Pipeline
Presidents Report Finds Energy Infrastructure Needs Major Investments
The need for major changes to the nation’s energy infrastructure is why President Obama initiated a quadrennial cycle of energy reviews to provide a multiyear roadmap for U.S. energy policy. The result is the recent release of the initial installment of the first-ever Quadrennial Energy Review 2015 (QER) prepared by the White House task force.
Evacuations, No Injuries After Pipeline Ruptures in Texas
CUERO, TX (AP) — Authorities say no one was injured after a natural gas pipeline ruptured in rural South Texas, sparking a massive fire that prompted the evacuation of nearby homes. DeWitt County Emergency Operations Center spokeswoman Peggy Fonseca says an Energy Transfer Partners pipeline ruptured near Lindenau at about 8 p.m. Sunday. Fonseca said early Monday that the gas had been rerouted and the fire was extinguished. She said seven homes were evacuated but that no one was injured. Residents were allowed to return Sunday night following safety inspections.
TransCanada Ready To Begin Work on B.C. Gas Pipeline
TransCanada made a positive final investment decisionfrom LNG for the proposed Pacific NorthWest (PNW) LNG liquefaction and export facility in the Port Edward district of British Colombia. “This development is a significant step forward,” said Russ Girling, TransCanada's president and chief executive officer. The move advances the company’s $46 billion capital growth plan, which includes more than $13 billion in proposed natural gas pipeline projects in support of the emerging LNG industry on the B.C. coast.
Crude by Rail Boosts West Coast Supply as Regional Production Falls
While U.S. crude oil production increased by nearly 3.2 MMbpd from 2010 to 2014, production in the West Coast region decreased by 100,000 bpd, continuing a long-term decline, EIA data showed. With no major crude oil pipelines connecting the West Coast to other parts of the country, refineries on the West Coast adjusted by increasing imports of foreign crude oil, reaching an average of 1.1 MMbpd over the past five years.
California Oil Spill Cleanup Cost Reaches $62 Million
GOLETA, CA — The cost of cleaning up the oil spill that fouled beaches last month on the California coast has reached $62 million so far, pipeline company Plains All American Pipeline said Wednesday. Costs are running at $3 million a day, and there is no timetable for when the cleanup will be complete, the company's on-scene coordinator, Patrick Hodgins, told The Associated Press. The Plains All American is responsible for footing the bill after a pipeline break near Santa Barbara forced the closure of two state beaches and prompted a fishing ban in the area.
Energy Transfer Partners Building 100 Miles of Rich Gas Pipeline
Energy Transfer Partners has entered into long-term gas gathering, processing, and fractionation agreements with EdgeMarc Energy. To facilitate these agreements, ETP has purchased 20 miles of high-pressure pipeline from EdgeMarc and will build a new cryogenic gas processing plant, a new fractionator and additional gas gathering pipelines.
Developing Engineering-Based Integrity Programs for Pipelines, Plants
Integrity assessment has always been a part of operations and maintenance activities. As plant piping and pipeline infrastructure has aged, industry first developed basic tools, and as their importance became apparent, these tools improved to meet those increasing needs.
Washington State to Review Shell Oil-By-Rail Project
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington state regulators say they'll work with Skagit County to conduct a full environmental review of a proposed oil-by-rail project at the Shell Puget Sound Refinery near Anacortes. Royal Dutch Shell wants to build a rail spur from existing railroad tracks to handle about 60,000 bpd, or about one mile-long train. The oil would be pumped from rail cars into storage tanks.
Crews Prepare to Recover Ruptured Pipeline in Arkansas River
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Workers are preparing to recover a natural gas pipeline that ruptured in the Arkansas River, forcing closure of a 2-mile section of the river near Little Rock. Spectra Energy Corp. said the recovery process could begin Tuesday once conditions are safe enough to put divers in the water. The company provides gas to CenterPoint Energy in the Little Rock area. The leak in a 24-inch-wide backup pipeline occurred May 31. A section of pipe traveled downstream and now lies along the north bank of the Arkansas River.
