Regulation

Nigeria's Top Court Says Shell's Appeal Should Be Heard After Oil Spill Claim

Nigeria's Supreme Court on Friday ruled that Shell should be granted a hearing over an alleged oil spill in the Niger Delta after the Court of Appeal halted an asset sale and ordered a judgement claim to be paid prior to hearing its case.

Biden Administration Slowly Puts Oil Back into the SPR Emergency Stash

The administration of President Joe Biden is slowly putting oil back into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, after selling a record amount from the emergency stockpile in 2022.

U.S. DOT Invests Nearly $15 Million to Improve Pipeline Safety

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is awarding $14.8 million in grants to fund projects and activities to improve pipeline safety.

Shell Backs BP in Fight Over Venture Global LNG Exports

Shell has joined BP in its battle against Venture Global LNG, accusing the LNG producer of denying it and other customers access to supplies while exporting more than $18 billion worth of the superchilled gas, according to a filing with U.S. regulators.

Trans Mountain Pipeline Eyes March or May for Line Fill in Long-Delayed Expansion

Trans Mountain Corp. plans to begin line fill in March or May on its long-delayed Canadian oil pipeline expansion, depending on the diameter of pipe it uses and assuming no new problems, the Canadian government-owned company said in a filing on Wednesday.

FERC Grants New England's Request to Postpone 2025 Power Auction Amid Natural Gas Evaluation Delay

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has granted a request by New England's grid operator and a regional utilities association to postpone their 2025 forward capacity auction by a year.

Summit Carbon Solutions Secures 80% Right-of-Way in North Dakota for Carbon Capture Project

Summit Carbon Solutions has acquired 80% of the Right-of-Way (ROW) needed for its proposed carbon capture, transport, and storage project across North Dakota.

Editor’s Notebook: In Canada, A Tale of Two Pipelines

Well, well, well. It looks as if Canada is likely to be in the market for some new pipelines if word that the nation’s oil and gas producers plan to drill 8% more wells in 2024 comes to pass.

RNG Outlook Offers Mixed Message for Midstream

(P&GJ) – In mid-2023, the international management consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG) issued an assessment of renewable natural gas (RNG) that offered a mixed message.

Mexico Orders Pemex to Occupy Privately-Operated Hydrogen Plant

Mexico's government on Friday ordered state energy company Pemex to immediately take temporary control of a privately-operated hydrogen plant located inside one of its largest refineries.

Canadian Regulators Reject FortisBC's Okanagan Gas Pipeline Expansion Plan

(P&GJ) — The British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) has denied FortisBC Energy Inc.’s application for its Okanagan Capacity Upgrade project, which includes the construction, installation, and operation of approximately 30 km (19 miles) of new natural gas pipeline.

Real-Time Monitoring Helps Trans Mountain Expansion Stay on Track

(P&GJ) — Navigating diverse terrains for the $31 billion Trans Mountain Expansion Project posed challenges. Learn how obstacles like roads, rivers, and railroads impacted this major oil pipeline installation.

Russian Oil Output to Hold Steady or Increase in 2024, Defying Earlier Sanctions Impact

Oil output in Russia, the third largest producer in the world after the United States and Saudi Arabia, is expected to be steady or even to increase next year as Moscow has largely overcome Western sanctions, analysts said.

Oil Producers Canadian Natural, MEG Urge Regulator to Back Trans Mountain Request

Canadian oil producers Canadian Natural Resources and MEG Energy are urging the country's energy regulator to approve Trans Mountain Corp.'s latest request for a change to building its pipeline expansion, saying timely completion is critical.

Williams to Acquire 230 Miles of Gas Pipeline, 115 Bcf Storage for $1.95 Billion

Pipeline operator Williams said on Wednesday it would buy a portfolio of natural gas storage assets from an affiliate of Hartree Partners LP for $1.95 billion to cater to rising demand from liquefied natural gas projects.

