Safety

Equinor's Hammerfest LNG Plant Suffers Gas Leak, Production Unaffected

Norway's Hammerfest LNG plant was hit by a gas leak on Friday but production was unaffected, a spokesperson for operator Equinor told Reuters.

Police: Blast at Shell's Nigeria Oil Pipeline Kills 12

An explosion on a Nigerian oil pipeline owned by Shell killed at least 12 people on Friday, authorities at the scene said, while members of the affected community in Emohua said they feared many more had died in the blast.

Nigeria Oil Pipeline Blast Kills At Least One in Niger Delta

A crude oil pipeline explosion killed at least one person and injured another on Friday, authorities on the scene said, while members of the affected community in Emohua said they feared many more had died in the blast.

Sources: Russia Set to Mothball Damaged Nord Stream Gas Pipelines

Russia's ruptured undersea Nord Stream gas pipelines are set to be sealed up and mothballed as there are no immediate plans to repair or reactivate them, sources familiar with the plans have told Reuters.

Amplify Reaches $96.5 Million Settlement Over Pipeline Damages

(P&GJ) — Shipping companies will pay $96.5 million to Amplify Energy Inc. to settle Amplify's claims of damages resulting from anchor strikes that ultimately resulted in a southern California pipeline incident in 2021.

Pemex Deer Park, Texas Fire Broke Out in Crude Distillation Area

A Thursday night fire at Pemex’s 312,500 barrel-per-day Deer Park, Texas, refinery broke out in a crude distillation unit, said people familiar with plant operations. The sources did not know which of two Deer Park CDUs were hit by fire.

New Approach to Digital Pipeline Integrity Management

(P&GJ) — Pigging is an operation that is regularly required by pipeline operators for both cleaning and data collection (intelligent pigging). Managing pigging schedules and risks is a significant challenge to operators/pigging vendors without an intimate knowledge of the pipeline.

Focus on Integrity: Three Strategies for More Secure Pipeline Operations

(P&GJ) — The safe movement of liquids and gases across the pipeline infrastructure of the United States is critical. Whether pipelines are delivering fuels for transportation or home energy, feedstocks used to manufacture a wide variety of plastics and specialty chemicals, or any of the myriad other products that keep nations running, pipeline companies must ensure that operation continues without incident 24/7.

DNV Kicks Off Phase Two of Offshore Hydrogen Pipeline Project H2Pipe

(P&GJ) — Phase 2 of H2Pipe will include a feasibility-level design of offshore hydrogen pipelines and a risk assessment study to examine the safety aspects of offshore hydrogen pipelines. The project's primary outcome is expected to be a detailed guideline offering specific guidance for use in the design and re-purposing of offshore pipelines for hydrogen transport. Phase 2 of H2Pipe is planned to start in Q1 2023 and last 2 years.

Damaged Line Triggers Natural Gas Leak in College Station, Texas

(P&GJ) — At around 4:00 p.m. on Monday, the Texas Avenue and Richards Street neighborhood was the scene of a gas leak that the College Station Fire Department and College Station Police attempted to contain.

US Energy Regulator Approves Partial Restart of Freeport LNG

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the partial restart of two liquefaction trains, two tanks, and one loop and dock each, a filing showed on Tuesday. Restart of a third train, along with a tank, a loop, and a dock, would require additional permission.

Nord Stream Blast Inquiries Ongoing, Say Denmark, Sweden, Germany at UN

Investigations by Denmark, Germany and Sweden into explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines have not yet concluded, the three countries told the U.N. Security Council in a letter on Tuesday ahead of a meeting called by Russia on the September incident.

Gas Flow Continues After Fire at Russian Pipeline, No Injuries

Depressurization of an export gas pipeline transiting the Myshkinsky district of the Yaroslavl region north of Moscow sparked a fire but caused no casualties on Monday, Russia's emergencies ministry said.

Kinder Morgan Restarts Gas Pipeline After Leak at Watson Station in California - CNN

Pipeline operator Kinder Morgan has resumed operations after a leak was detected this week in a California gasoline pipeline that supplies unleaded and diesel fuel to storage facilities in southern Nevada, CNN reported on Saturday.

