Regulation
Washington State Considers Nation's 1st Carbon Emissions Tax
SEATTLE (AP) — Washington could become the first state in the nation to impose a direct tax on carbon emissions from fossil fuels such as coal, gasoline and natural gas. A ballot measure before the state Legislature would create a carbon tax of $25 per metric ton of fossil fuel emissions burned in ..
Lawmakers Mull Moratorium on SoCalGas Storage Facility
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers are considering legislation that would prevent a utility from resuming full operations at a facility that had a massive natural gas leak for nearly four months. The bill requiring testing of wells at the Southern California Gas Co. facility near Los ..
Heat Exchangers Certified for Pipeline Components Cooling
Owners and operators of fuel and other energy pipelines are well aware of the changed regulatory environment in the wake of the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. As the public’s fears escalated because of the environmental damage and loss of life that followed the rig blowo..
UAE Backs Majors' Output Freeze Plan
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates on Thursday threw its support behind a plan by major oil producers to freeze output levels in an attempt to halt a slide in crude prices that has pushed them to their lowest point in more than a decade. Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and V..
Pipeline Opponents Ask Iowa Board to Consider New US Oil Exports
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Opponents of a proposed pipeline project in Iowa want the state utilities board to take additional evidence that crude oil produced in the United States is now being shipped overseas, which would bolster their argument that North Dakota oil to be shipped through the so-called..
FERC Approves Sabal Trail’s $3.2 Billion Gas Pipeline
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in the US has issued a certificate of public convenience and necessity to Sabal Trail Transmission’s $3.2 billion interstate natural gas pipeline project. Sabal Trail Transmission is a joint venture between Spectra Energy Partners, NextEra Energy and ..
Canada’s Energy Industry, Part I: Changing Times, Shifting Opportunities
To feel the winds of change from the global crash of crude oil prices in 2015, go no farther away than Canada, the world’s fifth-largest energy-producing nation. On the verge of a transformation before the commodity price nosedive, the U.S. northern neighbor is even more unsettled as global and Nor..
Los Angeles DA Charges Utility with Crimes for Gas Leak
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles prosecutors filed misdemeanor criminal charges Tuesday against a utility for failing to immediately report a natural gas leak that has been gushing nonstop for nearly 15 weeks. District Attorney Jackie Lacey said the charges aren’t a solution to the problem, but Sou..
Congress Cautiously Looks at Passing 1st Energy Bill since 2007
The U.S. Senate will kick off deliberations over a potentially bipartisan energy bill this week. Reaching consensus on energy legislation has been notoriously difficult, but the Republican lead on energy in the U.S. Senate believes that they could push something through for the first time in almost..
Trucks to Move Oil Stored after California Pipeline Break
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Exxon Mobil Corp. won approval Monday for its plan to use trucks to move more than 17 million gallons of oil stranded in storage tanks after a California pipeline break in May, despite concerns from environmentalists that highway safety could be jeopardized. The Santa Barbara Cou..
Canada to Step Up Climate Scrutiny on Oil Pipelines
The Canadian government is set to impose stricter criteria for evaluating major energy infrastructure projects like oil and gas pipelines or liquefied natural gas export terminals. The federal government is reportedly planning on adding a “climate test” for proposed projects, an extra hurdle for la..
FERC's Clark Won't Seek Reappointment when Term Ends
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Federal Energy Regulatory Commission member Tony Clark says he won’t seek reappointment when his term ends June 30. The Republican made the announcement on his Twitter account Thursday, and his staff confirmed his intention. The federal agency regulates utilities, power gene..
EAI Expects Iran to Clear Storage Prior to Ramping Up Production
Implementation day for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement among Iran, the the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany (P5+1), and the European Union (EU), occurred Jan. 16 when the International Atomic Energy Agency verified that Iran ha..
Feds Seek Limit on Methane Gas Flaring at Drilling Sites
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration on Friday proposed new rules to clamp down on oil companies that burn off natural gas on public land, arguing the effort will reduce waste and harmful methane emissions as part of President Barack Obama’s bid to curb climate change. Energy companies freq..
Appeals Court: Clean Power Plan Can Proceed Pending Review
WASHINGTON (AP) — In what environmentalists hailed as a victory for efforts to curb climate change, an appeals panel Thursday in Washington rebuffed efforts to delay enforcement of President Barack Obama’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions until legal challenges are resolved. The U.S. Court..
Editor's Notebook: A Few Things I Just Don’t Understand
A former classmate of mine posts on Facebook a photo of 1970, yearning again for gasoline at 40 cents a gallon. Do you want to go back to earning $2 an hour? Do you realize that the $1.75 you’re probably paying today is less in adjusted dollars than what you paid in 1970? But then I have to remind m..
