Regulation
US Regulator Orders Lower Pressure on Keystone Pipeline System After Spill
The U.S. pipeline regulator said on Tuesday it would require TC Energy to reduce operating pressure on more than 1,000 additional miles (1,609 km) of its Keystone pipeline that spilled about 13,000 barrels of oil in rural Kansas in December.
Turkey's Ruling Party Presents Gas Reform in Step Towards Trading Hub
Turkey's ruling AK Party presented a draft law to parliament on Wednesday aimed at establishing a competitive natural gas market as the country attempts to become a gas trading hub bringing together suppliers and consumers.
US Intelligence Suggests Pro-Ukrainian Group Sabotaged Nord Stream Pipelines -NYT
New intelligence reviewed by U.S. officials suggests that a pro-Ukrainian group carried out the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines last year, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.
Petronas Aims to Complete Malaysia LNG Investigation by Mid-Year
Malaysia's state energy company Petroliam Nasional Berhad, or Petronas, aims to complete an investigation into disruption of Malaysia LNG gas supply by the middle of the year, CEO Tengku Taufik told reporters on Friday.
Mountain Valley Pipeline Gets a Key Approval to Restart Construction
The Biden administration has determined that restarting construction on the Mountain Valley Pipeline won’t significantly jeopardize rare fish and other endangered species along its path, clearing a major hurdle that was keeping developers from finishing the project.
ConocoPhillips’ Willow Oil, Gas Drilling Project in Alaska Sparks Green Opposition
Environmental and climate activists are rallying online against ConocoPhillips’ proposed Willow oil and gas drilling project in Alaska as the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden weighs whether to greenlight the controversial plan.
Biden Administration Works on 'Green' Natural Gas as US Vies for Top LNG Spot
The Biden administration is holding talks with global energy companies and foreign officials in an effort to set standards for certified natural gas, a form of the fuel that producers market as climate friendly.
French Court Dismisses Lawsuit Against TotalEnergies Over Uganda Pipeline Project
Under the case filed in 2019, six French and Ugandan activist groups had accused the company of not doing all it could to protect people and the environment from the Tilenga oil development and the $3.5 billion East African Crude Oil Pipeline.
Mexico's Pemex Increased Gas Flaring at Top Field, Despite Pledge to Stop
In January, an estimated 1.3 billion cubic feet of gas were burned from four flares at the Papan and Perdiz plants meant to process gas from Ixachi, satellite data shows, up from 1 billion cubic feet in November when the promise was made.
Pemex Deer Park, Texas Fire Broke Out in Crude Distillation Area
A Thursday night fire at Pemex’s 312,500 barrel-per-day Deer Park, Texas, refinery broke out in a crude distillation unit, said people familiar with plant operations. The sources did not know which of two Deer Park CDUs were hit by fire.
EPA: US 2022 Power Plant Emissions Fell on Switch from Coal to Gas
U.S. power plant emissions of pollutants that harm human health and warm the planet fell last year as the industry continued a switch from coal to natural gas, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday.
FERC’s Pipeline, LNG Project Evaluations Looking at EJ
(P&GJ) — The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is devoting an increasing amount of attention and staff resources to the evaluation of impacts of interstate natural gas pipeline and LNG terminal projects on environmental justice (EJ) communities (that is, communities with disproportionately large minority and low-income populations).
ESG & Innovation: API Looks at Species, Habitat Conservation
(P&GJ) — The American Petroleum Institute (API) published a first-edition document focused on species and habitat conservation for onshore natural gas and oil production facilities that will help boost the industry’s existing practices to enhance environmental performance.
US Regulator Approves 135-Mile ET Louisiana Pipeline
The 135-mile pipeline Gulf Run pipeline, with a capacity of 1.65 Bcf/d, transports gas from the company’s other Energy Transfer pipelines that link to basins in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, running from Westdale to Starks, Louisiana.
Guest Perspective: Plastic Pipe Regulations, Rules and Results
(P&GJ) — The continued increase in oil and gas output is relying more and more on spoolable reinforced plastic pipe and polyethylene (PE) line pipe. This is due to the high integrity of the pipe itself, and ease of installation. Additionally, PE pipes are easily joined by heat fusion forming a monolithic system that eliminates the potential for leaks at the joints.
DNV Kicks Off Phase Two of Offshore Hydrogen Pipeline Project H2Pipe
(P&GJ) — Phase 2 of H2Pipe will include a feasibility-level design of offshore hydrogen pipelines and a risk assessment study to examine the safety aspects of offshore hydrogen pipelines. The project's primary outcome is expected to be a detailed guideline offering specific guidance for use in the design and re-purposing of offshore pipelines for hydrogen transport. Phase 2 of H2Pipe is planned to start in Q1 2023 and last 2 years.
