Regulation
EQT-THQ Appalachia Latest US Energy Deal to Face Regulatory Delay
Natural gas producer EQT Corp. said on Friday the U.S. antitrust regulator has asked for more information on its planned $5.2 billion buyout of THQ Appalachia I LLC and associated pipeline infrastructure.
Agencies with Power to Approve Pipelines Need Reality Check
(P&GJ) — Federal regulators with the power to approve natural gas pipelines need to make judgment calls on everything from how pipelines will affect farmland to how much methane will leak.
API Publishes Two Updated Standards for Underground Natural Gas Storage
(P&GJ) — The American Petroleum Institute released two second-edition standards on Nov. 29 for natural gas storage in underground salt caverns and depleted hydrocarbon and aquifer reservoirs to help ensure a safe and reliable energy supply.
The Forgotten World of Moving the Pipe
(P&GJ) — There are three major ways of moving pipeline sections from fabrication in a factory to placement in the ground in a right-of-way in North America. The decision of which transport method to use is based on several key factors, including costs, accessibility, and availability of needed resources.
Manchin Permitting Bill Provided Little Relief for Pipelines
(P&GJ) — Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) withdrawal of his infrastructure permitting reform bill from Senate consideration at the end of September probably shouldn’t cause any teeth gnashing among interstate pipeline companies hoping for a new era of pro-pipeline regulatory policy. In that regard, the bill was a major disappointment.
INGAA Opposes Some New Pipeline Safety Mandates
(P&GJ) — Interstate gas pipelines will have nine months to comply with some of the significant, new safety regulations from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The agency has been working on these rules for a decade, ever since the San Bruno, Calif., gas explosion on a PG&E pipeline in 2010, which killed eight people.
White House Asks Congress for $500 Million to Modernize Oil Reserve
The Biden administration has asked Congress for $500 million to modernize the U.S. strategic petroleum reserve (SPR), a document outlining the request shows. The SPR oil is stored in hollowed-out, underground salt caverns that can shift and potentially require maintenance when petroleum is removed and replaced.
Green Groups Sue Louisiana Over Venture Global LNG Permit Exemption
Three environmental groups have sued the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources for exempting Venture Global LNG from needing an environmental permit to build a LNG terminal, the organizations said on Wednesday.
Mexico's Pemex to Work with EPA to Bring Down Methane Emissions
Mexican state oil company Pemex said Saturday that it would work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — especially methane — to meet ambitious international commitments.
US Energy Regulator's Future Shaky as Senator Manchin Refuses Hearing
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, a conservative Democrat from coal-rich West Virginia, indicated he would not hold a confirmation hearing to consider President Joe Biden's re-nomination of top energy regulator Rich Glick, potentially dooming Glick's chances.
US Allows Transactions to Free Sanctioned Oil Tanker Stranded in Indonesia
The Indonesian navy has been trying to free the Djibouti-registered ship, Young Yong, which ran aground off Indonesia's Riau Islands on Oct. 26 near a gas pipeline.
INGAA CEO Writes to President Biden to Address New England Reliability Concerns
(P&GJ) — Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) President and CEO Amy Andryszak sent a letter to President Biden on Monday to address New England gas-electric reliability concerns brought forward in a letter from Eversource President and CEO Joseph R. Nolan Jr.
Texas Oil and Gas Regulator Assesses More Than $688,000 in Penalties
The Railroad Commission of Texas this week assessed $688,162.92 in fines involving 262 enforcement dockets against operators and businesses at the Commissioners’ Conference.
Forty Countries Expected to Unveil Methane Plans at UN Climate Summit
Some forty of the 119 countries that pledged last year to slash emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas methane will unveil their plans to do so at the UN climate summit next week, according to a senior U.S. official.
US Regulators Want More Data on Texas Freeport LNG Plant Before Restart
U.S. federal regulators have told Freeport LNG to provide information needed for the planned restart of its LNG export plant in Texas, the second-largest U.S. LNG export plant, as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for review.
Judge Questions New Water Permit for 303-Mile Mountain Valley Pipeline
A federal circuit court judge last week said West Virginia regulators haven't adequately explained how approvals for construction on the Mountain Valley Pipeline have been changed to avoid future water pollution, setting up another potential setback for the beleaguered natural gas pipeline.
PHMSA Approves Expansion of Cameron LNG Plant
An expansion of the Cameron LNG liquefied natural gas export plant won approval by a U.S. regulator on Wednesday, advancing development of a fourth gas-chilling unit.
