Operations
Valero Confirms Benicia Refinery Closure Amid Tough Regulations, High Costs
Valero Energy plans to shut down its Benicia, California, refinery by April 2026, citing a challenging regulatory environment and high maintenance costs. The closure adds to growing concerns about fuel supply in the state.
Newsom Seeks to Aid Struggling Refiners Following Valero’s California Exit
California Governor Gavin Newsom has called for closer cooperation with oil refiners to secure reliable fuel supplies amid refinery shutdowns and rising pump prices, citing long-term planning needs during the state’s energy transition.
UK, Eni Greenlight Liverpool Bay CCS Project with New Pipeline Network
UK and Italian energy firm Eni have approved the launch of the Liverpool Bay carbon capture project, which includes construction of a 22-mile pipeline network to transport industrial CO₂ for offshore storage as part of the HyNet CCS cluster.
BGE Refutes Claims of Pipeline Safety Risks Tied to Falsified Contractor Audit
BGE has rejected claims by the Maryland PSC that its gas pipeline safety was compromised due to a former employee’s falsified inspection. The company insists no systemwide risks exist and defends its disciplinary handling of the matter.
Kazakhstan Poised to Become Key Central Asia Gas Hub, Eyes Pipeline Growth
Kenges Rakishev highlighted Kazakhstan’s vast gas reserves and strategic position at the Energy Trends forum in Astana, proposing a new gas company to meet rising global demand and calling for infrastructure investment to unlock export potential.
Valero Plans to Shut California Refinery, Takes $1.1 Billion Hit
Valero says it plans to shut or restructure its California refinery by April 2026 and has booked a $1.1 billion impairment as regulatory pressure increases.
U.S. Natural Gas Prices Hover Near 10-Week Low as Market Awaits Storage Data
U.S. natural gas futures held near a 10-week low on April 17 as the market waited for direction from a federal report expected to show that energy firms added less gas to storage than usual last week as cool weather kept heating demand for the fuel higher than normal for this time of year.
Petronas Faces Production Issues at Bintulu LNG Complex, Sources Say
Petronas is experiencing production issues at its Bintulu LNG complex in Malaysia, sources say, citing boiler problems. Supply to offtakers is not expected to be affected.
NeuVentus Gets Green Light for Gas, Liquids Storage at Texas Salt Caverns
NeuVentus received approval to develop 12 salt caverns for gas and liquids storage at its TRU Hub project in Liberty County, Texas. The facility will serve growing demand from LNG, data centers, and industrial users along the Gulf Coast.
Golar's FLNG Gimi Completes First LNG Offload to British Sponsor
Golar LNG's FLNG Gimi completed its first LNG offload to the British Sponsor, introducing Mauritania and Senegal to the global gas market and triggering a milestone bonus ahead of expected commercial operations in Q2 2025.
Venture Global Starts Commercial Operations at Calcasieu Pass LNG Plant
Venture Global LNG has launched commercial operations at its Calcasieu Pass plant in Louisiana after more than three years of commissioning. The company will now begin long-term deliveries, though arbitration disputes with major buyers remain ongoing.
Petronas Secures Extra Gas Supply to Offset Pipeline Fire Disruptions
Malaysian oil and gas giant Petroliam Nasional said on April 16 it has secured additional gas supplies to minimize supply disruptions caused by the huge fire at the Putra Heights pipeline earlier this month.
FERC Approves Enstor’s 33.5 Bcf Mississippi Gas Storage Expansion Project
FERC has approved Enstor’s plan to expand its Mississippi Hub gas storage facility, adding 33.5 Bcf of capacity by 2028 to support growing LNG and power generation demand in the Southeast.
South Bow to Resume Keystone Pipeline at Reduced Pressure Following Spill
South Bow plans to restart the Keystone pipeline by Tuesday following a 3,500-barrel oil spill in North Dakota. The restart remains subject to U.S. safety regulator approval and will operate under reduced pressure as part of federal and Canadian corrective action orders.
TC Energy Pipeline Strike in Michigan Causes Gas Outage, Repairs Underway
TC Energy is responding to a third-party line strike that damaged a section of its ANR Pipeline System near Fennville, Michigan, on Wednesday afternoon, causing a gas outage in the area.
LNG Canada Begins Final Cooldown Ahead of First Exports
LNG Canada is the country's first LNG export facility and when completed is expected to produce 14 million metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) for export.
Occidental, 1PointFive Secure First EPA Permits for CO₂ Storage from Texas DAC Facility
Occidental and 1PointFive secured the first EPA Class VI permits to store carbon dioxide from their STRATOS Direct Air Capture facility in Texas, marking a milestone in carbon sequestration technology.
