Central & South America

Argentina Plans Vaca Muerta Production Boost, Pipeline Buildout

Argentina’s energy minister reiterated his country’s commitment to build infrastructure and boost output of natural gas, citing plans for a new 22 MMcm/d pipeline from the Vaca Muerta shale producing region to Buenos Aires. Minister Gustavo Lopetegui said at a Houston news conference that Argentina..

Hard Rock Completes Rio Grande Directional Drill

By Jeff Griffin, Freelance Energy Writer Every long horizontal directional drilling (HDD) installation has something that sets it apart from other projects, but not many involve crossing international boundaries. The site where a steel gas line was i..

Delayed Bahia Pipeline Underway in Brazil

By Mauro Nogarin, Contributing Editor After five years of waiting, the state of Bahia began building the first section of the Gas Southwest pipeline, which will be one of the largest pipelines in the interior of Brazil. Most of the natural gas distribution network of 5,840 miles (9,400 km), is loca..

Colombia's Ecopetrol Working to Contain Spills from Pipeline Attacks

Colombia's state-run oil company Ecopetrol said it is working to contain two oil spills from its Cano Limon pipeline, which was damaged by bomb attacks on the weekend.

Petrobras Sells Pipeline Unit to Engie for $8.6 billion

A consortium led by France's Engie SA submitted the highest offer for a major gas pipeline unit owned by Brazil's Petroleo Brasileiro SA, the state-run oil firm said on Friday, as the company's biggest divestment draws to a close.

Petrobras Looking at $10 Billion in Divestments, Including Pipeline Unit

Roberto Castello Branco, the chief executive of Brazil’s Petroleo Brasileiro SA, said he believes the company will divest $10 billion in assets in the first four months of 2019, aided by the sale of a major pipeline unit.

Global News

Finland, Estonia and Latvia Sign Deal for Single Gas Tariff Zone Gas transmission operators of Finland, Latvia and Estonia signed an agreement on to set up a single gas transmission tariff zone for the three countries from the start of 2020. The agreement fulfills a goal ..

Storage Tanks Explode at Venezuela Heavy Oil Project

Two storage tanks have exploded at the Petro San Felix heavy-crude upgrading project in eastern Venezuela, according to an oil industry source and a legislator.

Argentina Plans Vaca Muerta Production Boost, Pipeline Buildout

Argentina's energy secretary today reiterated his country's commitment to build infrastructure and boost output of natural gas, citing plans for a new 22 MMcm/d pipeline from the Vaca Muerta shale producing region to Buenos Aires.

Colombia’s Cano Limon Pipeline Bombed for 6th Time this Year: Ecopetrol

Colombia’s Cano Limon pipeline was bombed again, state-run oil company Ecopetrol said, the sixth time it has been attacked this year.

Colombia’s Trasandino Pipeline Damaged in Bomb Attack

Colombian state-run oil company Ecopetrol SA said a bomb attack on the Trasandino pipeline late Monday near a populated area caused a fire but no injuries. It was the third such attack on the pipeline this year.

Global News

Eni’s Indonesia Gas Project may Start Up in 2021   Indonesia’s deputy energy minister said Eni aims to start output of natural gas in 2021 from its offshore Merakes project, which includes construction of subsea systems and pipelines to transport production to a floating production unit (FPU) appro..

Death Toll in Mexican Pipeline Fire Rises to 109

The death toll in a massive fire at an illegally tapped pipeline in Mexico has risen to 109 after 10 more injured people died at hospitals.

2019 Global Pipeline Construction Outlook

The upstream sector started the new year on a cautious note following a sharp decline in oil and gas prices, but the midstream sector roared into 2019 on a wave of pipeline construction activity. The latest Pipeline & Gas Journal survey indicates 145,353 miles of pipelines were planned or under construction worldwide at the start of the year.

Thieves Siphon Whole Pipelines; Mexico to Ship Gas on Trains

Fuel thieves in Mexico have grown so bold they are drilling illegal taps under warehouses in big cities and siphoning off the entire contents of pipelines, Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said. He cited one pipeline carrying gasoline that thieves had drilled into so many times they had siphoned all the fuel in the duct.

Colombia’s Cano Limon Oil Pipeline Hit by Bomb Attacks

Colombian state-run oil company Ecopetrol said Wednesday there were two bomb attacks overnight on the Cano Limon pipeline in western Antioquia province, four days after a similar attack halted pumping.

Governors Agree to Study Sending Gas to Asia by Way of California

The governors of Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico's Sonora state signed an agreement to study a plan to export natural gas to Asia by connecting existing pipelines to move the fuel south to the Gulf of California.

Projects

Valley Crossing Pipeline to Mexico Gains FERC Extension The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) awarded Enbridge subsidiary Valley Crossing Pipeline six additional months to connect its natural gas pipeline to its counterpart in Mexico, moving the deadline to April 23. The 168-mile pipelin..

Global News

Natural Gas Utilities Testing Demand Response Programs Demand Response (DR) programs have become a fairly common method of reducing electricity demand during summer peak periods, and now the approach is being tried by natural gas utilities – most recently due to concerns about limited pipeline capa..

Cordillerano Pipeline Extension will be Delivered in March 2019

Growing natural gas demand in Argentina has led its Ministry of Energy to expedite expansion of the Patagonian System and the Rio Senger and Las Armas compressor plants.

Canada's Frontera Stops Production After Attack on Peru Oil Pipeline

Canadian oil company Frontera Energy said it stopped production at Peru's largest oilfield after a Peruvian-owned pipeline was severed last week by indigenous protesters.

Pipeline Vandals Cause 8,000-Barrel Spill in Peruvian Amazon

Peru's state oil company said about 8,000 barrels of crude oil spilled in the Amazon after vandals severed a pipeline and blocked access by technicians seeking to repair it.

Colombia’s Cano Limon Pipeline Hit by 3 More Bombings

Colombian state-run oil company Ecopetrol said on Tuesday that three new bombings of the 485-mile Cano Limon pipeline have caused contamination in several waterways in the country’s northeastern Arauca province.

Argentina Restarts Natural Gas Exports to Chile

Argentina has begun exporting natural gas to Chile after a 12-year interlude, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said, as the two South American neighbors seek to increasingly integrate their energy supply and electricity grids.

Argentina to Spend Billions on Production, Infrastructure

Argentina's state oil company, YPF, will significantly boost oil and gas production and infrastructure expansion, investing between $4 billion and $5 billion per year through 2022, CEO Daniel Gonzalez said.

Ecopetrol CEO to Focus on Drilling after Pipeline Attacks

Colombia’s state-run oil company Ecopetrol SA will focus spending for the rest of the year on increased drilling activity and securing operational licenses, its chief executive said on Friday.

2018 Midyear International Update: Pipeline Construction & Market Trends

Global energy trends and forecasts entering the second half of 2018 continue to support a generally bullish outlook for oil and gas production and infrastructure construction to meet growing demand and evolving patterns of interregional trade.

Argentina’s Vaca Muerta Pipeline to Improve Shale Gas Transport

In the three years since Mauricio Macri was elected president of the Argentine Republic, the federal government has stepped up efforts to meet unsatisfied gas demand of 40 MMcm/d in winter and increasing year-round demand to fuel an expanding industrial base.

Global News

An overview of recent global oil and gas pipeline news.

McDermott to Perform Diving for Offshore Pipeline Projects

McDermott International will start performing air and saturation diving next month for pipeline construction projects offshore South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago.