

Chemours, TC Energy Partner to Develop Clean Hydrogen Facilities in West Virginia

Chemical maker Chemours Co. said it has partnered with pipeline operator TC Energy Corp. to develop two clean hydrogen production facilities in West Virginia.

Pipeline Operator TC Energy Beats Profit Estimates, Eyes Asset Sales to Fund Coastal GasLink Project

Canada's TC Energy Corp. beat analysts' estimates for first-quarter profit on Friday and said it was actively looking to sell $3.67 billion worth of assets this year to reduce debts and fund other projects, such as the Coastal GasLink pipeline in British Columbia that has seen major cost over-runs.

Shell's Zydeco Pipeline Shut on April 25 After Oil Leak

Shell Pipeline Co.'s Zydeco oil pipeline — which alleviates transportation bottlenecks of crude arriving in Houston from the Eagle Ford, Permian and Bakken regions — was shut on April 25 after a limited release of crude oil was detected in the Intracoastal Waterway.

US Venture Global Signs 20-Year LNG Supply Deal with Japan's JERA

U.S. company Venture Global LNG announced a deal to supply LNG to Japan's JERA for 20 years, where it agreed to sell 1 MTPA of LNG to JERA, Japan's biggest power generator and one of the world's biggest LNG buyers, from its CP2 LNG project.

RWE Says It Has No Interest in Operating LNG Infrastructure Long-Term

Germany's RWE said on Friday it had no interest in operating infrastructure for importing LNG in the long run, responding to a report saying it wanted to pull out of a controversial LNG project in the Baltic Sea.

Italy's Energy Dome Raises $44 Million to Focus on CO2 Storage in US

Energy Dome, an Italian startup focusing on CO2 energy storage solutions, said on Friday it had raised 40 million euros ($44 million) from investors to fund expansion in the U.S.

Norway Plans to Nationalize Gas Pipelines When Concessions Expire

Norway plans to nationalize most of its gas pipeline network when many existing concessions expire in 2028, the oil and energy ministry said on Friday, to tighten control over key infrastructure.

Xcel Energy Assessing Hydrogen Blending for Its US Gas Pipelines

(P&GJ) — Xcel Energy has contracted for a study of the feasibility of injecting and blending hydrogen into its 36,000 miles (57,936 km) of distribution and 2,200 miles (3,540 km) of transmission pipelines.

Pig Removal: Recovering an Obstruction in Pressurized 48-Inch Pipeline

(P&GJ) —Following the completion of an offshore pipeline isolation project, STATS were asked by the client if they could offer a solution to a problem of an obstruction in their 48-inch gas export pipeline. During routine launching of an inline inspection tool, a slipper tray was accidently carried into the pipeline and lodged in the first pipeline bend, above grade, about 39 meters from the launcher door.

First Nations: Canada’s New Infrastructure Power Brokers

(P&GJ) — After decades of largely contentious relations between Indigenous groups and energy infrastructure developers, Canada’s First Nations are beginning to embrace the economic opportunities that pipeline and export projects can offer – a trend that could make it easier to approve and complete future projects.

Offshore Pipeline Design for CCUS

(P&GJ) — Design and construction of CO2 pipelines are similar to natural gas transmission pipelines. However, there are differences like: thermodynamic modeling, blow down modeling, specifying the maximum water content, pipeline fracture propagation control, use of elastomer materials and performing a quantitative risk assessment, mainly related to release modeling and defining the allowable exposure limits. These factors require special attention for CO2 pipelines, when compared with natural gas.

Explainer: Can Joint Gas Buying Boost Europe's Energy Security?

The European Union opened a scheme this week for companies to jointly buy gas, aiming to secure supplies ahead of winter and avoid a repeat of last year's record-high energy prices.