Regulation
EPA Intends Tougher Downwind Air-Pollution Rule in 23 States
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency proposed tougher new limits on Tuesday on smokestack emissions from nearly two dozen states that burden downwind areas with air pollution from power plants they can't control. At the same time, the EPA moved to remove two states — South Carolina and Florida — from the "good neighbor" rules, saying they don't contribute significant amounts of smog to other states. The EPA proposal came as Republicans in Congress moved to block President Barack Obama's plan to force steep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. power plants.
Retrofitting Customized Valves, Actuators for Pipeline Monitoring Stations
Oil and gas engineers face a major problem in accurately and reliably measuring and monitoring the various fluids that are introduced into oil pipelines from well site pumping stations. A thorough understanding of both the oil separation process and the properties of valves and actuators is required to correctly specify a system that will sufficiently measure and monitor these various types of fluids. Also, the conditions downstream from each well are different, requiring valves and actuators to be highly customized to their specific role in the process.
North Dakota Flaring Targets Challenged by Rapid Production Growth
Increases in North Dakota's crude oil production have resulted in increased associated natural gas production from oil reservoirs, especially in the Bakken region. Because of insufficient infrastructure to collect, gather, and transport this natural gas, about one-fifth of North Dakota's natural gas production is flared rather than marketed.
NY Governor Rejects Proposed Gas Terminal Off Coast
LONG BEACH, N.Y. (AP) – Gov. Andrew Cuomo has rejected a proposal to build a liquefied natural gas terminal in the waters off New York and New Jersey, effectively killing the project amid an outcry from residents of some coastal communities that it could endanger the environment and be a target for terrorists.
Ending Ban on Oil Exports Looms as Biggest Hurdle for Oil Industry
As President Obama smugly twiddles his thumbs and decides when he’ll put Keystone out of its misery, sides are being taken, mostly along political lines, in the real debate that will decide the fate of the domestic oil industry: ending the outdated 1975 ban on crude oil exports. Obama, of course, sees no need to lift the ban, though he says he might reconsider IF the oil industry gives up its tax breaks. As one expected, Hillary Clinton, presumptive Democratic nominee for president, also opposes ending the ban.
Appalachian Midstream Operators Face Myriad of Challenges
This has been a busy year of new challenges and issues facing the Appalachian oil and gas industry as rig count in the Appalachian Basin and elsewhere is down substantially compared to the previous two years. A significant challenge ahead for shale developers in a lower price environment is to continue to be active in finding land, drilling wells and getting the natural resource to market. This article concerns our most recent report, published in May, on the issues and challenges facing midstream operators in the Appalachian Basin.
Turkmenistan, Afghanistan To Lay 1,140-Mile Pipeline
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) — Turkmenistan and Afghanistan have agreed to jointly launch the construction of a multi-billion dollar pipeline that will pump natural gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, Turkmen state media reported Tuesday. Turkmenistan is believed to have the world's fourth-largest gas reserves, but currently exports almost all of it to China. Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov on Monday discussed the new pipeline in a phone call with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who hailed it as "extremely important for the entire region."
Analysis: Polarized Politics Dictated Obama Keystone Call
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's decision to block the Keystone XL oil pipeline has exposed an endlessly polarized Washington, and likely hardened its divides. Obama is now being praised to the skies by environmentalists and most Democrats, and denounced in apocalyptic terms by Republicans and the business community. And although environmental issues once produced bipartisan agreement in Congress, consensus on action to increase energy production or deal with climate change looks farther away than ever.
Latin America Forced to Face Growing Supply-Demand Gap
Latin America’s prominence on the world gas stage has increased over the last several years. Although it is well-endowed with natural gas resources, the region has struggled to find its footing as both a natural gas producer and consumer. Consequently, Latin America’s potential as a natural gas import province is the topic of increasingly animated debate.
ISO New England Issues Annual Power System Plan for New England
HOLYOKE, MA – ISO New England, the operator of the New England power system and wholesale electricity markets, issued its 2015 Regional System Plan (RSP15), the annual report that provides the foundation for long-term power-system planning in New England. “The Regional System Plan charts the progress of the regional high-voltage power system, identifies the challenges to continued reliability, and forecasts future developments” The comprehensive report details power system needs for the next 10 years, through 2024, and how these needs can be addressed.
