April 2018, Vol.245, No.4

Elsyca's V-PIMS simulation technology provides operators with a unique state-of-the-art management system for the design, optimization, monitoring and troubleshooting of a pipeline network’s corrosion protection.

HammerHead Trenchless, a Charles Machine Works Company, has released the first model of its new XPR series of high-performance pneumatic hammers for pipe ramming and pipe bursting applications.

Milliken Infrastructure Solutions' PolyBrute system is the first structural reinforcing system that can bond directly to polyethylene and polypropylene pipe, while reducing repair time by 50% or more when compared to traditional repair methods.

AUMA electric actuators help increase safety at a Polish tank farm handling liquid fuels by making emergency valve closing more reliable.

In an interview with P&GJ, new INGAA chairman Jeffrey Bruner addressed the association's priorities, regulatory obstacles facing new projects, and the potential impact of the Trump administration on the industry during the remainder of 2018.

Due to major investment in transmission and interconnectors and the establishment of gas trading hubs, Europe nears completing a single gas trading market.

The Texas port is rapidly becoming a strategic hub for U.S. crude oil exports, with volumes increasing to nearly 500,000 bpd – and that may be just the beginning.

Pipeline Performance Group's new educational course helps pipeline companies follow PHMSA's recently amended Control Room Management regulations.

In an effort to improve communication, PHMSA has made it mandatory to have team training for controllers and individuals that interact with the control room.

With building new, so-called “greenfield” pipeline projects becoming a maze of court filings at a time when “infrastructure” enjoys bipartisan support, FERC embarks on a review of its permitting process.

Hurricane Harvey caused disruptions to America's Gulf Coast refinery sector in late August and September 2017, but crude oil exports reached a monthly record of more than 1.7 MMbpd the very next month.

Drillers are diving deep to increase oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico.

The offshore oil and gas industry is now more prepared to deliver projects and profits at lower costs and simpler designs.

In 2018, the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) is celebrating 50 years since its first conference at NRG Park (formerly Reliant Park) in Houston.

Many control rooms were converted from offices without considering room adjacency and other factors that can improve workflow and support for controllers.

Germany has commenced a 7 billion euro gas infrastructure project to switch 30% of its customers from low-calorie Group L to high calorie Group H natural gas by 2030.

Puget Sound Energy President & CEO Kimberly Harris this year brings her unique combination of environmental sensibility and unabashed love for the energy industry to the international stage as chair of the American Gas Association as it celebrates its 100th year and hosts the World Gas Conference.

In part 2 of an interview with Mark Olson, founder of Integra Solutions, he explains how the inline inspection industry has changed since he first launched the company.

Gas pipeline companies across both the distribution and transmission segments have undertaken a much-needed modernization effort with one major catalyzing force – regulatory mandates precipitated by a confluence of serious events, political pressures and pragmatic industry imperatives.

Capacity Center reveals its Top 20 pipeline capacity traders and the top 10 traded pipelines for 2017.

For pipeline operators, automating surge analysis studies is smart business.

89% of millennial respondents to the recent Global Energy Talent Index are open to an international move.

Coastal reclamation projects are being undertaken across Louisiana in an attempt to protect pipelines.

In recent weeks, some innovations in the area of fortifying the environment have been gaining attention and should make those in the pipeline industry, particularly those involved with gas distribution, feel good about what they do for a living.

What's new in pipeline technology and equipment.

Brent Vyvial has been named as principal and lead of consulting and engineering services company Stress Engineering Services’ midstream practice.

Bruce Niemeyer has become Chevron Corporation’s corporate vice president of Strategic Planning, effective immediately.

John Hollowell retired as president and CEO of Shell Midstream. Kevin Nichols, vice president for Shell Pipeline Company, succeeded Hollowell.

At a recent meeting of the Society of Petroleum Engineers Hydraulic Fracturing Technical Conference, NSI Technologies President Michael B. Smith was honored with the 2018 Legend of Hydraulic Fracturing Award, presented in recognition of his significant contributions to the field over a lifetime of work.

David Pursell has been named senior vice president of Planning and Energy Fundamentals at Apache Corporation.

Douglas Lee Arrick is the recipient of the 2018 Laurance S. Reid Award, which was presented at the recent 93rd annual the International School of Hydrocarbon Measurement at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City.

Craig Adams retired as president and CEO of PECO and was succeeded by Mike Innocenzo, who had been PECO senior vice president and chief operating officer. Innocenzo also assumed Adams’ role as executive vice president of Exelon Corporation.

Harry Quarls, Penn Virginia’s executive chairman, retired from his position and also stepped down a director of the company. Additionally, Penn Virginia announced the expansion of its board from five to seven members and with the appointments of David Geenberg and Michael Hanna as new independent board members.

Greg Henderson has been selected as the 2017-18 chairman of the American Public Gas Association (APGA).

The American Petroleum Institute (API) named Kelly Robbins as executive director for the Arkansas Petroleum Council. Robbins replaces Tom Parker, who retired Dec. 31.

Greg Staff has been hired as vice president of Hanson Professional Services and will be responsible for business development for private industry clients in the crude oil, natural gas and petrochemical industries.

Simmons Edeco appointed Gavin Sherwood to the position of base manager in Denmark.

Tetra Technologies appointed Brady M. Murphy as president and chief operating officer, effective immediately.

