Pipeline

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.

DIMP-Related Replacement Work Continues in U.S.

(P&GJ) — While the amount of work to replace cast-iron and bare-steel pipe has declined in volume – following the implementation of the Gas Distribution Integrity Management Program (DIMP) in 2009 – there is still plenty of construction left to be done.

Editor’s Notebook: Trouble in the Heartland

(P&GJ) — It seems that even CO2 pipelines — a centerpiece of the Biden administration’s net zero greenhouse gas reductions policy — can’t catch a break when it comes to getting out of the starting block where permitting and public opinion are concerned.

RSI Verifies Validation Results for Pipeline Tool

(P&GJ) — Plastometrex, a provider of advanced mechanical testing technologies, received a successful independent review of the pipeline validation testing data from its novel material verification tool.

INGAA Publishes 2023 Climate Report

(P&GJ) — The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) has published its second Climate Report, highlighting member company progress in delivering reliable energy while reducing emissions.

Elliott Takes $1 Billion Stake in U.S. Pipeline Operator Phillips 66, Urges Board Revamp

Elliott Investment Management has taken a $1 billion stake in Phillips 66 and is urging the U.S. oil refiner and pipeline operator to revamp its board to boost lagging performance.

Kyiv Proposes Reversing Trans-Balkan Gas Pipeline Flows Through Ukraine

Ukraine's state gas transit operator on Wednesday proposed reversing gas flows through the Trans-Balkan pipeline, which would allow gas to be pumped from the Balkans to Central and Eastern European countries through Ukraine.

Caspian Pipeline Consortium Resumes Oil Loadings at Black Sea Terminal

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), a main export route for Kazakhstan's crude oil, said on Thursday it has resumed oil loadings at its Black Sea terminal which had been suspended due to storms, disrupting exports since last Friday.

EU Keeps Eastern Mediterranean Gas Pipeline on New List of Priorities

The European Commission has maintained a proposed pipeline connecting the gas reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean to Greece via Cyprus and Crete on its new list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI) published on Tuesday.

Kenya to Begin Privatization Drive with Oil Pipeline Stake Offering

The pipeline firm, which is profitable, has a monopoly on the transport of gas and white oil products, the ministry said in a notice,

Trans Mountain Faces Regulatory Hearing on Pipeline Variance Request

The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) has ordered the company building the Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion (TMX) to appear at an oral hearing on Monday, as the regulator weighs whether to approve a variance request from the project.

Canadian Oil, Gas Producers Plan to Drill 8% More Wells in 2024, Riding Pipeline Expansion Wave

Canadian oil and gas producers will drill 8% more wells in 2024 to take advantage of greater access to pipelines, with the Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion due to open, an industry group said in an annual forecast on Friday.

INGAA Releases Key Initiatives Product to Boost Safety with Voluntary Efforts

(P&GJ) — The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) and its member companies have released their “Integrity Management – Continuous Improvement (IMCI) 2.0” program work products. The IMCI program is a series of voluntary initiatives to bolster the industry’s safety efforts.

Brazil Midstream Hopes for $20 Billion Infusion by 2028

(P&GJ) – The Brazil gas and pipelines sector hopes to attract about $20 billion in investments for its development by 2028, thanks to de-monopolization of the industry and the adoption of new legislation, according to recent statements, made by leading market participants and state analysts.

Balticconnector Gas Pipeline to Expand Transmission Capacity Post-Repair

The Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, which was damaged last month, will get a bigger northbound transmission capacity next year following repairs, Finnish operator Gasgrid said in a statement on Wednesday.

Few Ranking Surprises in Annual P&GJ Listings

(P&GJ) – The list of companies leading the way in Pipeline & Gas Journal’s 42nd annual 500 Report will certainly be familiar to long-time midstream observers, with little shake-up in rankings occurring between the 2022 and 2023 editions of the publication.