EU Energy Chief Says Gas Price Cap Possible This Winter
The European Union could introduce a gas price cap this winter to limit excessive price spikes, but only if countries give Brussels a mandate to propose the measure, the bloc's energy chief said on Wednesday.
Biden to Announce Emergency Oil Sales to Prevent Price Spikes
U.S. President Joe Biden will announce a plan on Wednesday to sell off the last portion of his release from the nation's emergency oil reserve by year's end and detail a strategy to refill the stockpile when prices drop, administration officials said.
Enbridge Agrees to Pay $11 Million on Line 3 Pipeline Penalties
Enbridge Inc. said on Monday it has reached an agreement on penalties over its Line 3 oil pipeline replacement project and that it will pay $11 million to various Minnesota regulators and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
US Approves LNG Shipping Waiver for Puerto Rico After Hurricane
The Biden administration late on Sunday approved a waiver of U.S. shipping rules to address Puerto Rico's urgent need for LNG after Hurricane Fiona.
Freeport LNG Given More Time for 4th Texas Liquefaction Train
U.S. energy regulators extended to August 2028 the time U.S. LNG company Freeport LNG has to complete the fourth liquefaction train at its Texas export plant.
Forthcoming Legislation Easing Regulatory Roadblocks for Pipelines?
(P&GJ) — For interstate pipelines, what was important about the Inflation Reduction Act was not just what was in the bill — the new methane fee — but what was not in the bill: the pipeline permitting reforms that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) had initially insisted be part of the bill.
New Methane Fee Could Hit Pipelines Hard
(P&GJ) — Numerous interstate pipeline companies have facilities that emit enough methane – in some cases much more than enough – to get hit with the new methane fee contained in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) President Joe Biden signed in August.
API Summarizes Enhanced Pipeline Leak Detection Standards
(P&GJ) — Leak prevention, mitigation and detection are critical to ensure pipelines operate safely and reliably to protect the public, workers, the environment and pipeline assets.
Phillips 66 Withdraws Offshore Texas Gulf Coast Oil-Export Terminal Permit
Phillips 66 on Friday said it plans to submit a new air-quality permit application to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its proposed oil-export terminal off the Texas coast.
Manchin: 'Heavy Lifting' Needed to Overcome Opposition to Permitting Bill
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin on Friday warned that bipartisan opposition to his bill to overhaul energy permitting could derail his plan to attach it to a temporary spending and pass it by the end of the month.
Pieridae Advocates for TC Energy’s Pipeline Expansion Plan for Goldboro LNG Project
Pieridae Energy has asked the federal government to help ensure pipeline operator TC Energy would be able secure permits to expand gas supply pipelines in a timely fashion for the Goldboro LNG project, which it said can only go ahead if TC expands capacity on its existing pipeline network.
Mexico Files Lawsuit Against Former State Power Utility Execs Over Texas Gas Deal
Guillermo Turrent and Javier Gutierrez, two former top executives of CFE International, awarded contracts to Texas-based WhiteWater Midstream LLC for a pipeline and gas supply that saddled the company with hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, alleges a lawsuit filed in Harris County District Court in Houston.
Judge Revokes Drilling Permit for Santos' $3.6 Billion Barossa Gas Project
Australia's Federal Court on Wednesday ruled in favor of an indigenous group's challenge against a drilling permit for Santos Ltd.'s Barossa gas development, in what Santos called a "disappointing" setback for the $3.6 billion project.
- US Energy Regulator's Future Shaky as Senator Manchin Refuses Hearing
- TC Energy Hires Contractor to Lay 715-km Stretch of $4.5 Billion Offshore Gas Pipeline
- US Sells Oil from Emergency Reserve to Marathon, Equinor, Others
- Enbridge Approves $2.7 Billion Expansion of Southern B.C. Pipeline System
- Integrity's Newest Ally: PRCI’s Mechanical Damage Strategic Research Priority
- ESPO Pipeline Expansion Nears Completion, Asia-Pacific Counts for a Third of Russian Oil Shipments
- Equitrans Wants US Legislation to Help Finish Mountain Valley Gas Pipeline
- Snam to Invest $3.8 Billion in Italy's Gas Network, Including Proposed Adriatic Pipeline
- Editor’s Notebook: Sabotage at the Highest Level?
- Sierra Club Says Mountain Valley Pipeline to Give Up on North Carolina Extension