Gulfport Energy Increases Utica Shale Holdings
OKLAHOMA CITY – Gulfport Energy Corporation announced it will acquire additional acreage in the Utica Shale, associated assets and incremental firm transportation commitments from from Aubrey McClendon-backed American Energy for about $406 million. Among the properties involved: • Contiguous bolt-on acreage acquisitions totaling 35,325 net acres in Monroe, Belmont and Jefferson counties in Ohio • An 11-mile gas-gathering system that is operational in Monroe County to support near-term development
PGC Report Shows Record-High Resource Evaluation of US Natural Gas
The United States possesses a large and growing domestic abundance of natural gas. The biennial report,<em> Potential Supply of Natural Gas in the United States,</em> developed by the Potential Gas Committee (PGC), details the nation's total technically recoverable resource base of natural gas, which provides the foundation for stable prices, customer savings, energy security and more.
ShawCor Back at Work on South Stream Offshore Pipeline
ShawCor's Bredero Shaw pipe-coating division has been notified the work suspension on its contract with Europipe for the concrete weight coating of Line 1 of the South Stream Pipeline has been lifted. In December 2014, ShawCor announced suspension of the majority of work on its $100 million pipeline contracts with Europipe and with Marubeni Sumitomo Consortium and with Saipem SpA, a contract valued at about $30 million.
PG&E Completes Cast-Iron Replacement, Earns Safety Certifications
Since Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) finished replacing all 835 miles of cast-iron pipeline in its system ahead of its 2014 year-end goal, the company has turned its attention to further modernizing its infrastructure with the latest gas-safety technology and by building a skilled workforce. The decommissioning of cast-iron pipe, which began in 1985, covered enough distance to run from Seattle to San Francisco, and has been followed by implementation of one of the most comprehensive modernization programs in the nation.
Pipeline Firm Told California Oil Spill 'Extremely Unlikely'
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Texas company whose ruptured pipeline created the largest coastal oil spill in California in 25 years had assured the government that a break in the line while possible was "extremely unlikely" and state-of-the-art monitoring could quickly detect possible leaks and alert operators, documents show. Nearly 1,200 pages of records, filed with state regulators by Plains All American Pipeline, detail a range of defenses the company established to guard against crude oil spills and, at the same time, prepare for the worst should a spill occur.
Williams Cos. Have Caught the Growth Train and Dont Want to Get Off
When Michael Grande was cutting his teeth as an energy analyst at Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, he thought the Tulsa, OK-based Williams Cos. Inc. a takeover target as its credit ratings were languishing below investment grade. That was 2007, though. Today, Grande, now director of S&P’s utilities and infrastructure group, has a different take on the company after watching it closely the past eight years.
Alpha Crude Begins Delaware Basin Pipeline Construction
TULSA, OK – Alpha Crude Connector has has begun construction of its 400-mile Alpha Crude Connector Pipeline. The crude oil transportation pipeline serves Lea and Eddy counties in New Mexico and Culberson, Loving, Reeves and Winkler counties in Texas. The system will have more than 100,000 bpd capacity from more than 250 lease tank batteries, other local pipeline systems, and truck terminals in the Northern Delaware Basin. Shippers will have access to several downstream pipelines and a rail terminal, providing markets at local refineries, Cushing and the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Pioneer and Reliance Selling Pipeline, Plant to Enterprise
NEW YORK (AP) — Pioneer Natural Resources Co. and India's Reliance Industries Ltd. have agreed to sell a pipeline and processing company to Enterprise Products Partners LP for $2.15 billion. Irving, TX-based Pioneer currently owns 50.1% of the Eagle Ford Shale Midstream business, while Reliance owns 49.9% of that business. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2015. Enterprise Products is a gas and oil pipeline company based in Houston.
Former BP Cleared of Lying about Oil Spill
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal jury has found a former BP executive not guilty of making false statements to investigators in connection with the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Prosecutors said David Rainey, the former vice president of Exploration for the Gulf of Mexico, in the early days of the spill, manipulated calculations to match a far-too-low government estimate of the amount of oil spewing into the Gulf following the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. However, defense attorneys said Rainey's figures were made honestly and that he had no reason to lie.
Dominion Sues Virginia Landowners in Pipeline Feud
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Dominion Resources has filed lawsuits against 27 Virginia landowners it says haven't allowed surveyors to access their property for a proposed natural gas pipeline. Dominion announced Wednesday the lawsuits are the first of what could be more than 100 separate complaints filed against landowners Dominion says are legally obligated to allow surveyors to enter their properties, which are along the Atlantic Coast Pipeline's proposed route.
Increases in U.S. Oil Production Predominantly Light, Sweet Crude
U.S. crude oil production has grown rapidly in recent years, primarily from light, sweet crude from tight resource formations. About 90% of the nearly 3MMbpd growth in production from 2011 to 2014 consisted of light, sweet grades, meaning they have an API gravity of 40 or above and a sulphur content of 0.3% or less. EIA's <em>Annual Energy Outlook 2015</em> projects the U.S. supply of lighter API gravity crude oil from formations in regions such as the Bakken, Permian Basin, and Eagle Ford continues to outpace that of medium and heavier crudes.
