Pipeline
Mexico: An Expanding Market for Infrastructure, but Dependent on Reforms
A consultant in his native Mexico, Arturo Palacios is more than willing to share his considerable views on what’s going on in his nation, but he also suggests that anyone in the U.S. energy sector wanting to do business south of the border should do their homework. He can suggest websites, governme..
Company & Association News
The Board of Directors of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers elected Robert W. Osborne vice chairman at its recent meeting in Fort Worth. Osborne, who has been in the oil and gas business since 1971, is vice president and 50% owner of Cobra Oil & Gas Corp. in Wichita Falls. Personnel Changes ..
As Oil Plunges, Energy Companies Cut Jobs, Postpone Projects
LONDON (AP) — The world’s biggest oil companies are slashing jobs and backing off major investments as the price of crude falls to new lows – and there may be more pain to come. Companies like BP, which said Tuesday it is cutting 4,000 jobs, are slimming down to cope with the slump in oil, whose ..
Where Do We Go From Here? Attend Pipeline Opportunities Conference to Find Out
With the future of the oil and gas industry on everyone’s mind, the 12th annual Pipeline Opportunities Conference on March 22 will bring together industry experts who will explain the challenges facing the energy sector, but will more importantly discuss an active future that awaits them. The confe..
Enable Gas Closes Binding Open Season
Enable Midstream Partners’ wholly owned subsidiary, Enable Gas Transmission, LLC, closed a binding open season Dec. 3, soliciting commitments for the company’s Cana and Stack Expansion (CaSE). Together with existing EGT system capacity and capacity on third-party pipelines, the CaSE project will pro..
TransCanada to Build, Own and Operate Mexican Pipeline
TransCanada Corp. has been chosen to build, own and operate the Tuxpan-Tula Pipeline in Mexico. Construction of the pipeline is supported by a 25-year natural gas transportation service contract with the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), Mexico’s state-owned power company. TransCanada expects..
Improving Pipeline Inspection Options for Inspectors, Contractors
One of the biggest obstructions to completing major pipeline construction projects on time and on budget, and with high quality, has been a shortage of experienced and qualified pipeline construction inspectors. Assurance of inspector qualifications, along with the application of a strong construct..
49th IPLOCA Convention Convenes in Singapore
SINGAPORE – The parallels between the pipeline industry and the island country of Singapore may not be obvious but after a few days in the city-state, one observes the efficiency, the diversity and the innovation of this unique city – all traits reflected by both the pipeline industry and the Intern..
In the News: Enbridge Cutting 500 Jobs, Leaving 100 Unfilled
Enbridge is reducing its workforce by 5% as low oil prices continue to reverberate through the energy sector. The move affects 500 people at all levels of the company in the U.S. and Canada. The company also is leaving 100 positions unfilled. TransCanada has also been cutting staff, starting with it..
OPEC Says $95 Oil Coming, But Not Until 2040
This week opened with the average global price of oil at an 11-year low, yet OPEC expects its own producers eventually will cut back on production, causing prices to rebound to $70 per barrel by 2020. That may seem a long time for producers to wait for oil to become more profitable, but in OPEC’s annual World Oil Outlook, issued Wednesday, the oil cartel does not see oil prices returning to the heights of $110 per barrel, where it was before the price crisis began in June 2014. Instead, it says it doesn’t expect prices to reach even $95 per barrel until 2040.
Oil Jobs Drive North Dakota to Lead US in Population Growth Again
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota is once again leading the nation in population growth, and the number of residents in the state is at an all-time high, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The bureau's most recent estimate put the state population at 756,927 in July, an increase of 16,887 residents — or about 2.3% — compared to July 2014. That percentage, far higher than the national average, is largely driven by people in search of jobs in oil-rich western North Dakota.
Europe Cries Foul over German's Support of Russia's Gas Pipeline
Ther is a growing chorus in Europe against Germany’s support to expand a major natural gas pipeline from Russia over fears that it will leave Europe more dependent on their eastern neighbor. The Nord Stream 2 would build on the existing Nord Stream pipeline, a conduit that delivers Russian natural gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea. Crucially, the project cuts out Ukraine, a key strategic objective for Russia since the original project’s inception.