Killing Keystone XL, Obama Says Pipeline Not in US Interests
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama rejected an application to build the Keystone XL pipeline Friday after 7 years of federal review, declaring the proposed project wouldn't serve U.S. national interests and would have undercut America's global leadership on climate change.
State Dept. Rejects TransCanada Request for Keystone Delay
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration said Wednesday it is continuing a review of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline, despite a request by the project's developer to suspend the review. If granted, a delay could have put off a decision on the high-profile project until the next president takes office in 2017. President Barack Obama has yet to say whether he would approve or reject the pipeline, but the Democrats running for president have all said they oppose it while Republican candidates support it.
AP Exclusive: CA Governor Had State Workers Research Oil on His Family's Ranch
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown last year directed state oil and gas regulators to research, map and report back on any mining and oil drilling potential and history at the Brown family's private land in Northern California.
Combating Noise in Gas Pipeline Transmission
Pipelines have been established for many years as the simplest and most economical way to transport high quantities of natural gas over long distances, moving gas from new shale fields and other production sources to LNG stations, local utilities, industrial plants and natural gas–fired electric power plants. Natural gas pipelines only consume an average of 2-3% of the gas’s potential energy to overcome frictional losses along the route, making them more cost-effective than the use of road or rail transport.
Keystone Backers Look to Obama's Successor to Make the Call
WASHINGTON (AP) — The company pleading for permission to build the Keystone XL pipeline looked beyond President Barack Obama on Tuesday in apparent hopes a future Republican president would green-light the project. But the administration signaled it was in no mood to hand off the decision to the winner of the 2016 election.
Why Carbon Capture, Storage not Taken Off Yet
For all of the talk about green energy one fact still remains clear: fossil fuels are going to continue to be used in enormous quantities for decades to come. From China and India to the United States and Canada, the world is flooded with growing markets looking for new sources of fossil fuels and developed markets coming up with new ways to extract those fossil fuels. India, for instance, is on track to double its use of coal as a main source of energy over the next 20 years.
TransCanada Asks US to Suspend Pipeline Application Review
TORONTO (AP) — After waiting seven years for a decision, the company behind the proposed Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to Texas has asked the U.S. State Department to suspend its review of the project. The move comes as the Obama administration increasingly appeared likely to reject the pipeline permit application. TransCanada said Monday it had sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry requesting that the State Department suspend its review of the pipeline application. Until recently, it would have been unimaginable for the Calgary, Alberta-based company to ask for a delay.
In the News: California Tightens Responses to Future Energy Spills
Just months after a pipeline rupture dumped 20,000 gallons of oil into the ocean on Oct. 8 near Santa Barbara, CA, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a package of bills aimed at preventing and better responding to future spills. Brown said he signed the bills “in order to more fully protect our inland and coastal communities and environments from the harm of oil spills.”
Government: Senate Hears Criticism of Upcoming Gas Transmission Proposal
INGAA CEO Don Santa showed increasing frustration with PHMSA’s continued failure to move forward with important pipeline safety regulations. At Senate hearings Sept. 29, he said gas transmission pipelines are hesitant to make extensive safety investments now since those investments could be proved inadequate or wrong-headed once PHMSA finally publishes an upcoming safety rule containing numerous changes dictated by the 2011 Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act.
Nepal Turns to China for Fuel after India Restricts Supply
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Fuel-starved Nepal has signed an agreement with China to import gasoline, diesel and cooking gas, effectively ending a monopoly on supply from India, which has restricted fuel convoys as a result of political protests in the Himalayan nation. The decision to import Chinese oil amid severe shortages has brought China a step closer to Nepal, which traditionally is more influenced by India in the south. The two Asian giants have been jostling for influence in landlocked Nepal.