U.S. Reveals Clean Hydrogen Tax Credit Plan, Explores Natural Gas Integration

The U.S. proposed rules on Friday for how energy companies can access billions of dollars in tax credits for producing low-carbon hydrogen using new clean energy sources but left thorny issues, such as how nuclear power could benefit, uncertain.

Ecuador Triumphs in International Arbitration, Avoids $198 Million Payment to Worley

Ecuador's procurator said on Friday the country has won an international arbitration and will not be liable to pay $198 million to engineering firm Worley International Services over oil project contracts.

Canada Commits Additional $1.5 Billion in Loans for Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion

The Canadian government is backing up to $1.5 billion in new commercial loans for Trans Mountain Corp., the crown corporation building an over-budget and long-delayed oil pipeline expansion to the Pacific coast.

China Seeks Exemption from U.S. Sanctions on Russian LNG Plant

China's state oil majors CNPC and CNOOC have both asked the U.S. government for exemptions from sanctions on a new Russian LNG export plant, a Beijing-based industry official with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Energy Transfer Faces Allegations of Anti-Competitive Practices in Louisiana Pipeline Dispute

(P&GJ) — The dispute centers around Energy Transfer's denial of three projects seeking to cross its pipelines, leading to a legal battle impacting over $2 billion in energy infrastructure.

Mexico Shows Elevated Methane Emissions from Gas Pipeline, Scientists Report

Mexico emitted "extreme" amounts of methane from a natural gas pipeline running through its northern border state, Durango, in 2019, a research paper published on Tuesday showed, citing data collected from satellites.

Putin Directs Removal of Wintershall Dea, OMV Stakes in Russian Arctic Gas Projects

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered that Wintershall Dea and OMV be stripped of multibillion-dollar stakes in gas extraction projects in Russia's Arctic.

U.S. Purchases 2.1 Million Barrels for Strategic Reserve, Below 2022 Average Price

The U.S. bought 2.1 million barrels of crude oil, the Energy Department said on Tuesday, to help replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) after the largest sale in history last year.

FERC Approves $1.2 Billion PJM Settlement for Outages During 2022 Storm

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Tuesday approved a $1.2 billion settlement between PJM Interconnection and more than 80 parties that resolved complaints stemming from a massive outage during a 2022 winter storm.

Santos Advances Barossa Gas Project with Drilling Nod, Pipeline Fate Entangled in Legal Dispute

Australian oil and gas major Santos said on Monday it had received approval for a revised drilling plan at its $4.3 billion Barossa gas project, although the fate of a pipeline to take gas to shore remains locked in a legal dispute.

CNX Resources Pulls Out of Adams Fork Ammonia Project

CNX Resources said on Friday it had pulled out of the Adams Fork ammonia project and is evaluating several alternative sites in southern West Virginia for clean hydrogen projects.

Trans Mountain Pipeline Warns of 2-Year Delay Over Regulatory Setback

Canadian government-owned Trans Mountain Corp. asked the country's energy regulator on Thursday to reverse a decision rejecting proposed construction changes on its oil pipeline expansion, warning of a possibly "catastrophic" two-year delay and billions of dollars in losses.

Freeport LNG Settles with EPA Over Safety Failures Following June 2022 Texas Blast

Freeport LNG, which operates the second-largest U.S. liquefied natural gas export plant in Texas, agreed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to settle safety violations related to a June 2022 blast that caused some $275 million in damage to the facility.

Shell's Gas Project License Talks with Venezuela Hinge on Dispute Over Future LNG Prices

A disagreement between Shell and Venezuela's state company PDVSA over future LNG prices has gridlocked talks on a license for Shell and Trinidad and Tobago's National Gas Company to operate a Venezuelan gas field, two people close to the negotiations said.

Germany's SEFE Urgently Seeks U.S. Approval for Venture Global's CP2 LNG Project Amidst Russia Gas Pipeline Crisis

The German state-owned Securing Energy for Europe GmbH (SEFE) has become the third company to seek approval from the U.S. energy regulator for liquefied natural gas (LNG) developer Venture Global to begin construction on its CP2 LNG project in Louisiana.