Cheniere Initiates Permit Process for Key Sabine Pass Project Expansion
Cheniere Energy Inc. on Thursday initiated an expansion permit process of LNG export capacity at its key Sabine Pass plant in Louisiana after the exporter topped revenue estimate on strong demand following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
US Official Says Russia's Crude Output Cut Signals Unsold Oil
Russia's decision to cut crude oil production by 500,000 barrels per day reflects its inability to sell all of its oil, Ben Harris, a U.S. Treasury Department Assistant Secretary, said on Thursday.
US Energy Regulator Approves Partial Restart of Freeport LNG
The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the partial restart of two liquefaction trains, two tanks, and one loop and dock each, a filing showed on Tuesday. Restart of a third train, along with a tank, a loop, and a dock, would require additional permission.
IEA's Birol Warns of Tighter Energy Supply Next Winter
International Energy Agency (IEA) head Fatih Birol has warned of possible energy shortages next winter as relatively little new LNG is coming to the market while China's consumption is set to rise this year.
Slovak Parliament Rows Back on Taxing Main Gas Transit Pipeline
The tax, planned at 6,000 euros per kilometer of pipeline, or around 126 million euros ($134 million) per year, was approved late last year as part of efforts to raise revenue for the 2023 budget that already sees a 6.4% deficit of gross domestic product.
US LNG Producers Poised to Leapfrog Rivals with Three New Projects
Projects best positioned to move ahead include Sempra Energy's Port Arthur plant in Texas, Energy Transfer LP's Lake Charles in Louisiana and NextDecade Corp.'s Rio Grande in Texas. They have all or most of the long-term LNG sales agreements needed to convince bank's that the projects are ready for debt financing, according to Reuters analysts.
EPA Sets Soot Pollution Rule, Kinder Morgan Warns of Hefty Costs
The U.S. environmental regulator said it sent the White House its final plan to slash interstate smog and soot pollution from the power sector. Pipeline operator Kinder Morgan warned the plan would cost an estimated $4.1 billion in upgrades and retrofits to about 950 engines along its pipelines, which carry about 40% of the natural gas consumed in the U.S.
Navigator to Submit Expanded Proposal for 1,300-Mile Carbon Pipeline Project
(P&GJ) — Navigator CO2 plans to resubmit an enhanced proposal to the Illinois Commerce Agency before the end of February, over six months after initially submitting an application to the commission for its multistate pipeline. The expanded proposal is set to include at least one new sequestration site and an additional lateral route.
Oil Prices Fall After Additional US Crude Reserve Release Announced
Oil prices fell in early Asian trade on Tuesday after the U.S. government said it will release 26 million barrels of crude from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Last year, U.S. President Joe Biden's administration sold a record 180 million barrels from the reserve.
Source: Argentine Congress to Take Up LNG Law in March After Delay
A law aimed at boosting Argentina's LNG industry, with an eye toward future exports, will be taken up in March after a delay blamed on disputes over legislative fine print, a energy ministry source told Reuters on Tuesday.
US to Sell 26 Million Barrels of Oil Reserves As Mandated by Congress
The Biden administration said on Monday it is selling 26 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a release that had been mandated by Congress in previous years. The U.S. Department of Energy considered canceling the sale of the 26 million barrels after the Biden administration sold a record 180 million barrels from the reserve last year.
U.S. Treasury to Open Advanced Energy Tax Credit Applications on May 31
The U.S. Treasury said on Monday it will open applications on May 31 for $4 billion worth of new tax credits for advanced energy manufacturing and decarbonization projects, with $1.6 billion of those required to be in communities hit by closures of coal mines or coal-fired power plants.
Louisiana Slams EPA Over Lack of Urgency on Carbon-Project Approvals
Louisiana and other top oil-producing states say they can speed up permitting of carbon sequestration projects if allowed to handle decisions that currently fall under the EPA. There are dozens of these projects with multimillion-dollar price tags proposed by energy firms around the United States.
Philippine Malampaya Gas Field Operator Seeks 15-Year Contract Extension
Prime Infra Holdings Inc., the new operator of the Philippines' Malampaya natural gas field, is seeking a 15-year extension of the project contract to be able to explore for additional supply around the reservoir, its chief executive said on Wednesday.
- Trump Aims to Revive 1,200-Mile Keystone XL Pipeline Despite Major Challenges
- Valero Considers All Options, Including Sale, for California Refineries Amid Regulatory Pressure
- ConocoPhillips Eyes Sale of $1 Billion Permian Assets Amid Marathon Acquisition
- ONEOK Agrees to Sell Interstate Gas Pipelines to DT Midstream for $1.2 Billion
- Energy Transfer Reaches FID on $2.7 Billion, 2.2 Bcf/d Permian Pipeline
- U.S. LNG Export Growth Faces Uncertainty as Trump’s Tariff Proposal Looms, Analysts Say
- Tullow Oil on Track to Deliver $600 Million Free Cash Flow Over Next 2 Years
- Energy Transfer Reaches FID on $2.7 Billion, 2.2 Bcf/d Permian Pipeline
- GOP Lawmakers Slam New York for Blocking $500 Million Pipeline Project
- Texas Oil Company Challenges $250 Million Insurance Collateral Demand for Pipeline, Offshore Operations
