Pipeline
Oil Stranded by California Pipeline Break Could Be Trucked Out
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Eight months ago a ruptured pipeline created the largest coastal oil spill in California in 25 years, fouling beaches near Santa Barbara with crude and spreading goo as far as 100 miles away. The beaches reopened last summer, but the fallout is continuing. Santa Barbara County..
FERC's Clark Won't Seek Reappointment when Term Ends
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Federal Energy Regulatory Commission member Tony Clark says he won’t seek reappointment when his term ends June 30. The Republican made the announcement on his Twitter account Thursday, and his staff confirmed his intention. The federal agency regulates utilities, power gene..
North Dakota Regulators Approve Dakota Access Pipeline
BISMARCK, ND (AP) — North Dakota regulators on Wednesday approved the biggest-capacity crude pipeline proposed to date that would move nearly 600,000 bpd from the oil patch to Illinois. Some things to know about the $3.8 billion, 1,150-mile project that crosses four states: The North Dakota Publi..
Crowds Attack Mexico Pipelines, Steal Diesel with Buckets
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Rebellious crowds of townspeople in a rural area in central Mexico are defying police and soldiers to steal diesel from illegally tapped pipelines, creating what officials call an imminent threat of tragedies like fires that have burned dozens of people at other sites in Mexico. ..
KMI, TrailStone Form Mexican Gas Marketing Company
A subsidiary of Kinder Morgan signed a joint venture letter of intent with a subsidiary of the TrailStone Group to form a Mexican natural gas marketing company. The JV between KMI and TrailStone subsidiaries will combine North American gas supply and transportation to provide competitively priced g..
Editor's Notebook: A Few Things I Just Don’t Understand
A former classmate of mine posts on Facebook a photo of 1970, yearning again for gasoline at 40 cents a gallon. Do you want to go back to earning $2 an hour? Do you realize that the $1.75 you’re probably paying today is less in adjusted dollars than what you paid in 1970? But then I have to remind m..
French Pipeline Legend Hangs Up His Hard Hat
With 52 years in the industry working on pipeline projects in many countries around the world, Bernard Quereillahc, now 69, is packing away his safety gear to focus on retirement. Born in 1946 in Plaisance du Gers in the Gers department of the Midi-Pyrénées region of southwest France, Quereillahc f..
TDW Repairs Exposed Beach Gas Pipeline in 3 Weeks
A beach in a highly populated tourist area is hardly an ideal work site. But when a 42-inch gas pipeline laid parallel to the seashore shifted and became exposed on the beach near Ubhrat, India, crews had to overcome several unusual challenges posed by the surrounding landscape and notable environme..
P&GJ’s 2016 Worldwide Construction Report
P&GJ’s 2016 survey figures indicate 94,799 miles of pipelines are planned and under construction worldwide. Of these, 49,848 miles represent projects in the engineering and design phase; 44,951 miles are in various stages of construction. Following is a list of new and planned pipeline miles in the..
EN Engineering President on Acquisitions, Growth and the Future
EN Engineering has been on an acquisition mode, both acquiring and being acquired, in recent years. On July 1, the company welcomed General Atlantic, a leading growth equity investment firm, as a partner and majority investor in the firm. In 2011, Thomas C. Ziegenfuss became president of EN Engineer..
Magellan Midstream, TransCanada to Build Houston Connection
Magellan Midstream Partners and TransCanada announced definitive plans to connect TransCanada’s Houston tank terminal to Magellan’s East Houston terminal. HoustonLink Pipeline, a new company owned 50-50 by Magellan and TransCanada, will construct, own and operate a 9-mile, 24-inch crude oil pipelin..
Survey Finds Natural Gas Industry Still Upbeat, Just Less So
While the majority of those in the natural gas industry remain optimistic about growth between now and 2020, the numbers from a Black & Veatch survey clearly indicate that “the exuberance of 2014 is waning.” According to the 2015 Strategic Directions: U.S. Natural Gas Industry Report, even as deman..
National Grid at Home and Abroad
National Grid is a British-based multinational pipeline and power networks company with operations in the United Kingdom and northeastern United States. It is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world and is listed on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges. According to ..
Financial Expert High on Mexico’s Potential
For an expert’s perspective on Mexico’s expansive Energy Reform effort, P&GJ interviewed Richard Ennis, managing director, ING Capital. P&GJ: Why did President Enrique Peña Nieto institute the Energy Reform program? Enrique Enni..
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.
- Phillips 66 to Shut LA Oil Refinery, Ending Major Gasoline Output Amid Supply Concerns
- FERC Sides with Williams in Texas-Louisiana Pipeline Dispute with Energy Transfer
- U.S. Appeals Court Blocks Kinder Morgan’s Tennessee Pipeline Permits
- ConocoPhillips Eyes Sale of $1 Billion Permian Assets Amid Marathon Acquisition
- Valero Considers All Options, Including Sale, for California Refineries Amid Regulatory Pressure
- U.S. LNG Export Growth Faces Uncertainty as Trump’s Tariff Proposal Looms, Analysts Say
- Marathon Oil to Lay Off Over 500 Texas Workers Ahead of ConocoPhillips Merger
- Valero Considers All Options, Including Sale, for California Refineries Amid Regulatory Pressure
- Another Major U.S. Oil Refinery Shutting Down as Lyondell Confirms Houston Closure
- Chevron CEO Wirth Under Fire as Hess Deal Delay Drags Down Stock Performance
