Operations
Two Dead After Fire on Vessel at Port of Houston, Texas
Two crew members are dead and one injured after a fire on a vessel at Port of Houston, Texas, on Monday, according to local media reports.
Motiva Enterprises Initiates 45-Day Overhaul, Temporarily Shuts CDU, Coker at Largest U.S. Refinery
Motiva Enterprises is scheduled to shut the large crude distillation unit (CDU) and large coker at its 626,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery by Monday, people familiar with the company’s plans said on Friday.
U.S. DOT Invests Nearly $15 Million to Improve Pipeline Safety
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is awarding $14.8 million in grants to fund projects and activities to improve pipeline safety.
Bunge Halts Operations at Indiana Soy Plant Due to Damaged Gas Pipeline
A soybean processing facility in Decatur, Indiana, operated by global grain handler Bunge stopped operations last week following damage to a natural gas pipeline that feeds the site, the company said in a statement to Reuters on Wednesday.
Summit Carbon Solutions Secures 80% Right-of-Way in North Dakota for Carbon Capture Project
Summit Carbon Solutions has acquired 80% of the Right-of-Way (ROW) needed for its proposed carbon capture, transport, and storage project across North Dakota.
U.S. Energy Acquires Two Refined Product Terminals in Illinois
(P&GJ) — With the addition of these facilities, U.S. Energy now owns and operates 37 terminals across nine states with a collective storage capacity of over eight million barrels.
Crucial Role of Testing Labs in Pipeline Emergency Response
(P&GJ) — Emergency situations, like explosions due to pipeline ruptures, often happen instantly and without warning. Pipeline managers know about the risks that come with the job, but the aftereffects of pipeline ruptures and leaks are often secondary to protecting human life.
At Least 40 Dead in Liberian Gas Tanker Explosion, Says Official
At least 40 people have died following the explosion of a gas tanker in north-central Liberia, the West African country's chief medical officer, Francis Kateh, said on Wednesday.
Oxygen Corrosion Control for Multiphase, Gas Phase Pipelines
(P&GJ) — The oil and gas industry is committed to driving greater production and transportation from existing infrastructure, and ensuring effective asset integrity and flow assurance is essential to this objective.
Smart Tech Takes Aim at U.S. Methane Emissions
(P&GJ) — It’s hardly surprising that major gas leaks hit international headlines. Known as super-emitter events, these leaks cause plumes of methane to escape into our atmosphere — sometimes for days on end. However, these leaks are often spotted by satellites orbiting our planet before they are even known about on Earth.
Crude Stocks at Top U.S. Storage Hub Rebuild After Nearing Tank Bottoms
Oil inventories at the top U.S. storage hub rebounded last month after nearing operational lows, thanks to improved pricing at the hub that pulled in barrels from Texas' Permian basin and higher Canadian crude flows, analysts said.
BP Restarts Pipeline After Gasoline Spill in Washington State
The pipeline was restarted following repairs, integrity testing, and regulatory approval of the restart plan, the source said. The company has been cleaning up the spill since Sunday with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and local officials.
Creating Efficiencies with Turn-Key Integrity Solutions
(P&GJ) — As countries around the globe work to reduce emissions, the transition from coal to natural gas is an important step that many pipeline operators are pursuing, as part of their strategy to meet emission targets and move to lower carbon energy sources.
Freeport LNG Settles with EPA Over Safety Failures Following June 2022 Texas Blast
Freeport LNG, which operates the second-largest U.S. liquefied natural gas export plant in Texas, agreed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to settle safety violations related to a June 2022 blast that caused some $275 million in damage to the facility.
Kinder Morgan Increases Permian Highway Pipeline Capacity by 550 MMcf/d
(P&GJ) — Pipeline operator Kinder Morgan has successfully augmented the capacity of its Permian Highway natural gas pipeline by an additional 550 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d), CEO Kimberly Dang announced during an investor call Dec. 7.
Exolum to Acquire 50% Stake in Houston Ammonia, NGL Storage Terminal from Moda Midstream
Exolum has agreed to acquire a 50% interest in Vopak Moda Houston LLC, an ammonia storage, import and export terminal located on the Houston Ship Channel, from Moda Midstream LLC.