P&GJ’s 2016 Worldwide Construction Report
P&GJ’s 2016 survey figures indicate 94,799 miles of pipelines are planned and under construction worldwide. Of these, 49,848 miles represent projects in the engineering and design phase; 44,951 miles are in various stages of construction. Following is a list of new and planned pipeline miles in the..
Tennessee Gas Seeks Approval for $170 Million Expansion
Kinder Morgan’s Tennessee Gas Pipeline has applied to FERC for a $170 million expansion of its gas transportation system to serve shippers that also have signed on with the Cameron LNG liquefaction and export facility. The Southwest Louisiana Supply Project would provide 295,000 Dth/d of incrementa..
Survey Finds Natural Gas Industry Still Upbeat, Just Less So
While the majority of those in the natural gas industry remain optimistic about growth between now and 2020, the numbers from a Black & Veatch survey clearly indicate that “the exuberance of 2014 is waning.” According to the 2015 Strategic Directions: U.S. Natural Gas Industry Report, even as deman..
Financial Expert High on Mexico’s Potential
For an expert’s perspective on Mexico’s expansive Energy Reform effort, P&GJ interviewed Richard Ennis, managing director, ING Capital. P&GJ: Why did President Enrique Peña Nieto institute the Energy Reform program? Enrique Enni..
Mexico: An Expanding Market for Infrastructure, but Dependent on Reforms
A consultant in his native Mexico, Arturo Palacios is more than willing to share his considerable views on what’s going on in his nation, but he also suggests that anyone in the U.S. energy sector wanting to do business south of the border should do their homework. He can suggest websites, governme..
In the News: Enbridge Cutting 500 Jobs, Leaving 100 Unfilled
Enbridge is reducing its workforce by 5% as low oil prices continue to reverberate through the energy sector. The move affects 500 people at all levels of the company in the U.S. and Canada. The company also is leaving 100 positions unfilled. TransCanada has also been cutting staff, starting with it..
Europe Cries Foul over German's Support of Russia's Gas Pipeline
Ther is a growing chorus in Europe against Germany’s support to expand a major natural gas pipeline from Russia over fears that it will leave Europe more dependent on their eastern neighbor. The Nord Stream 2 would build on the existing Nord Stream pipeline, a conduit that delivers Russian natural gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea. Crucially, the project cuts out Ukraine, a key strategic objective for Russia since the original project’s inception.
Columbia Pipelines Looking to Spend $1.1 Billion on Modernization
Columbia Gas Transmission has filed a customer agreement with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to extend its long-term system modernization program by three years, through 2020.The agreement, with a requested approval by March 31, would provide for $1.1 billion of additional investment. Parent company Columbia Pipeline Gas (CPG), has invested about $1 billion under the modernization programs over the past three years, placing more than 100 projections into service. These include: • Replacement of more than 130 miles of bare steel pipelines and wrought iron facilities
AP Investigation: US Power Grid Vulnerable to Foreign Hacks
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Security researcher Brian Wallace was on the trail of hackers who had snatched a California university's housing files when he stumbled into a larger nightmare: Cyber-attackers had opened a pathway into the networks running the United States power grid.
Gazprom Rapidly Losing Grip on European Markets
When talking about energy security in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), most governments think of gas pipelines. The bigger they are, the more secure they feel. In the past decade, at least 10 large-scale pipeline projects have been initiated and proclaimed as the ultimate source of gas diversification and energy security. However, just one has been actually realized – Nord Stream – and still Gazprom can fill its capacity only half-way making the project largely uneconomical.
Israeli Prime Minister Signs Landmark Gas Deal
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signed a landmark deal with U.S. and Israeli gas companies to develop Israel's offshore gas deposits, despite months of protest by liberal lawmakers and environmentalists. Resource-poor Israel announced the discovery of sizable offshore natural gas deposits about five years ago, and a partnership made up of Israeli and U.S. companies began extracting gas.
Los Angeles Sues Gas Company over 6-Week-Old Leak
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles city attorney has sued the Southern California Gas Co. over a 6-week-old natural gas leak that has sparked complaints of illness and forced hundreds of families out of a San Fernando Valley neighborhood. The Superior Court lawsuit alleges unfair competition and creation of a public nuisance.
Dont Expect Crude Exodus Because Export Ban Ending
Congress is on the verge of passing a major budget deal that includes some of the largest changes to energy policy in some years. Tucked into the budget bill is a repeal on the ban on crude oil exports from the United States, a highly sought after goal on behalf of the oil and gas industry. In exchange for lifting the export ban, Republicans agreed to extend tax credits for wind and solar for five years.
Mexico Oil Sector Sees Most Successful Auction So Far
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's third auction to open oil and gas blocks to private investment was the most successful yet, with all 25 blocks drawing bids Tuesday. Officials awarded exploration and production rights to mostly Mexican companies, as well as one Canadian firm plus consortiums involving U.S. and Dutch investments. No major multinational oil companies participated in the bidding.
- 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