Despite US-Led Campaign, Islamic State Rakes in Oil Earnings
BAGHDAD (AP) — The Islamic State (IS) rakes in up to $50 million a month from selling crude from oilfields under its control in Iraq and Syria, part of a well-run industry that U.S. diplomacy and airstrikes have so far failed to shut down, according to Iraqi intelligence and U.S. officials.
ConocoPhillips Gets Approval for Production Site inside Alaska Federal Reserve
ConocoPhillips gained approval to build the first oil production facilities at a federal reserve in Alaska. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management approval allows the company to construct an 11.8-acre drilling pad and other infrastructure within the reserve. The project boosts the possibility of adding oil to the 800-mile-long Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, designed to ferry 2 MMbpd of crude from the North Slope. It is currently at about 25% capacity due to production declines.
Silver Linings for Energy Sector in Canada with New Liberal Government
Canada ushered in a new era Oct. 19, as voters handed the Liberal Party a majority government. But what will the new government mean for Canada’s oil and gas sector? Incoming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has staked out several positions on major pipeline projects in Canada. First and foremost, he has supported the Keystone XL pipeline. However, there is growing speculation that President Barack Obama may reject the pipeline, perhaps as soon as this week. That would provide political cover for Trudeau, who may support the pipeline, but hasn’t made the project a high priority.
Interior Department Curbs Future Arctic Offshore Drilling
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The Interior Department announced Friday it is canceling future lease sales and will not extend current leases in Arctic waters off Alaska's northern coast, a decision that significantly reduces the chances for future Arctic offshore drilling. The news follows a Sept. 28 announcement by Royal Dutch Shell that it would cease exploration in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas after spending upward of $7 billion on Arctic exploration. The company cited disappointing results from a well drilled in the Chukchi and the unpredictable federal regulatory environment.
Fed Review Boosts Ocean Gas Plan; Foes Seek NY Governor's Veto
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — A company that wants to build an ocean terminal off the coast of New York and New Jersey to import LNG said Wednesday that a federal review supports its claim the $600 million project is safe and economically necessary. Roger Whelan, CEO of Liberty Natural Gas, told The Associated Press that the final environmental impact statement from the U.S. Coast Guard bolsters its contention that the project to import natural gas to the New York metropolitan region during peak demand times should go forward.
ANSI/API Recommended Practice 1173 Released; What Does It Means for Pipeline Safety?
On July 8, 2015, the American Petroleum Institute (API) released the first edition of ANSI/API Recommended Practice (RP) 1173 Pipeline Safety Management Systems. As an ANSI designated standards document, the RP became the national standard for pipeline safety management systems (PSMSs) in the U.S.
New Integrity Solutions Facing Many Same Old Problems
The protection of oil, gas and refined product pipelines against natural events such as earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis, not to mention human actions including construction excavations, illegal tapping and terrorist sabotage, is an ongoing concern for operators around the world. However, in the United States, the top three causes of pipeline failure reported by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) are construction excavations, corrosion and equipment failure (Figure1).
Iran Prepares Oil Sector for Life after Sanctions
Iran says it is ready to offer more than 50 projects for energy exploration and production to investors so that it can return quickly to the global oil market as soon as it is free from Western sanctions. Seyed Mehdi Hosseini, the chief negotiator for Iran’s Oil Contracts Restructuring Committee, said Iran will introduce the contracts in Tehran in November and at an energy conference in London next February. He made the announcement on Oct. 6 at the Oil and Money conference in Britain’s capital.
Mastering Inspection of Challenging Pipelines
Pipelines are a valuable asset and need protection. In order to achieve this, a modern pipeline integrity management program usually includes regular inspections followed by integrity assessment, and if required, repair and rehabilitation measures.
House OKs Lifting 40-year-old US Ban on Oil Exports
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defying a White House veto threat, the Republican-controlled House on Friday approved a bill to lift a 40-year-old U.S. ban on crude oil exports. The House approved the bill on a 261-159 vote. Supporters said an ongoing boom in oil and gas drilling has made the 1970s-era restrictions obsolete. Lifting the export ban would lower prices at the pump, create jobs and boost the economy, said House Speaker John Boehner.
- 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