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Affects Seven Producers, Investigation Underway

U.S. officials said on Tuesday seven energy companies have been impacted by an oil discharge near Main Pass Oil Gathering Co.'s (MPOG) pipeline system in the Gulf of Mexico that is estimated to have released more than a million gallons of crude oil.

Wolf Carbon Solutions Initiates Withdrawal of Carbon Pipeline Application in Illinois

Wolf Carbon Solutions has moved to withdraw its permit application in Illinois to build a carbon capture pipeline that would transport as much as 12 million tons of carbon dioxide annually to a storage site in the state, according to a company filing in the state regulatory commission docket.

US Coast Guard Investigates Source of 1.1 Million Gallons Oil Leak in Gulf of Mexico from Underwater Pipeline

The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday said it was still looking for the source of a leak from an underwater pipeline off the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico that it estimated had released more than a million gallons of crude oil.

EACOP Unveils 897-Mile Heated Oil Pipeline with Advanced Environmental Safety Technology

Due to pump its first crude oil in 2025, the EACOP integrates a sophisticated fiber-optic network for continuous online connectivity, ensuring real-time monitoring via satellite along its entire length.

TC Energy Receives FERC Approval for Virginia Reliability Project

Columbia Gas Transmission’s Virginia Reliability Project (VRP) is an expansion project that would replace two existing segments of the pipeline system to continue reliable and abundant natural gas supply.

Venezuela Close to Approving Offshore Gas License with Trinidad, Shell

Venezuela is close to approving a license for Shell and the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago to develop a promising offshore natural gas field and export its production to the Caribbean country, two people close to the matter said.

Kuwait-based Investment Firm Secures Minority Stake in Pipeline Inspection Provider Pipecare Group

Kuwait-based Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) said on Monday it has acquired a significant minority stake in Pipecare Group Holding, a major provider of pipeline inspection services.

ConocoPhillips' $8 Billion Willow Project Approvals Upheld by US Judge

A federal judge in Alaska upheld U.S. approvals for ConocoPhillips’ multibillion-dollar Willow oil and gas drilling project in the state’s Arctic on Nov. 9, rejecting environmental and indigenous groups' concerns that the project poses too large of a climate threat.

Iraq-Turkey Pipeline Restart Talks Exclude Industry Representation, APIKUR Says

APIKUR, which represents international companies involved in upstream oil or gas contracts in Iraq's Kurdistan region, have not been contacted by Iraqi or Kurdish officials for a deal to allow the resumption of oil flows from the Iraq-Turkey pipeline.

US Coast Guard Heads Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Cleanup After Underwater Pipeline Leak

The U.S. Coast Guard was leading an oil spill clean-up in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday, partnering with local and federal agencies and companies after a Main Pass Oil Gathering Co. (MPOG) underwater pipeline began leaking.

Illinois Regulators Slash Gas Utility Rate Hikes and Halt Controversial Pipe-Replacement Program

(P&GJ) — In a sweeping rebuff of four different utilities, Illinois regulators have sharply curtailed record rate hikes proposed for more than 4 million gas customers across the state, while also blocking most spending on a controversial pipe-replacement program that has fueled a heating affordability crisis for consumers in recent years.

Russian Pipelines Facing Significant Pressure from Tightening Sanctions

(P&GJ) — The Russian pipelines’ sector is experiencing serious pressure amid ever tightening sanctions and the ever-growing isolation of the country in the international arena. Historically, pipelines have been a strategic asset in Russia, with the largest volume of cargo coming in the form of crude oil and natural gas.

Proposed PHMSA Leak Detection Changes Run into Opposition

(P&GJ) — While the CEQ’s proposed NEPA changes would affect how all federal agencies review potential GHG emissions for various industry energy construction projects, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) wants to restrict methane emissions for already-installed pipelines, as well as new ones.

Emerging Threats of Climate Change, Vandalism

(P&GJ) — Pipeline integrity management systems (PIMS) are now in common practice, driven by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) requirements in the U.S. In June 2022, PHMSA updated an advisory bulletin on earth movement and geohazards, to monitor changing weather patterns and consider the risk posed by climate change.