Infrastructure

Global News

Natural Gas Utilities Testing Demand Response Programs Demand Response (DR) programs have become a fairly common method of reducing electricity demand during summer peak periods, and now the approach is being tried by natural gas utilities – most recently due to concerns about limited pipeline capa..

Retiring Stavropoulos Leaves PG&E a Safer Utility

Eight years after joining PG&E in the wake of the San Bruno explosion, Nick Stavropoulos retired as an industry role model for restoring a sense of pride at the giant San Francisco utility.

Cordillerano Pipeline Extension will be Delivered in March 2019

Growing natural gas demand in Argentina has led its Ministry of Energy to expedite expansion of the Patagonian System and the Rio Senger and Las Armas compressor plants.

Tunisia Pushes Forward with New Pipeline

Tunisia is positioning itself to be North Africa’s next gas producing and processing hub as the country anticipates the soon-to-be completion and commissioning of the Southern Tunisian Gas Pipeline.

Replacement Projects Still Boosting Infrastructure Work

A large volume of work remains in the United States for multibillion-dollar infrastructure replacement programs, with many now underway and more destined to follow. In this summary report, P&GJ provides an overview of the current widespread activity.

APGA Chairman to Focus on Safety and Consumer Education

P&GJ talks about industry priorities and challenges with Owen Reeves, 2018-2019 chairman of the American Public Gas Association (APGA), which represents more than 70% of all publicly owned natural gas utilities in the United States.

San Mateo Midstream Completes Crude Oil Pipeline System in New Mexico

San Mateo Midstream’s Black River Oil Pipeline has been placed its Rustler Breaks Pipeline System into service in Eddy County, N.M., following a successful open season earlier this year.

Carlyle Group to Head US Gulf Coast Crude Export Terminal Project

Lone Star Ports will lead development and operation of a Carlyle Group-backed crude export terminal in Corpus Christi, Texas, as new crude pipelines that will ferry an additional 2 MMbpd to the South Texas port are expected to begin operations in late 2019.

Lawmakers Urge U.S. Agency to Bolster Pipeline Cybersecurity

Two Democratic lawmakers urged the Department of Homeland Security to better protect U.S. oil and gas pipelines from cyberattacks, after a report they requested detailed a lack of federal oversight of the critical conduits.

Phillips 66 Sets $1.6 Billion Midstream Budget for 2019

Phillips 66 announced that it has set a $2.3 billion capital budget for 2019 and will direct the bulk of that spending to midstream growth projects.

Mountain Valley Pipeline Project to Be 70% Complete by Year-End

Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) officials said the company remains on target for the $4.6 billion project in fully in-service in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Michigan Legislature Passes Great Lakes Oil Pipeline Bill

The Michigan Legislature approved a bill that would allow the replacement of a 65-year-old oil pipeline in a key Great Lakes waterway, voting to create a state authority that would oversee the construction of a tunnel to encase a new segment of pipe.

Panel to Take Closely Watched Vote on Atlantic Coast Pipeline Station

A massive winter storm delayed a closely watched vote in Virginia on a natural gas pipeline compressor station that's been the frequent target of protests. Dominion Energy needs the State Air Pollution Control Board to sign off on a permit to build a station in Buckingham County to pump gas through the planned Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

Gas Service Mostly Restored after September Explosions

Columbia Gas said natural gas service has been restored for 96 percent of customers who were affected by the September explosions in Massachusetts

Williams Completes Sale of Several Gulf Coast Pipeline Systems

Williams announced the sale of certain pipeline systems located in the Gulf Coast area to Easton Energy for $177 million in cash. The 31-mile Texas Belle Pipeline, which transports natural gas liquids from Mont Belvieu to the Houston Ship Channel, is included in this transaction.

Michigan Senate OK's Bill to Enable Great Lakes Pipeline Deal

The Michigan Senate voted to facilitate a deal to replace a contentious 65-year-old oil pipeline in the Great Lakes, approving legislation to empower a new authority to oversee the construction and operation of a utility tunnel that would encase the new pipeline.

Eni's Indonesia Gas Project to Start Up in 2021: Deputy Minister

Indonesia's deputy energy minister said Eni aims to start output of natural gas in 2021 from its offshore Merakes project, which includes construction of subsea systems and pipelines.

Michigan Governor Drops Plan on Line 5 Tunnel Oversight

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder on Monday abandoned his proposal to have the state’s Mackinac Bridge Authority oversee the construction and operation of a tunnel to house a replacement for the Line 5 oil pipeline in the Great Lakes, noting that the proposal did not have enough legislative support.

Canada's Frontera Stops Production After Attack on Peru Oil Pipeline

Canadian oil company Frontera Energy said it stopped production at Peru's largest oilfield after a Peruvian-owned pipeline was severed last week by indigenous protesters.

Pipeline Repairs Halt Iran gas Exports to Iraq

Gas exports from Iran to Iraq were halted late on Tuesday for several days, as Iranian authorities work to repair damages caused to the pipeline during a recent earthquake.

Outgoing Michigan Governor Pushing for Great Lakes Pipeline

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder hopes to use the final weeks of his tenure to lock in a deal allowing construction of a hotly debated oil pipeline tunnel beneath a channel linking two of the Great Lakes — a plan his successor opposes but may be powerless to stop.

Malaysia Completes Repairs to key Sabah Sarawak Gas Pipeline

Malaysia's Petronas said production at the Kebabangan gas field is expected to return to full capacity by August 2019 after integrity testing is completed on the repaired pipeline, which is undergoing integrity testing.

Putin, Erdogan Mark Key Phase in TurkStream Pipeline

The offshore construction phase of TurkStream natural gas pipeline between Russia and Turkey is now complete.

Williams, Brazos Midstream Agree to Joint Venture in Delaware Basin

Williams and Brazos Midstream agreed to a partnership in the Delaware Basin, under which Williams will contribute its Delaware Basin assets in exchange for a 15% minority position in the venture.

Finland Eyes Imports of Piped Norwegian Gas via Poland, Baltics

Finland could receive gas from Norway via a network of pipelines being planned through the Baltic countries and Poland, as part of an effort to reduce its dependency on gas imports from Russia.

Wolf Launches Open Season for Midland Basin Crude Oil Pipeline

Wolf Midstream Partners launched a binding open season to solicit long-term, shipper commitments for the proposed Red Wolf Crude Connector, a new crude oil pipeline to serve the Midland Basin. The open season ends at 4 p.m. CST Dec. 14.

The Well Hasn’t Run Dry for Midstream Opportunities

A recent ICF report for the INGAA Foundation projects nearly $800 billion will be invested in new oil and gas infrastructure between 2018 and 2035 Opportunities lie ahead for midstream developers, investors and energy consumers, and the true victors will be those who develop strategies now.

Kenya Expands Oil Pipeline Network Amid Controversy

Kenya Pipeline Company, East Africa’s largest oil transporter, has been implementing major capacity expansion projects in spite of mounting criticism of flawed tendering processes and claims of impropriety involving two additional pipelines, an oil jetty and replacement of hydrant pit valves at Nairobi's airport.

Gas Remains Key to UK Energy

Gas is a key element of the U.K.’s energy mix, but the closure of Centrica’s Rough long-term storage facility last year reduced U.K. gas storage to only 14 days of capacity, compared with 87 in France, 69 in Germany and 59 in Italy.

Phillips 66, Bridger Plan Pipeline from Bakken to Texas

Phillips 66 and Bridger Pipeline announced they have preliminary plans for a 350,000 bpd of oil pipeline to send Bakken crude oil to Texas.