Hilcorp Energy said its owner Jeff Hildebrand has stepped down as CEO and has been replaced by Greg Lalicker, a petroleum engineer who joined the company in 2006 after stints at BHP Billiton’s oil unit and at McKinsey & Co. Additionally, Jason Rebrook, a former executive with GE Capital and Chevron Corp., was promoted to president.

Southwestern Energy Company announced Julian Bott was named chief financial officer, and interim CFO Jennifer Stewart became senior vice president, Government and Regulatory Affairs. Michael Hancock moved to vice president, Financial Planning and Analysis at Southwestern, which named Paige Penchas to his previous position of vice president, Investor Relations.

UGI Corporation has named Ted J. Jastrzebski to the position of chief financial officer.

Forum Energy Technologies appointed Pablo G. Mercado to serve as senior vice president and chief financial officer. James W. Harris, who served as CFO while leading the company’s Drilling and Subsea segment, will transition full-time to operations as executive vice president of that segment.

Oilfield services provider Danos promoted David Decuir to technical solutions manager, a position responsible for leadership of the company’s compliance training department.

The Society of Protective Coatings honored Carboline’s Mary Roley with the Women in Coating Impact Award recently at a ceremony in New Orleans.

Well-Sense appointed Tad Bostick as Western Hemisphere commercial director.

Pipeline software provider Technical Toolboxes appointed Drew Lafleur as chief technology officer.

Ray Lewis, who has been sharing his wealth of knowledge and leadership in the areas of pipeline pressure testing technology and in-line inspection for an incredible seven decades, was honored at the Pigging Pipeline Integrity Management (PPIM) Conference on Jan. 31 in Houston.

Edward Lee Darby, 72, CEO of Darby Equipment Company, passed away Feb. 10 in Tulsa, OK.

Industrial gas company Praxair was named a 2018 World’s Most Ethical Company by the Ethisphere Institute for the second straight year.

French oil major Total, Canada’s NOVA Chemicals and Austria’s Borealis signed definitive agreements to form a joint venture to build a steam cracker and polyethylene plant on the Texas coast. Total will own half of the venture, while a joint venture of NOVA and Borealis, Novealis Holdings, will own the other half.

ExxonMobil is providing $1 million for the humanitarian relief effort in Papua New Guinea to assist communities affected by a powerful earthquake and aftershocks in the country’s Highlands area.

Noble Midstream Partners sets a 2018 capital budget of up to $535 million with a focus on growth projects in the DJ and Delaware basins.

Avangrid Renewables Holdings has agreed to sell its Enstor Gas storage business to Amphora Gas Storage USA. The sale includes natural gas storage facilities owned and operated by Enstor in the U.S. Gulf Coast and Southwest regions with a total capacity of 88.5 Bcf and a net working gas storage capacity of 67.5 Bcf. The deal does not include the Enstor gas trading business, which Avangrid agreed to sell to Castleton Commodities in an unrelated transaction that closed last month.

Magellan Midstream Partners and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) launched a new auction for a portion of multi-month Permian WTI storage capacity at Magellan’s East Houston Terminal.

EQT Corporation will separate its upstream and midstream businesses to create an independent, publicly traded midstream company.

An overview of recent U.S. oil and gas pipeline news.

An overview of recent worldwide oil and gas pipeline news.

An overview of recent U.S. oil and gas pipeline regulatory updates.

Leaders from U.S. oil and gas associations urge President Trump to rethink his decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

A federal judge halts Mountain Valley Pipeline’s plan to take possession of various lands in Virginia for its pipeline project until the company shows landowners they will be adequately compensated.

Federal officials must go back and review documents related to the disputed Keystone XL oil pipeline, under a court ruling that came after environmentalists accused the White House of withholding details on the project’s approval.

Epic Midstream Holdings announced completion of Phase 2 of the Epic Natural Gas Liquids Pipeline and said product is now running from DLK Black River Midstream to Benedum, Texas.

Cardinal Midstream III is developing the Iron Horse System, a new natural gas gathering and processing system designed to serve producers working in Oklahoma’s SCOOP/STACK merge play.

A federal judge who halted construction of a crude oil pipeline through a Louisiana swamp concludes the project’s irreversible environmental damage outweighs the economic harm that a delay brings to the company building it.

Kinder Morgan Texas Pipeline, EagleClaw Midstream and Apache signed a letter of intent to develop the Permian Highway Pipeline (PHP) project, which will provide an outlet for natural gas from the Permian Basin to the Texas Gulf Coast.

TransCanada will move forward with a $2.4 billion expansion of its NGTL System to connect incremental supply and expand basin export capacity by 1 Bcf/d of natural gas at the interconnection with its Canadian Mainline.

Gulf Coast Express Pipeline, a joint venture owned by affiliates of Kinder Morgan, DCP Midstream and Targa Resources, has launched a binding open season for 220,000 Dth/d of firm natural gas transportation service on the Gulf Coast Express Pipeline Project (GCX Project), which will transport natural gas from the Waha, Texas, production area to the market hub near Agua Dulce, Texas, once built.

Jordan and Iraq have agreed to a framework for building a 1,680-km, twin oil and gas pipeline from Basra to Aqaba.

Tellurian subsidiary Haynesville Global Access Pipeline has launched a non-binding open season to secure prospective shippers for the Haynesville Global Access Pipeline.