BP's Olympic Pipeline Leaks Over 25,000 Gallons of Gas in Washington State
(P&GJ) — Emergency teams worked to address a gasoline spill in northwest Washington State on Dec. 12 after a pipeline segment failed over the weekend that released approximately 25,660 gallons (97,100 liters) of gasoline due to a small tube malfunction.
BP Takes On FERC, Alleges Approval Flaws for Venture Global LNG Plant
BP Plc has challenged U.S. energy regulators' approvals of a Venture Global LNG export facility, arguing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has failed to enforce its regulations, according to a letter filed with FERC on Monday.
Mexico's Pemex Eyeing Later Refinery Start-Up Date, Months After Initial Announcement
Mexican state-owned oil company Petróleos Mexicanos is working to nail down the start-up date at its newest refinery, months after the government said it had begun early output to ramp up to full capacity by December.
Sources: Four Suitors Offer More Than $648 Million for Edison’s Gas Storage Assets
Edison's gas storage assets have attracted offers from four Italian and international suitors, setting the stage for a transaction that could be worth more than 600 million euros ($648 million), two sources familiar with the matter said.
EIA: Continental U.S. Kicks Off Winter with Most Natural Gas in Storage Since 2020
The continental United States entered the winter heating season with the most natural gas in storage since 2020, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Thursday.
Implementing the New Pipeline Security Directive
(P&GJ) — The digital era has ushered in unprecedented opportunities and new vulnerabilities that can create ripple effects across our nation’s critical infrastructure. Nowhere is this more evident than in our essential pipeline systems.
Shell Shortlists CNOOC and Vitol for Singapore Assets Sale
Shell has shortlisted at least four companies including state-run China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) and top global energy trader Vitol as bidders for its Singapore refinery assets, sources with knowledge of the matter said.
LaPorte, Texas, Issues Shelter in Place After Altivia Plant Leaks Toxic Gas
Altivia Chemical was working to contain a toxic gas leak from its LaPorte, Texas, plant on Monday, as the city's emergency management agency ordered some nearby residents and five neighboring facilities to shelter in place out of caution.
Drones Used to Improve Safety of Pipelines
(P&GJ) — There’s no way around it — infrastructure inspection is as risky and dangerous as it is vital. For the past few years, companies have begun experimenting with unmanned aerial systems (known as UAS, or drones) to help improve worker safety, among other benefits.
Centrica Pumps Gas from Rough Storage into U.K. Grid as Demand Rises
British Gas owner Centrica has released stored gas from its largest storage facility into the national grid for the first time this winter, it said on Tuesday, seeking to manage rising heating demand and contain prices.
ABB, Luna Innovations Collaborate on World’s Largest Fiber Optic-Based Gas Pipeline Monitoring System
Luna Innovations and automation contractor ABB collaborated with the system operator to provide leak detection, pipeline security and facility security across the 1,811 km route in a project spanning six years.
Indonesia Launches First Carbon Storage Project in West Papua
Indonesia's President Joko Widodo on Friday launched construction of a carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) project in West Papua province operated by BP Plc, the country's first carbon storage project.
Motiva Postpones Port Arthur CDU Overhaul to January; Smaller Unit Reopens This Week
Motiva Enterprises moved the start of a planned overhaul on the large crude distillation unit (CDU) and coker to January from March at its 626,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery, the nation’s largest, people familiar with plant operations said on Wednesday.
FERC Approves Full Operations Restart for Freeport LNG in Texas
U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) company Freeport LNG received approval to return part of its export plant in Texas to full operation, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said on Wednesday.
- Mexican President: Billionaire Slim Interested in Pemex Natural Gas Project
- Freeport LNG Sues Three Contractors Over Defects at Texas Plant
- Energy Transfer Adds 6,000 Miles of Pipeline with $3.25 Billion WTG Midstream Acquisition
- FERC Approves Transco's Texas to Louisiana Gas Pipeline Project
- Williams Says Court Rules in Its Favor in Pipeline Dispute with Energy Transfer
- U.S. to Buy 4.5 Million Barrels of Oil to Replenish Strategic Petroleum Reserve
- Kurdish Oil Smuggling to Iran Flourishes
- U.S. Court Overturns Alaska Oil Lease Sale, Halting Energy Development
- Second Gas Pipeline Rupture in Texas’ Reeves County Raises Environmental Concerns
- Williams Begins Louisiana Pipeline Construction Despite Ongoing Legal Dispute with Energy Transfer