High-Speed Compressors Spawn Need for Better Guidelines
With the growing use of high-speed separable reciprocating compressors in natural gas storage and transmission applications, the Gas Machinery Research Council (GMRC) sees the need for better guidelines and practices to govern the specification, design and application of this class of compression equipment.
SemGroup to Build Maurepas Pipelines
SemGroup plans to build and operate three pipelines in the Gulf Coast region of Louisiana. Collectively named the Maurepas Pipelines, they will support Motiva Enterprises efforts to interconnect its refinery operations.
EPA: No widespread Harm to Drinking Water from Fracking
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hydraulic fracturing to drill for oil and natural gas has not caused widespread harm to drinking water in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Thursday in a report that also warned of potential contamination of water supplies if safeguards are not maintained.
Venture Global Moves Ahead with Liquefaction-Export Facility
Venture Global LNG has hired two manufacturing and engineering companies for its Calcasieu Pass Project in Cameron Parish, LA. Chart Energy & Chemicals will provide midscale modular technology and Tecnicas Reunidas will handle engineering design for the gas liquefaction and export facility project. Chart will provide its IPSMR liquefaction technology and proprietary equipment. Tecnicas Reunidas’ will design a multitrain liquefaction plant with 10 MMtpa LNG capacity, two full containment LNG tanks, a 600-MW combined-cycle power plant and marine facilities.
Natural Gas To Challenge Oils Monopoly as Transportation Fuel, IHS Study Says
A new study by business information provider IHS forecasts significant growth and value in the market for natural gas and LNG as a transportation fuel. The study, <em>LNG in Transportation: Challenging Oil’s Grip</em> showed that use of natural gas as a transportation fuel could displace more than 1.5 MMbpd of oil demand by 2030. A combination of drivers — environmental, technological and commercial — will lead to greater adoption of natural gas in transport, the study said. The highest level of adoption will be in high-fuel-consuming applications such as trucks and ships.
Ruptured Santa Barbara Pipeline Badly Corroded, Report Says
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A pipeline rupture that spilled an estimated 101,000 gallons of crude oil near Santa Barbara last month occurred along a badly corroded section that had worn away to a fraction of an inch in thickness, according to federal regulators. The preliminary findings released Wednesday by the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration point to a possible cause of the May 19 spill that blackened popular beaches and created a 9-mile slick in the Pacific Ocean.
Enterprise Announces Acquisition of Eagle Ford Midstream Assets
HOUSTON – Enterprise Products Partners announced today it executed definitive agreements to purchase all member interests in Eagle Ford Shale gas-gathering company EFS Midstream from affiliates of Pioneer Natural Resources Company and Reliance Industries Limited for $2.15 billion.
Exova Wins Contract on 727-Mile Alaskan Pipeline Project
Exova won a contract with the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. (AGDC) to provide a material and weld qualification program for AGDC’s Alaska Stand Alone Pipeline project. AGDC is engaged in front-end engineering and design (FEED) for the $10 billion North Slope natural gas project. In its first contract with the company, Exova’s Houston laboratory is qualifying selected pipe mills and welding contractors specified by AGDC to work on the 727-mile, 36-inch mainline.
Opportunities Burning Bright for Natural Gas, AGA Chairman Says
At least for his new role as 2015 chairman of the American Gas Association Terry D. McCallister doesn’t have far to travel. The 59-year-old natural gas executive who is chairman and CEO of WGL Holdings and Washington Gas Light Co., the 165-year-old utility company that services the Potomac region, has plenty on his plate these days, as this interview found, so time is at a premium.
Erickson Wins Mexico Pipeline Construction Contract
Erickson Inc. has contracted with Group Desarrollo Infaestructura (GDI) to transport pipe via helicopter for a project by TransCanada’s Mexican subsidiary, Transportadora de Gas del Noreste in Mexico. They will use an S-64 E Aircrane to transport over 1,000 natural gas pipeline segments that will complete the 329-mile Topolobampo project. TransCanada expects to invest $1 billion in the project which is supported by a 25-year contract with Mexico’s national electric company, CFE. The 30-inch pipeline will be 329 miles long and have contracted capacity of 670 MMcf/d.
- 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
