Safety
U.S. State Department Warns China Could Hack Infrastructure, Including Pipelines
The U.S. State Department warned that China could launch cyber attacks against critical infrastructure, including oil and gas pipelines after researchers discovered a Chinese hacking group had been spying on such networks.
Illegal Pipeline Tap Injures 13 at Pemex Refinery in Mexico
A fire at a refinery controlled by Mexican state-run oil firm Pemex and an explosion caused by an illegal pipeline tap injured a total of 13 people, the company said in separate statements Wednesday.
Fire Breaks Out During Repair of Siberian Gas Pipeline, One Dead
A fire broke out during repair works at the Yamburg-Yelets 1 gas pipeline in western Siberia and one person was killed, a unit of Russia's Gazprom said on Tuesday.
Pipeline Operator TC Energy Finishes Recovering Oil from Kansas Creek in Keystone Spill
TC Energy Corp. finished recovering oil from a rural Kansas creek where its Keystone Pipeline spilled 14,000 barrels of oil in December, the company said on Friday.
Russia's Transneft Says Druzhba Pipeline 'Attacked' Near Ukraine Border
Russia's oil pipeline operator Transneft said on Wednesday that a filling point on the Europe-bound Druzhba pipeline in a Russian region bordering Ukraine had been attacked, the TASS news agency reported, citing the company.
Pembina Pipeline Activates Emergency Procedures After Fire, Floods Ravish Western Canada
Pembina Pipeline Corp., which operates oil-gathering pipelines in the region, said it has activated emergency response and incident management processes and is "evaluating any current or anticipated operational impacts".
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.
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.
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.
Worksite Safety: Defining Fundamental Drivers of Learning On-Site Procedures
(P&GJ) — Quick! How many rescue breaths should you administer after providing chest compressions to an unresponsive, non-breathing accident victim during CPR?
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.
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.
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.
PHMSA Update: Leak Detection Rules Point to Value of Regulation Compliance Service
(P&GJ) — To be able to operate within their regions, the onus is on pipeline operators to abide by leak detection and incident response rules. Federal regulators like the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) regularly implement new standards as part of their renewed focus on leak detection for natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines to ensure the people, public and environment are kept safe.
Cenit: Colombia's Transandino Oil Pipeline Bombed
The Transandino Pipeline runs along Colombia's border with Ecuador, taking up to 85,000 barrels of crude per day to an export terminal in Tumaco, a Pacific port in the country's Narino province.
Pipeline Operator TC Energy Says Keystone Oil Spill Caused by Fatigue Crack
Canada's TC Energy on Friday said a 14,000-barrel oil spill from its Keystone pipeline in rural Kansas in December was primarily due to a progressive fatigue crack, which originated during the construction of the pipeline.
Colombia's Cano Limon-Covenas Pipeline Attacked for Ninth Time in 2023
The suspension of pumping operations at Colombia's Cano Limon-Covenas oil pipeline will be prolonged after a new bombing attack damaged its infrastructure in the country's Arauca province, oil transportation company Cenit said.
Williams, MPLX, WES DJ Gathering Reach Settlement with EPA, DOJ Over Methane Leaks
The settlements announced by the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency require the three natural gas processors to pay a combined $9.25 million in civil penalties and make about $16 million in improvements at plants and compressor stations.
US Warns Companies Over Russian Oil Price Cap Evasion Via ESPO Pipeline
The U.S. Treasury published a warning to U.S. companies on Monday of possible evasions of the Russian oil price cap exported through the Eastern Siberia Pacific Ocean (ESPO) pipeline and ports in eastern Russia.
Security of Supply Concerns Prompt Arctic Barents Sea Gas Pipeline Rethink in Norway
Building a pipeline to transport gas produced in the Arctic Barents Sea could be worth re-examining due to an increased focus on supply security and Norway exporting more of its gas to Europe, gas infrastructure operator Gassco said on Monday.
Poland Sets Exclusion Zone Around Swinoujscie LNG Terminal
Poland will introduce a temporary 200-meter exclusion zone around its Swinoujscie LNG terminal on Thursday, the interior minister said on Wednesday, citing concerns about Russian espionage.
SGA’s New Chair Stresses Operational Excellence
(P&GJ) — The new chair of the Southern Gas Association (SGA), Luke Litteken, started his career in natural gas right out of technical college taking a job with Minnegasco (now CenterPoint Energy) in Minnesota as a technician, partly because he enjoys the outdoors. Twenty-five years later, he had the opportunity to move over to Xcel Energy, where he is now the senior vice president of the gas business.
Pipeline Leak Detection Audits Provide Invaluable Insights
(P&GJ) — Ensuring the continuing effectiveness of leak detection systems (LDS) is paramount for pipeline operators to meet tightening safety and environmental regulations and minimize the potential risks of catastrophic events.
South Africa's Transnet Halts Gas Supplies After Pipeline Damage
South Africa's Transnet has halted gas supplies through its Durban pipeline after an excavator damaged it, the state-owned logistics utility said on Friday.
ABB India Automates 81-Mile India-Bangladesh Cross-Border Oil Pipeline
(P&GJ) — ABB India has delivered integrated automation and control solutions to enable the safe operation of the 130-km (81-mile) Indo-Bangla Friendship Pipeline (IBFPL), which will carry diesel from India to Bangladesh.
Tass: Gas Pipeline Under Repair in Siberia Catches Fire
A natural gas pipeline that was being repaired in northern Siberia caught fire on Wednesday but there was no disruption to supplies, Tass news agency cited Gazprom as saying.
Perenco UK Says Oil Leak Occurred at Well Site in Southern England
Anglo-French oil company Perenco's UK unit said on Sunday that a limited oil leak occurred at one of its well sites in Wytch Farm in Dorset, southern England. Perenco UK said the spill was being contained and an investigation will be launched.
Diplomat: Russia May Demand Compensation for Nord Stream Pipeline Blasts
Moscow may seek compensation for the damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines from two explosions last September, but the future of the projects is unclear, according to a Russian diplomat cited by the news agency RIA Novosti.
Kremlin: Important to Identify Object Found Next to Nord Stream Pipeline
The Kremlin on Friday said it was important to identify an object discovered next to one of the Nord Stream pipelines and said the ongoing investigation into blasts that struck the pipelines last September must be conducted with full transparency.
US Pipeline Regulator Grants Over $25 Million in Funding to Improve Safety
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration on Monday announced more than $25 million in funding to improve safety nationwide after recent train derailments. The funding will provide support to state inspectors for hazardous materials shipments and pipelines inspections.
- Keystone Oil Pipeline Resumes Operations After Temporary Shutdown
- Biden Administration Buys Oil for Emergency Reserve Above Target Price
- Freeport LNG Plant Runs Near Zero Consumption for Fifth Day
- Enbridge to Invest $500 Million in Pipeline Assets, Including Expansion of 850-Mile Gray Oak Pipeline
- Williams Delays Louisiana Pipeline Project Amid Dispute with Competitor Energy Transfer
- Evacuation Technologies to Reduce Methane Releases During Pigging
- Editor’s Notebook: Nord Stream’s $20 Billion Question
- Enbridge Receives Approval to Begin Service on Louisiana Venice Gas Pipeline Project
- Russian LNG Unfazed By U.S. Sanctions
- Biden Administration Buys Oil for Emergency Reserve Above Target Price
