Regulation
Democratic US Senator Manchin Says He Will Oppose All EPA Nominees
Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Manchin said on Wednesday he would oppose all nominees for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) posts until President Joe Biden's administration halts what he described as its "radical climate agenda."
Academics Come Together to Pool Hydrogen Hub Ideas
(P&GJ) — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstration encouraged a Texas consortium spearheading the development of a regional clean hydrogen hub on the U.S. Gulf Coast to submit a full application in response to a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) designated in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Republicans Ask Watchdog to Assess US Oil Reserve Management
Two Republicans on Monday asked a congressional watchdog to assess the Biden administration's management of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and audit its modernization program, saying sales from the SPR have undermined U.S. energy security.
INGAA Responds to Biden Administration Outline of Permitting Reform Priorities
(P&GJ) — "While President Biden and Secretary Granholm have both, at times, acknowledged the prolonged need for natural gas as part of the energy mix to support reliability and affordability while contributing to emissions reductions, we were disappointed to see almost no mention of natural gas or its related infrastructure in the Administration’s new Permitting Reform Priorities Fact Sheet," said Amy Andryszak, president and CEO of INGAA.
Biden's EPA Proposes Crackdown on Power Plant Carbon Emissions
The Biden administration on Thursday unveiled a sweeping plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions from the U.S. power industry, one of the biggest steps so far in its effort to decarbonize the economy to fight climate change.
White House Backs Manchin on Expediting Energy Project Permits, Calls on Congress to Pass Bill
The White House on Wednesday called on Congress to pass permitting legislation that would help speed up clean energy and fossil fuel projects, betting that the bipartisan measure may help end a standoff on the debt ceiling. The bill also calls for the completion of the $6.6 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline.
DOE Selects Crescent Midstream-Supported Project to Advance Commercial-Scale CO2 Storage
(P&GJ) — The company plans to repurpose an existing 110-mile pipeline corridor it owns and operates, positioning Crescent to become one of the first full-service midstream solutions for CCS while also reducing the initiative’s carbon footprint.
Spain's Endesa Faces $411 Million Claim in LNG Contract Dispute
Spanish power utility Endesa faces a claim of $411 million as part of an arbitration process launched by a liquefied natural gas producer in March, it said on Tuesday.
PetroVietnam Gas Gets Country's First LNG Import-Export Approval
PetroVietnam Gas said on Monday it had received a certificate from local authorities to become the country's first company eligible to import and export LNG.
Australia Government to Change Petroleum Tax, LNG Projects to Pay More
Australia will change its Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT) to increase the tax paid by the offshore LNG industry, moves that should increase revenue by $1.6 billion over the next four fiscal years, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Saturday.
US Pipeline Regulator Sets New Rules for Reducing Methane Leaks
The Transportation Department's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued a proposed notice of rulemaking, laying out measures to clamp down on methane leaks from the country's vast network gas infrastructure.
Pipeline Operator Enbridge’s Board Rejects Resolution to Fully Report Indirect Emissions
Shareholders of North American pipeline operator Enbridge Inc. rejected on Wednesday a small investor's resolution to ask the company to annually report all the indirect greenhouse gas emissions of the oil and gas it handles.
New York State Bans Natural Gas in Some New Construction
New York has become the first U.S. state to pass legislation banning the use of natural gas for heating and cooking in some new buildings, a plan designed to reduce carbon emissions but opposed by industry groups as excessive and costly.
Biden to Support Manchin's Permitting Bill, Adviser Podesta Says
The White House will support Senator Joe Manchin's bill introduced on Tuesday to speed energy project permits, because it would help clean power companies use vast incentives in President Joe Biden's climate law, adviser John Podesta said.
INGAA Urges Action on Permitting Reform Citing Natural Gas Council Letter
(P&GJ) — Amy Andryszak, president & CEO of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) issued the following statement about the Natural Gas Council’s letter to Senate leadership on permitting reform.
Equitrans May Still Complete 303-Mile Mountain Valley Gas Pipeline by End-2023
U.S. energy company Equitrans Midstream Corp. said on Tuesday it expects federal agencies to issue the required authorizations for its $6.6 billion Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline from West Virginia to Virginia by the early summer.
Senator Manchin Introduces New Energy Permitting Bill, Urges Completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin introduced on Tuesday his latest measure to speed permitting of both fossil fuel and renewable energy projects, as he tries to win support from both major parties after similar bills failed several times last year. The bill also calls for the completion of Equitrans Midstream Corp.'s Mountain Valley Pipeline.