Pipeline Operator TC Energy Says Stress, Weld Fault Caused Keystone Oil Spill

Pipeline operator TC Energy Corp. said on Thursday a combination of factors including bending stress on the pipe and a weld flaw might have led to the Keystone oil spill in December and that it was expecting a hit of about $480 million.

Turkey's Ceyhan Oil Terminal, Iraq's KRG Pipeline Halted After Earthquake

Turkish pipeline operator BOTAS said there was no damage on main pipelines which carry crude oil from Iraq and Azerbaijan to Turkey. An emergency meeting will take place on the issue, the Tribeca shipping agency said.

Carbon Pipeline Company Sues Iowa County Over Local Siting Ordinance

The developer of a Midwest carbon capture pipeline network has sued Shelby County in Iowa, saying its ordinance restricting the siting of hazardous pipelines is overruled by a federal pipeline safety law.

Study Shows Soil Moisture Plays Big Role in Spread of NG Leaks

(P&GJ) — Soil moisture content is the main factor that controls how far and at what concentration natural gas (NG) spreads from a leaked pipeline underground, a new study has found.

Texas Oil Regulator Advises Pipeline Operators to Prepare for Severe Winter Conditions

The Texas oil regulator on Sunday advised oil and gas pipeline operators to secure equipment and facilities after forecasts for severe weather over the next several days.

Supply Chain Solutions for Natural Gas Leak Detection

(P&GJ) — Now more than ever, utilities, governments and pipeline companies are incentivized to secure their supplies of natural gas from production all the way to the meter. Leak detection and emissions reduction are critical components of an optimized natural gas distribution system.

NATO, EU Launching Task Force to Protect Pipelines Following Nord Stream Attack

NATO and the EU are launching a task force to boost the protection of critical infrastructure in response to last year's attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines and Russia's "weaponizing of energy," the organizations’ leaders said on Wednesday.

US Pipeline Regulator Probing 60-Barrel Leak on Colonial's Line 3

Top U.S. pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline on Wednesday shut its Line 3 for unscheduled maintenance in response to a "product release" at its Witt delivery station near Danville, Virginia. PHMSA is monitoring the estimated 60-barrel leak on the company's Line 3 pipeline in Virginia, a source told Reuters on Thursday.

RBC: Blast Hits Russia-Ukraine Gas Export Pipeline

A blast has ripped through the Urengoi-Pomary-Uzhhorod gas exporting pipeline, which leads from Russia through Ukraine, the RBC news outlet cited local officials as stating on Tuesday.

TC Energy Submits Restart Plan for Keystone Pipeline to US regulator

TC Energy Corp. has submitted a restart plan for its Keystone pipeline to U.S. safety regulator Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) which is being reviewed, according to a source on Tuesday.

TC Energy Says Has Not Found Cause of Keystone Oil Pipeline Leak

TC shut the pipeline after more than 14,000 barrels of crude oil spilled into a creek in Kansas on Wednesday, making it one of the largest U.S. crude spills in nearly a decade.

Gas Flow Resumes from Equitrans Pennsylvania Site After November Leak

Equitrans Midstream Corp. on Friday said it has received agency approvals to flow gas out of the Rager Mountain storage facility in Pennsylvania following a November natural gas leak that lasted for several days.

JERA Expects Fire-Hit Freeport LNG Texas Shipments to Fully Resume by March

Japan's biggest buyer of LNG, JERA, expects Freeport LNG's production at its fire-hit Texas plant to partially resume in mid-December and its shipments to be fully back by March, President Satoshi Onoda said on Tuesday.

US Proposes Rules to Limit Methane Leaks from Public Lands Drilling

The U.S Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management on Monday proposed rules to limit methane leaks from oil and gas drilling on public lands, the latest move by the Biden administration to crack down on the potent greenhouse gas.

Russia Says It Foiled Sabotage at 'South Stream' Gas Pipeline

Russia's Federal Security Service said on Thursday that it had prevented Ukrainian special services from carrying out what it said was sabotage on the "South Stream" gas pipeline.

Yemen's Houthis Attack Al-Dhabba Oil Terminal, Force Ship to Leave

Yemen's Houthis attacked al-Dhabba oil terminal in Hadhramaut province on Monday, the group and Yemen's internationally recognized government said.