Ditch Witch Founder, Inventor of Compact Trencher, Dies
The utility construction industry lost a giant with death of Ed Malzahn, chairman of the Charles Machine Works Inc. (CMW). Malzahn’s invention of a compact trenching machine paved the way for changes in the way essential utility services are delivered to customers.
Columbia Pipelines Looking to Spend $1.1 Billion on Modernization
Columbia Gas Transmission has filed a customer agreement with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to extend its long-term system modernization program by three years, through 2020.The agreement, with a requested approval by March 31, would provide for $1.1 billion of additional investment. Parent company Columbia Pipeline Gas (CPG), has invested about $1 billion under the modernization programs over the past three years, placing more than 100 projections into service. These include: • Replacement of more than 130 miles of bare steel pipelines and wrought iron facilities
AP Investigation: US Power Grid Vulnerable to Foreign Hacks
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Security researcher Brian Wallace was on the trail of hackers who had snatched a California university's housing files when he stumbled into a larger nightmare: Cyber-attackers had opened a pathway into the networks running the United States power grid.
Gazprom Rapidly Losing Grip on European Markets
When talking about energy security in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), most governments think of gas pipelines. The bigger they are, the more secure they feel. In the past decade, at least 10 large-scale pipeline projects have been initiated and proclaimed as the ultimate source of gas diversification and energy security. However, just one has been actually realized – Nord Stream – and still Gazprom can fill its capacity only half-way making the project largely uneconomical.
Crestwood Equity Completes Open Season on Pipeline Expansion
Crestwood Equity Partners completed a non-binding open season on Dec. 7 seeking shipper support for the Delaware Takeaway crude pipeline system (Delta), a 164-mile crude and condensate pipeline header system originating at a Crestwood terminal to be built north of Pecos, TX. The pipeline would have potential downstream connections to multiple downstream interconnects that will provide shippers access to end markets including El Paso, Midland, Cushing, Houston and Corpus Christi.
Los Angeles Sues Gas Company over 6-Week-Old Leak
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles city attorney has sued the Southern California Gas Co. over a 6-week-old natural gas leak that has sparked complaints of illness and forced hundreds of families out of a San Fernando Valley neighborhood. The Superior Court lawsuit alleges unfair competition and creation of a public nuisance.
Dont Expect Crude Exodus Because Export Ban Ending
Congress is on the verge of passing a major budget deal that includes some of the largest changes to energy policy in some years. Tucked into the budget bill is a repeal on the ban on crude oil exports from the United States, a highly sought after goal on behalf of the oil and gas industry. In exchange for lifting the export ban, Republicans agreed to extend tax credits for wind and solar for five years.
Mexico Oil Sector Sees Most Successful Auction So Far
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's third auction to open oil and gas blocks to private investment was the most successful yet, with all 25 blocks drawing bids Tuesday. Officials awarded exploration and production rights to mostly Mexican companies, as well as one Canadian firm plus consortiums involving U.S. and Dutch investments. No major multinational oil companies participated in the bidding.
AP Analysis: Why US Will Export Oil for 1st Time in Decades
NEW YORK — The United States, seemingly awash in crude oil after an energy boom sent thousands of workers scurrying to the plains of Texas and North Dakota, will begin exporting oil for the first time since the 1973 oil embargo. The lifting of the embargo is part of a spending deal expected to be pushed through the House and Senate by the end of the week. Here's a brief look at why the ban was in place, and the reasons why that ban is now being lifted after four decades.
Industry Cooperation Key to Improving Infrastructure Pipeline Safety
Several years ago after the collapse of a bridge in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, a cartoon was published showing two people standing on a sidewalk acknowledging the news and bemoaning what else could go wrong. Shown only as can best be done in cartoons, was a mish-mash of pipes underneath their very feet totally out of sight, in various contortions and in varying levels of disrepair and decay.
Steel vs. Plastic Pipe: Some Thoughts to Consider
With oil prices hovering near $50 a barrel for the first time since the crash of 2008, oil and gas producers are watching to see if this is a temporary blip from the $80-100 range or closer to a “new normal” in which prices stay below $60. For some, this price uncertainty has meant scaling back production, exploration and drilling with the looming possibility of halting some activities all together.