API, LEPA Report Shows Strengthened Pipeline Safety Performance
(P&GJ) — This year’s report found that the safety of liquids pipelines increased across several key indicators, even as pipeline mileage and barrels delivered have increased.
US Confiscates Iran Oil Cargo on Tanker Amid Tehran Tensions
The U.S. confiscated Iranian oil on a tanker at sea in recent days in a sanction’s enforcement operation, three sources said, and days later Iran seized another oil-laden tanker in retaliation, according to a maritime security firm.
Louisiana's Carbon Well Permitting Application Heads to Federal Register
Louisiana's application to obtain enforcement authority over carbon capture wells has gone to the Federal Register for public comment, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday, a key step in receiving "so-called" primacy and speeding up the permitting process.
Record Oil-Reserve Sales May Have Benefited US Storage Caverns
Last year's record drawdown of the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve oil stocks may boost the longevity of the underground storage caverns, according to the national laboratory that monitors the four sites.
PHMSA Update: Leak Detection Rules Point to Value of Regulation Compliance Service
(P&GJ) — To be able to operate within their regions, the onus is on pipeline operators to abide by leak detection and incident response rules. Federal regulators like the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) regularly implement new standards as part of their renewed focus on leak detection for natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines to ensure the people, public and environment are kept safe.
Control Rooms: Achieving SCADA Operational Readiness, Compliance
(P&GJ) — Implementing a comprehensive control room management (CRM) plan in today’s energy market can be a challenging task in that integrating it with modern supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems adds layers of complexity to the project’s implementation and compliance requirements.
Editor’s Notebook: California’s Pipeline, CCUS Quandary
(P&GJ) — California, in laying out a bold clean air initiative, has placed a great deal of emphasis on carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) in an effort to start removing the same amount of carbon from the air as what the state emits by 2045.
EPA to Issue Power Plant Rules That Lean on Carbon Capture
The U.S. government may soon require natural gas-fired power plants to install technology to capture carbon emissions, sources said, as President Joe Biden's administration enacts new rules to help decarbonize the power sector in 12 years.
US Energy Department Clamps Down on LNG Export Project Extensions
The U.S. Department of Energy on Friday announced it will change how it approves requests by companies to push back start dates for LNG export projects to get a better picture of true demand for the fuel.
Chad Nationalizes Exxon’s 621-Mile Pipeline as Dispute Over Asset Sale Escalates
Chad has recalled its ambassador to neighboring Cameroon in the latest escalation of a dispute over the sale by Exxon Mobil of its oil assets in both countries to Savannah Energy.
Williams, MPLX, WES DJ Gathering Reach Settlement with EPA, DOJ Over Methane Leaks
The settlements announced by the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency require the three natural gas processors to pay a combined $9.25 million in civil penalties and make about $16 million in improvements at plants and compressor stations.
PG&E Reduces Emissions from Gas Pipelines by More Than 20%
(P&GJ) — PG&E's Gas Operations and Engineering teams took a comprehensive approach to reduce emissions from the natural gas system, including enhancing the leak survey program that now assesses more than 42,000 miles of natural gas distribution pipeline every three years versus the previous every-five-years rotation.
Biden Administration Says Republican Concerns About Oil Reserve Damage Unfounded
The Biden administration said concerns of Republican lawmakers that last year's record drawdown of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve damaged the system's delicate salt caverns were unfounded, a letter seen by Reuters on Wednesday showed.
- Keystone Oil Pipeline Resumes Operations After Temporary Shutdown
- Freeport LNG Plant Runs Near Zero Consumption for Fifth Day
- Biden Administration Buys Oil for Emergency Reserve Above Target Price
- Mexico Seizes Air Liquide's Hydrogen Plant at Pemex Refinery
- Enbridge to Invest $500 Million in Pipeline Assets, Including Expansion of 850-Mile Gray Oak Pipeline
- Evacuation Technologies to Reduce Methane Releases During Pigging
- Editor’s Notebook: Nord Stream’s $20 Billion Question
- Enbridge Receives Approval to Begin Service on Louisiana Venice Gas Pipeline Project
- Mexico Seizes Air Liquide's Hydrogen Plant at Pemex Refinery
- Russian LNG Unfazed By U.S. Sanctions
