September 2009 Vol. 236 No. 9

The Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline project received a stamp of union approval through several unanimous resolutions at the AFL-CIO convention in Pittsburgh, PA, Sept. 15.

Distribution Contractors Association (DCA) President, Shepard T. Poole, president, The Hallen Construction Company, Island Park, NY, appointed Robert G. Darden as executive vice president.

Flowserve Corporation is providing $8 million worth of pumps for Shell Malaysia Exploration & Production to aid in the oil recovery efforts for the St. Joseph field, located in the South China Sea.

The board of directors of ONEOK, Inc. elected Gerald B. Smith as a director. He joins 11 other ONEOK directors on the board.

This is the story of saints, sinners and a bobblehead named Elvis. But wait…I’m getting ahead of myself.

The thirst for energy continues to push companies to exploit oil and gas reserves in more challenging areas of the world.

When a compressor reaches its surge condition, it loses the ability to maintain peak head and the entire system becomes unstable.

INGAA Foundation Chairman Gary Sypolt is the newly named chairman and CEO of Dominion Energy, one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy.

For Jerry Schild, the last 18 months have brought a lot of changes. But adapting to his new career in the pipeline industry hasn’t been too difficult so far.

Most natural gas reserves are not in the vicinity of consumers. One method to transport gas to the places where it is needed is by pumping it through pipelines.

The regulatory and standards framework for the operation, maintenance and security of critical infrastructure is rapidly evolving.

Whenever the energy industry might happen to be in its predictable "boom-to-bust" cycle, maintaining a company's assets in today’s troubled economy should be a key priority.

Two hot topics in the industrial world are security and compliance. Controversy surrounds the interpretation of how to address them.

"Can’t we set aside (pipeline construction) project land for mitigation of our future impacts?" "Just how many acres of wetland impact does our project have?" "Where’s a mitigation bank nearby -- one that has credits available?"

The 2009 edition of “The Report Card for America’s Infrastructure” was published by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in late January.

The Nabucco gas pipeline project represents an opportunity for the EU to diversify its gas supply options and lessen its reliance on Russian gas imports.

There might be better times to open a pipe mill, but don’t tell that to the folks at Welspun, the India-based conglomerate that cut the ribbon on its $150 million plant in the Arkansas city of Little Rock last April.

Just about everyone, it seems, is lining up for their cut of the stimulus package billions – except of course the oil and gas sector.

Pipeline and other construction industries are pressing the federal government to make it easier for projects to pass muster with the Endangered Species Act.

Bulgaria reached a deal with Greece and Italy for an interconnector to the Italy-Turkey-Greece Interconnector (ITGI), which will allow it to decrease its dependence on Russian gas imports and improve its energy security.

CH2M HILL announced Sept. 29 that it has been awarded an engineering, procurement, and construction management contract from Encore Acquisition Company for its recently announced Greencore Project.

Chinese investors may fund a proposed Malaysian–Thai oil pipeline, Merapoh Executive Chairman Nazri Ramli said.

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) plans to double its total natural gas pipeline as well as its natural gas production by 2020.

Extension of the major oil pipeline from China’s Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region to central Kazakhstan and now the Caspian Sea has passed initial tests.

Denbury Resources has initiated a comprehensive feasibility study of a possible long-term CO2 pipeline project to connect to proposed gasification plants in the Midwest.

El Paso Corporation and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) have formed a joint venture and entered into a definitive agreement to construct, own and operate the Ruby interstate natural gas pipeline.

Enbridge Inc. has entered into Letters of Intent with Chevron USA, Inc. which could result in the expansion of its central Gulf of Mexico offshore pipeline system.

A deal has been reported between the European Union, international financial institutions, and Ukraine on a series of loans to ensure that cash-strapped Naftogaz Ukrainy can make its payments to Russia for gas imports.

Global Industries, Ltd. has entered into an exclusive agreement with Fluor Offshore Solutions to pursue offshore projects in the Middle East and North Africa.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners announced Sept. 22 that it has started commercial transportation of blended 2 percent biodiesel (B2) through its 115-mile Oregon Pipeline.

Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (MMP) announced that its purchase of substantially all of the assets of Longhorn Partners Pipeline, L.P. has been approved.

MichCon, a subsidiary of DTE Energy, has completed its 15-mile Sumpter natural gas pipeline that interconnects with the Panhandle Eastern Pipeline.

The unexpected and sudden renewal of the Turkmen-Azerbaijani dispute over three hydrocarbon fields in the middle of the Caspian Sea is the latest setback to the European Union's Nabucco gas pipeline project.

NiSource Gas Transmission & Storage has placed its Appalachian Expansion project in service, which was scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter.

Williams Northwest Pipeline and Puget Sound Energy are working together with respect to Northwest's development of the Blue Bridge Pipeline Project.

The possibility of laying a natural gas pipeline across North Korea will be discussed next month when South Korean officials visit Moscow shortly.

President Bashar Assad said Syria will buy up to 1 Bcm of gas from Azerbaijan per year, which could see construction of pipeline infrastructure between the two countries.

TDW Offshore Services AS announced Sept. 8 that it has entered into a frame agreement with Amserve Engineering to provide pipeline services on behalf of Sarawak Shell Berhad in Malaysia.

Williams’ Transco pipeline held an open season from July 16 to Aug. 19 for an expansion project designed to provide increased capacity on its Transco natural gas pipeline system.

Now in its 56th year, PRCI – Pipeline Research Council International – has led the way in the push for new technologies that have made the pipeline industry safer, more reliable and more efficient.

In the natural gas industry, it is not always easy to win the respect of your peers. It requires a lifetime of hard work, integrity, curiosity, intelligence, and the willingness to stare right at a challenge and conquer it.

One could justifiably say that the job of CEO of Siemens’ fledgling but fast-growing Oil & Gas Division was designed specifically for Tom Blades.

In a continued effort to develop state of the art automation standards, River Consulting is working on a variety of pipeline expansion projects for Kinder Morgan.

A manufacturer and provider of production field enhancement compressors has increased efficiency by implementing remote work order automation, real-time inventory management, equipment monitoring and GPS positioning.

A new instrument called realSens™ has been designed by Synodon Inc. for the remote sensing detection of leaked natural gas.

According to a new study released by the AGF, technological advancements in end use applications will position natural gas to remain a key component in an energy efficient future in the United States.

The California Energy Commission has awarded nearly $4 million to the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) to research ways to increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions in residential buildings.

Quanta Services, Inc. announced Sept. 3 that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Price Gregory Services, Incorporated for approximately $350 million.

The results from a recent international executive survey of the oil and gas industry titled “Riding the Rapids” were released September 15 in Houston and debated at a panel discussion downtown.