India, UAE to Build Sri Lanka Energy Hub with Pipeline, Storage Infrastructure
The energy hub in the strategically important city of Trincomalee, a natural harbor in the Sri Lanka's east, will involve construction of a multi-product pipeline and may include using a World War Two tank farm partly held by the Sri Lankan subsidiary of Indian Oil Corp.
DOE Considers Cutting Over $1.2 Billion in Carbon Capture Project Funding
The U.S. Department of Energy is considering cutting over $1.2 billion in funding for carbon capture projects, jeopardizing early-stage and commercial-scale efforts aimed at reducing emissions through capture, transport, and storage technologies.
China's First 300-Bar Hydrogen Supply Hub Opens in Shanghai
Air Liquide and Shenergy have opened China’s first 300-bar hydrogen supply center in Shanghai, boosting regional hydrogen mobility and industrial use with a daily capacity of 12 tonnes.
E.ON Launches CO₂ Capture Project at Denmark's CopenHill Plant
E.ON and ARC launch CopenCapture, a CO₂ capture and storage project at Copenhagen’s CopenHill waste-to-energy plant, aiming to remove 400,000 tons of CO₂ annually and generate carbon removal credits.
Williams Adds 514 MMcf/d as Two Transco Expansions Enter Service in Southeast, Gulf Coast
Williams has placed two Transco pipeline expansion projects into service, adding 514 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of natural gas capacity to meet growing demand in the Southeast and Gulf Coast regions.
Europe May Need $11 Billion in LNG to Refill Gas Storage
Europe may need up to 250 LNG cargoes costing $11 billion to refill gas storage ahead of winter, as colder weather, reduced pipeline flows, and Ukrainian supply needs drive demand. Analysts warn storage targets may not be met without market incentives.
Sempra to Sell Gas Assets in Mexico, Trim Infrastructure Stake
Sempra will sell its Ecogas Mexico business and a minority stake in Sempra Infrastructure to help fund a $56 billion capital plan focused on utility investments in Texas and California, with transactions expected over the next 12 to 18 months.
Baker Hughes to Provide Coiled-Tubing Drilling for Dubai Gas Storage Project
The agreement expands Baker Hughes' role in the Margham project. The company is already supplying its Integrated Compressor Line (ICL) units for gas storage, injection, and export.
Aramco JV to Develop Blue Hydrogen Network, Support CCS in Saudi Arabia
Aramco has completed the acquisition of a 50% equity stake in the Blue Hydrogen Industrial Gases Company (BHIG), a joint venture with Air Products Qudra aimed at producing low-carbon hydrogen in Jubail Industrial City.
Venture Global Seeks FERC OK to Start Calcasieu Pass Operations, TransCameron Pipeline
U.S. LNG developer Venture Global Inc. has asked federal regulators for permission to begin operations of its entire Calcasieu Pass LNG export facility and TransCameron pipeline project, the final step before moving to commercial operations, according to a filing on Tuesday.
Ottawa, Canada Contractor Blamed for Multiple Gas Line Strikes During Pipeline Work
Thomas Cavanagh Construction Limited has pleaded guilty to five safety violations after damaging multiple gas lines during a series of pipeline upgrade projects in Ottawa.
Renaissance Investigates Blast on Nigeria’s Trans Niger Pipeline
Nigerian oil consortium Renaissance Group confirmed on Tuesday a blast on its Trans Niger oil pipeline in the coastal River State and has dispatched a team to investigate, spokesperson Tony Okonedo said.
Cheniere Completes First Train at Corpus Christi Stage 3 LNG Project
Cheniere Energy has achieved substantial completion of Train 1 at its Corpus Christi Stage 3 Liquefaction Project, the company announced on March 16. With commissioning now complete, Bechtel Energy has handed over control of the train and associated systems to Cheniere.
- Missouri Loses Control Over 1.5 Million-Mile Gas Pipeline Network as Feds Step In
- 1,000-Mile Pipeline Exit Plan by Hope Gas Alarms West Virginia Producers
- Valero Plans to Shut California Refinery, Takes $1.1 Billion Hit
- Greenpeace Ordered to Pay $667 Million to Energy Transfer Over Dakota Access Pipeline Protests
- Canada’s Canceled Oil Pipelines: The Projects That Didn’t Make It
- New Alternatives for Noise Reduction in Gas Pipelines
- Editor’s Notebook: Fire Fuels Pipeline Concerns
- Missouri Loses Control Over 1.5 Million-Mile Gas Pipeline Network as Feds Step In
- Enbridge Plans $2 Billion Upgrade for North America’s Largest Crude Pipeline
- South Dakota Governor Signs Bill Banning Eminent Domain for Carbon Pipeline