Fuel Thefts from Mexican Pipelines Rise 55% Despite Pemex Efforts
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Authorities say illegal taps drilled into government pipelines by fuel thieves have risen by about 55% this year, reaching almost 500 per month. Fuel theft is skyrocketing despite efforts by the Pemex oil company to make it less attractive, by shipping fuel that lacks final additives through some pipelines. According to government figures made public Monday, 3,286 clandestine taps were found in the first 11 months of 2014, compared to 5,091 in the same period of 2015. The thefts averaged 497 taps in the last five months of 2015.
Bourdon Named Chairman of American Midstream
Lynn L. Bourdon III was appointed as chairman, president and CEO of American Midstream Partners LP, the company said Dec. 14. Steve Bergstrom retired from those positions, effective Dec. 10, the company added. Bergstrom will continue serving as a director on the board of directors. Most recently, Bourdon was president and CEO of Enable Midstream Partners LP. Prior to that, he was group senior vice president of NGL and natural gas marketing, petrochemical, refined products and marine services at Enterprise Products Partners LP.
Company Plans Gravel Island to Extract Arctic Offshore Oil
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Arctic offshore drilling by Royal Dutch Shell PLC drew protests on two continents this year, but a more modest proposal for extracting petroleum where polar bears roam has moved forward with much less attention. While Shell proposed exploratory wells in the Chukchi Sea about 80 miles off Alaska's northwest coast, a Texas oil company wants to build a gravel island as a platform for five or more extraction wells that could tap oil 6 miles from shore in the Beaufort Sea.
Deliveries to Sabine Indicate Train 1 Commissioning Well Underway
The first substantial deliveries of 46 MMcf to Sabine Pass LNG took place Dec. 10 from Creole Trail’s Creole Trail-SPLIQ-D meter location. This increase in deliveries came from a 33.6 MMcf receipt off of the TETCO pipeline. The point has an operational capacity of 1.7 Bcf. Nominations at this point were first seen Oct 1; since then it has averaged 2.74 MMcf/d. This correlated with consistent flaring activity seen by Genscape’s proprietary monitors.
Countries Added to Shale Oil, Natural Gas Resource Assessment
EIA continues to expand its assessment of technically recoverable shale oil and shale natural gas resources around the world. The addition of four countries – Chad, Kazakhstan, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – to a previous assessment covering 42 countries has resulted in a 13% increase in the global assessed total resource estimate for shale oil and a 4% increase for shale gas.
Accidental Partnership: From Potential Pipeline to Joint Venture Litigation
The briefing is now complete in a closely watched appeal of a landmark judgment issued last year in Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. v. Enterprise Products Partners L.P., in which a Texas jury concluded that, notwithstanding express contractual language disclaiming the formation of a partnership in connection with preliminary exploration of an oil pipeline project, the conduct of the parties could – and did in fact – establish a legally binding partnership.
Ultrasonic Cleaning Technology Helps SoCalGas Achieve Greater Efficiency
High-powered engines require high-powered cleaning to maintain operating efficiency and productivity. One natural gas facility is realizing significant time savings, seeing greater equipment efficiency and extending the life of its 100-year-old equipment, saving millions of dollars in the process.
- Williams' $1 Billion Gas Pipeline Blocked by U.S. Appeals Court, Derailing Five-State Project
- Texas Waha Hub Gas Prices Plunge to Record Lows, Hit Negative Territory
- Williams Begins Louisiana Pipeline Construction Despite Ongoing Legal Dispute with Energy Transfer
- U.S. Buys Nearly 5 Million Barrels of Oil for Emergency Stockpile
- U.S. Appeals Court Strikes Down Controversial Biden Pipeline Safety Rules
- Report: Houston Region Poised to Become a Global Clean Hydrogen Hub
- Exxon Mobil to Start Gas Reserve Seismic Surveys in Greece
- LaPorte, Texas, Issues Shelter in Place After Altivia Plant Leaks Toxic Gas
- Texas Startup Endeavors Again to Build First Major U.S. Oil Refinery Since 1977
- Mid-Year Global Forecast: Midstream Responding to Demand from LNG Projects
