Regulation

Biden Administration Offers $200 Million in Grants to Fix Aging Gas Pipelines

(P&GJ) — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is now accepting applications for nearly $200 million in grants aimed at repairing and modernizing aging natural gas pipes.

Canada Oil and Gas Emissions Cap Likely to Cut Production, Report Says

Canada's proposed oil and gas emissions cap will prompt companies to cut production rather than invest in costly carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, analysts say.

Meld Energy Gets Approval for $317 Million Hydrogen Facility in Hull

Meld Energy has received approval from the East Riding of Yorkshire Council to build a $317 million, 100-megawatt green hydrogen production facility at Saltend in Hull.

Uganda Optimistic About Timely Finish of Revised $5 Billion, 897-Mile EACOP Pipeline

Uganda has attributed the spike in the cost of construction for the 897-mile (1,443-km) East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) to the government’s resolve to make the new project more climate responsive.

States Sue U.S. to Block $7 Billion Rule Requiring Oil Firms to Guarantee Well Dismantling Payments

Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi on Monday sued the U.S. government to block the Biden administration's proposed rule that would require the offshore oil and gas industry to provide nearly $7 billion in financial assurances to cover costs of dismantling old infrastructure.

Enbridge Faces Michigan AG's Attempt to Halt Line 5 Pipeline in State Court Decision

A U.S. appeals court on Monday handed Michigan's attorney general a jurisdictional victory in her bid to force Enbridge to stop operating the Line 5 oil pipeline underneath the Straits of Mackinac in the Great Lakes by allowing her to pursue her case in state rather than federal court.

Colonial Pipeline Owners Explore Stake Sales at $10 Billion Valuation: Sources

Some of Colonial Pipeline's owners are exploring divesting their stakes, hoping they can fetch prices that would value the largest U.S. fuel transportation system in excess of $10 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

Niger Suspends Oil Exports to China Amid Dispute with Benin

At the Agadem oilfield in eastern Niger, the minister oversaw the padlocking of a section of the 1,243-mile pipeline through which exports to China were meant to flow under a deal with state-owned oil giant CNPC.

Pipeline Customers Push for Lower Prices Amid Regulatory Challenges

Pipeline customers have stimulated a two-pronged political attack on interstate pipeline pricing directed at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and Congress.

U.S. Ready to Reopen Oil Stockpile if Petrol Prices Surge, FT Reports

The Biden administration is ready to release more oil from the U.S. strategic stockpile to stop any jump in petrol prices this summer, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

API Sues in Federal Court to Block Biden's EV Emission Rules

The nation's largest oil trade group, which includes ExxonMobil and Chevron, filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday seeking to block the Biden administration's efforts to reduce planet-warming emissions from cars and light trucks and encourage electric vehicle manufacturing.

Editor’s Notebook: Permian’s New Kid on the Block?

As the 580-mile Matterhorn Express prepares to go into service next quarter, a new long-haul gas pipeline is looking to step forward as the next major Gulf Coast midstream project.

Arizona Utility Regulators Overturn Committee Decision, Approve Black Mountain Gas Expansion Project

This ruling permits the construction of new gas power plants in Arizona without the explicit review of environmental impacts and customer costs.

FERC Approves Mountain Valley's $7.85 Billion Virginia Gas Pipeline, Operations Set to Begin Soon

Mountain Valley can begin operating its $7.85 billion Virginia natural gas pipeline after receiving approval from the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), according to a filing on Tuesday.

U.S. Senate Confirms Rosner, Democrat, as FERC Member

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed David Rosner, a Democrat, as a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and is slated to vote on the remaining two nominees this week.

Uniper Wins $14 Billion Arbitration Ruling Against Gazprom, Terminates Dormant Gas Supply Contracts

German utility Uniper has won a multibillion-euro arbitration against former long-time supplier Gazprom, it said on Wednesday, allowing it to tear up dormant gas supply contracts and potentially setting a precedent for similar cases.

Canada Backs Landfill-to-Energy Project with Second Carbon Price Guarantee Deal

The Canada Growth Fund, a federal clean-tech financing agency, on Tuesday signed its second deal to backstop carbon prices with a proposed Alberta facility that would convert landfill waste to electricity and sequester the resulting carbon emissions.

U.S. to Purchase 6 Million Barrels of Oil for Strategic Petroleum Reserve

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Petroleum Reserves has unveiled two new solicitations totaling 6 million barrels of oil for delivery to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve’s Bayou Choctaw site from September through December.

U.S. Orders Venture Global LNG to Provide Customers with Documents on Plant Issues

A U.S. regulator on Monday ordered liquefied natural gas developer Venture Global LNG to provide customers with documents about the mechanical problems and startup of a Louisiana plant.

Mountain Valley Pipeline Nears Completion, Seeks FERC Approval for June 11 Start

The company reported in a filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that the final segments of the project were undergoing final preparations, including purging and packing with natural gas.

Enbridge Gas to Cut Emergency Response Shifts in Toronto, Labor Union Says

Canadian labor union Unifor said on Friday that Enbridge's gas unit wants to cut its emergency response shifts in Toronto, amid an emphasis on curtailing costs.

Rosneft's Sechin Criticizes Increase in Spare Oil Output Capacity in Middle East, West

He said that combined spare oil production capacity of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq stood at 5.6 million barrels per day, or 13% of OPEC+ current output.

Benin-Niger Dispute Intensifies with Arrests at Crude Pipeline Terminal

A prosecutor in Benin said authorities had detained five Niger nationals last week for allegedly entering Benin's Seme-Kpodji pipeline terminal under false pretenses, deepening a dispute over exports of crude oil from Niger via Benin.

Williams Seeks Approval to Expand Regional Energy Access Natural Gas Project

U.S. energy company Williams sought permission from a federal energy regulator on Friday to put more of the Regional Energy Access natural gas project already under construction into service by July 1.

Mexico's CFE Wins Contract Arbitration Case Against Texas Gas Supplier

A Houston arbitration panel last month rejected WhiteWater Midstream LLC's claims against CFE, and awarded the state power utility undisclosed damages, fees and costs, according to a document filed on Wednesday in U.S. District Court, Houston.

Analysis: How Devon Energy Missed the Boat on U.S. Oil and Gas Mega-Deals

U.S. oil and gas producer Devon Energy has lost bids to acquire at least three of its peers in the last 12 months because its shares were spurned as acquisition currency, according to people familiar with the negotiations.

Freeport LNG Sues Three Contractors Over Defects at Texas Plant

Freeport LNG filed a lawsuit in April against three contractors alleging that installation defects in electric motors at its $14-billion Texas export plant caused prolonged outages and costly repairs.

Golden Pass LNG Construction Turmoil to Delay Texas Plant's Startup, Analysts Say

The startup of Golden Pass LNG, the QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil $11 billion joint venture liquefied natural gas project in Texas, has been delayed by at least six months due to construction turmoil, analysts said on Thursday.

Consortia Eye Citgo's Texas Refinery Ahead of Auction Deadline, Sources Say

Energy producers, refiners, investment funds and bankers increasingly have shown interest in the Venezuelan-owned company's Corpus Christ, Texas, complex during a marketing process organized by a U.S. court in Delaware.

U.S. Could Boost Rate of Replenishing Oil Reserve, Energy Secretary Granholm Says

The U.S. could hasten the rate of replenishing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as maintenance on the stockpile is completed by the end of the year, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told Reuters on Tuesday.