Regulation

SoCalGas: Aliso Canyon Leak Costs Exceed $1 Billion

SoCalGas raised the estimated cost for the massive leak at its 2015-2016 Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility in Los Angeles to $1.014 billion, warning the "estimate may rise significantly" due to pending lawsuits, possible fines and other costs.

Dominion Not Expecting Court Order to Hold Up Atlantic Coast Pipe

A U.S. appeals court on Monday vacated permits by two federal agencies that allowed Dominion Energy to build its Atlantic Coast natural gas pipeline, a decision the company does not expect to hold up its $6.0 billion to $6.5 billion project.

Report: Keystone XL Would Have No Major Impact on Nebraska

A new planned route for the Keystone XL pipeline through Nebraska would not have a major impact on the state's water, land or wildlife, according to an updated environmental study produced by the Trump administration.

Dakota Access Pipeline Builder Wants State Lawsuit Dismissed

The company that built the Dakota Access oil pipeline wants a North Dakota judge to throw out a lawsuit over its ownership of agricultural land, claiming it's not violating a Depression-era state ban on corporate farming that it calls unconstitutional anyway.

FERC Approves Atlantic Coast Construction through N.C.

Federal regulators are allowing construction of the 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline to proceed in North Carolina.

Lines Between Regulators Still Blurry for Midstream Processors

Although PHMSA has never published the working group's guidance as official policy, regulators are referencing it when questions of coverage arise. Accordingly, companies conducting midstream processing operations should regard that guidance as important to understanding when PSM applies, and does not apply, to their assets.

Top German Court Rejects Bid to Block Gas Pipeline

Germany's highest court has rejected a bid by an environmentalist group to block construction of the planned Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would pump Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea.

Plains' Cactus II Denied Tariff Exemption

A request by Plains All American to exclude its Cactus II Permian-to-Gulf Coast crude oil pipeline from the tariff on imported steel was rejected by the Commerce Department on grounds that suitable product is available from domestic producers.  Houston-based Plains said it will proceed with the pro..

Court: Louisiana Oil Pipeline Construction Allowed to Continue

A federal appeals court has cleared the way for construction of a crude oil pipeline to continue through Louisiana's Atchafalaya Basin swamp.

Safety Board: Damage During Installation Led to Pipeline Crack

The NTSB said last year’s rupture of the Keystone oil pipeline in South Dakota was due to a fatigue crack that probably resulted from mechanical damage by a metal-tracked vehicle during installation.

Washington Voters Likely to Take Up Carbon Fee Initiative

Washington state voters will likely decide in November whether to charge industrial emitters a fee for their carbon pollution, the latest effort yet to pass a carbon-pricing measure to fight climate change.

Erosion Temporarily Halts Mountain Valley Construction

Construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Virginia has been halted to address some soil erosion problems. The suspension is expected to be temporary

Minnesota Approves Enbridge Energy Line 3 Pipeline Project

Minnesota regulators on Thursday approved Enbridge Energy’s proposal to replace its aging Line 3 oil pipeline, angering opponents who say the project threatens pristine areas and have vowed Standing Rock-style protests if needed to block it.

Bayou Bridge Plans to Finish Louisiana Oil Pipeline by October

A company building a crude oil pipeline in Louisiana expects to complete the construction project by October if a federal appeals court doesn’t order another halt to the work. Bayou Bridge Pipeline’s attorneys said construction of the entire 163-mile (260-km) pipeline was nearly 76% complete as of Sunday.

In Texas, Trump’s Steel Tariff Stirs Uncertainty, Concern

There’s no playbook to guide companies through an exemption process, often described as chaotic and unpredictable. In Baytown, Texas, east of Houston, Joel Johnson is fighting an uphill battle to keep his pipe factory from becoming a casualty .

Court Stay Halts Some Work on Mountain Valley Pipeline

A federal appeals court has issued a stay that halts some Mountain Valley Pipeline construction in West Virginia. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted the stay Thursday in a case brought by conservation groups that challenged a water-crossings permit.

Oil and Gas Industry Faces Key Changes with New Tax Law

Recent adjustments to U.S. tax law affect companies in every sector of the oil and gas industry. Here are the key changes you should know.

House Considers Pipeline Cybersecurity Bill

Concerns in Congress about the inability of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to monitor gas pipeline hacking vulnerabilities are the stimulus behind a bipartisan bill that would give the Department of Energy new non-regulatory powers to plug the gaps in TSA oversight. A House Energy..

Roadmap to Future Energy Infrastructure

A “new energy realism” based on advancing technologies is replacing “old energy pessimism” as government and industry leaders collaborate on future energy infrastructure.

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.

Liberty Utilities Sees Potential Benefit in Decoupling

Whenever the topic of “decoupling” is mentioned concerning natural gas distribution utilities, confusion, along with a fair amount of debate, is bound to follow. That’s because, traditionally, rates for business and residential customers are decided based on a particular company’s revenues and profits.

Pipeline Company Seeks to Dismantle Alaska Oil Terminal

An Alaskan pipeline company plans to start dismantling an oil terminal on the Cook Inlet next year after oil is expected to start flowing through a reconfigured pipeline system in September.

France to Allow Private Investors to Buy into GRTgaz Gas Grid

France will allow gas utility Engie to sell part of the main French gas grid, GRTgaz, to private investors, according to a planned parliamentary bill, as the government eyes a series of possible privatizations to boost the economy.

US Oil Pipeline Companies, Producers Seek Relief from Steel Tariffs

Major U.S. energy companies including Plains All American Pipeline, Hess Corp and Kinder Morgan are among many seeking exemptions from steel-import tariffs as the United States ratchets up trade tensions with exporters including China, Canada and Mexico.

Minnesota PUC Opens Hearings on Enbridge Line 3 Replacement

Passions ran high as Minnesota regulators opened a key hearing on a final decision on Enbridge Energy’s proposal to replace its deteriorating Line 3 crude oil pipeline across northern Minnesota.

South Dakota High Court Dismisses Appeal Against Keystone XL

South Dakota’s Supreme Court this week dismissed an appeal from opponents of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, saying a lower court lacked jurisdiction to hear their cases. But an attorney battling the project says the “fight is not over.”

Trump Administration Defends Keystone XL Pipeline in Court

Trump administration attorneys defended the disputed Keystone XL oil sands pipeline in federal court on Thursday against environmentalists and Native American groups that want to derail the project.

Norway Court Hears Appeal from Pipeline Owners over Tariff Cuts

The Norwegian Supreme Court began hearing an appeal on Wednesday from some of the owners of the Gassled gas network that are challenging government cuts to pipeline tariffs.

New Jersey Challenges FERC Approval of PennEast Pipeline

The state of New Jersey has petitioned a federal appeals court in Washington to set aside the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) approval of the PennEast Pipeline, the latest in a series of moves to stop construction of the $1 billion project. Fi..

Virginia Regulators OK Key Step for Mountain Valley Pipeline

Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality announced that it has approved erosion, sediment and storm water control plans for the Mountain Valley Pipeline.