North America

Sources: Endeavor Energy Explores Sale for as Much as $30 Billion

Endeavor Energy Partners is exploring a sale that could value the largest privately-held oil and gas producer in the Permian basin of the United States at between $25 billion and $30 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

U.S. Looks to Buy Additional 3 Million Barrels of Oil for Strategic Petroleum Reserve

The U.S. Department of Energy on Friday said it wants to buy up to 3 million barrels of crude oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) for delivery in March 2024, as it takes advantage of lower prices to start to replenish the stockpile.

Mexico's Pemex Eyeing Later Refinery Start-Up Date, Months After Initial Announcement

Mexican state-owned oil company Petróleos Mexicanos is working to nail down the start-up date at its newest refinery, months after the government said it had begun early output to ramp up to full capacity by December.

Sources: Four Suitors Offer More Than $648 Million for Edison’s Gas Storage Assets

Edison's gas storage assets have attracted offers from four Italian and international suitors, setting the stage for a transaction that could be worth more than 600 million euros ($648 million), two sources familiar with the matter said.

Mexico Pacific Inks 20-Year LNG Supply Deal with Woodside Energy

Woodside Energy said on Wednesday it has signed a deal with energy company Mexico Pacific to purchase 1.3 million tonnes of LNG per annum for two decades to beef up production and optimize operations.

Exxon Outlines $27 Billion Annual Project Spending; Golden Pass LNG Plant Set for 2025 Start-Up

Exxon Mobil will target annual project spending of between $22 billion and $27 billion through 2027, the oil major said in an update on Wednesday that largely continues existing spending and production goals.

EIA: Continental U.S. Kicks Off Winter with Most Natural Gas in Storage Since 2020

The continental United States entered the winter heating season with the most natural gas in storage since 2020, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Thursday.

Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Stalled as Canada Regulator Rejects Variance Request

The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) on Tuesday denied a request from the Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) project for a variance on a section of oil pipeline under construction in British Columbia, a decision that could delay the 590,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) expansion.

U.S. Coast Guard Finds Sheen Near Oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico

The U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday it found a light sheen west of an area in the Gulf of Mexico where it was leading the clean-up of a million-gallon (liters) oil spill for nearly three weeks but could not confirm if the sheen was from that spill.

NGL Energy Partners Launches Open Season for 550-Mile Grand Mesa Crude Pipeline

(P&GJ) — Grand Mesa provides takeaway capacity for crude oil producers in the Denver-Julesburg Basin. It originates in Weld County, Colorado, and extends approximately 550 miles southeast to NGL Crude Cushing’s storage terminal at Cushing, Oklahoma.

U.S. to Release Hydrogen Subsidy Guidance After COP28

The U.S. will release guidance for how hydrogen producers can secure billions of dollars of subsidies embedded in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act sometime this year after the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, U.S. energy advisor John Podesta told Reuters on Wednesday.

Venture Global LNG Expects Extended Start-Up at Second Plant, Says CEO

A Venture Global LNG export plant due to begin operating in 2024 will undergo a lengthy startup similar to its Calcasieu Pass LNG facility, with customers likely to receive their first cargoes in 2026 at the earliest, CEO Mike Sabel told Reuters.

Republican States Challenge EPA's Pipeline Veto Power Expansion in Federal Lawsuit

A group of 11 Republican-led states and energy industry groups have challenged a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that bolsters state and tribal veto power over pipelines and other major infrastructure projects that might pollute rivers and streams.

Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Faces Further Delays, Posing Financial Challenges for Canadian Oil Producers

Canadian oil producers are bracing for further potential delays to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (TMX) that could cost them millions of dollars in lost revenues in coming months after they ramped up production ready to fill the expanded line, meant to unlock access to Asia.

Canadian Wind-Hydrogen Project Delayed One Year in Race to First European Exports

One of Canada's first projects to produce emissions-free hydrogen with wind energy has delayed its start by one year because operator World Energy GH2's European customers need more time to develop special infrastructure to handle the product, the company said.

Kinder Morgan Forecasts 11% Profit Increase for 2024 on Growing Demand

Kinder Morgan on Monday forecast higher 2024 earnings as the U.S. pipeline operator bets on increased demand for transporting crude oil and gas liquids.

Record U.S. Oil Output Challenges Saudi Mastery

U.S. crude oil production set a record for the second month running in September, highlighting the challenge to Saudi Arabia and its OPEC+ partners as they cut their own production to boost prices.

CO2 Projects Look to Overcome Siting Opposition

(P&GJ) – In the last two years, while the Biden administration has been embracing direct-air capture (DAC) hubs, Houston-based Occidental Petroleum Corp. (Oxy) and its one-time spinoff, California Resources Corp. (CRC), have been leading increased industry interest in the transportation and storage of carbon, in the transition to a zero-emissions energy world.

U.S. Buys 2.73 Million Barrels of Oil for Strategic Petroleum Reserve

The U.S. Energy Department said on Thursday it has finalized contracts to purchase 2.73 million barrels of oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).

Investors Flock to U.S. Natural Gas ETF Despite Price Slump

Investors have been piling into an exchange-traded fund (ETF) designed to track U.S. natural gas prices, in spite of the commodity's dismal performance in 2023.

U.S. LNG Exports in November Approach Record Levels Amid Higher Output

U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports in November rose to the second highest monthly production level on record, 7.99 million metric tons of the superchilled gas, according to tanker tracking data.

U.S. Speeds Up Return of Oil to Strategic Petroleum Reserve

The U.S. Department of Energy has sped up the return of 4 million barrels of oil to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve from a previous exchange of crude to energy companies as it seeks to replenish the stockpile after a record drawdown last year.

Michigan Regulators Approve Enbridge Great Lakes Tunnel for Oil Pipeline

Michigan regulators on Friday approved Canadian pipeline company Enbridge's application to build a tunnel under the Great Lakes to house its aging Line 5 oil pipeline, a major step forward for the $750 million project.

Mountain Valley Pipeline Owner Equitrans Considering Asset Sale

While there is no certainty that the company would decide to proceed with the sale, it would likely attract interest if it were to launch a sale process in early 2024, coinciding with the expected completion of the Mountain Valley pipeline.

Sentinel Midstream, Exxon Form JV to Connect Oil Terminals in Louisiana

Pipeline operator Sentinel Midstream said on Friday it has formed a joint venture (JV) with Exxon Mobil to provide pipeline connectivity between crude oil terminals in Louisiana.

Canadian Regulators Approve Preliminary Interim Tolls on Expanded Trans Mountain Pipeline

The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) on Thursday approved preliminary interim tolls for the expanded Trans Mountain pipeline system, allowing the project to begin charging for shipping services once operations start.

Williams Becomes Third Largest DJ Basin Gatherer with Cureton Front Range, RMM Acquisitions

(PGJ) — Williams secures the third-largest DJ Basin gathering position by acquiring Cureton Front Range LLC, including gas gathering pipelines and two processing plants, and 100% ownership in Rocky Mountain Midstream Holdings LLC.

Global News December 2023

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APGA Continues Focus on Advocacy of Natural Gas

(P&GJ) – Formed in 1961, the American Public Gas Association (APGA) has played an instrumental role in the operations of more than 700 member companies in 36 states ever since, by representing its members before Congress and other federal agencies through careful assembling of regulatory and legislative positions.

Editor’s Notebook: Trouble in the Heartland

(P&GJ) — It seems that even CO2 pipelines — a centerpiece of the Biden administration’s net zero greenhouse gas reductions policy — can’t catch a break when it comes to getting out of the starting block where permitting and public opinion are concerned.