Regulation
Santos Faces New Delay on Barossa Gas Pipeline Due to Heritage Assessment
Santos Ltd. faces a new delay developing the Barossa gas project off northern Australia after a regulator ordered it to evaluate environmental risks to underwater indigenous cultural heritage before starting pipeline construction.
EPA Ups Ante on Pipeline Methane Emissions
(P&GJ) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has once again proposed to tighten the vise on interstate pipeline methane emissions. EPA’s supplemental Clean Air regulatory proposal in November 2022 doubles down on a never-finalized proposed rule issued in November 2021, which the transmission industry slammed for unrealistic emission controls on wet seal compressors, pneumatic controllers and rod packing and other equipment.
APGA Perspective: Policymakers Need to Incentivize Natural Gas Innovations
(P&GJ) — Energy security, affordability and efficiency remain top-of-mind for American consumers. As such, the role of natural gas in our country’s future energy mix has sparked continuous debate among voters and policymakers.
U.S. Department of Energy Rejects Initial Bids to Resupply Oil Stockpile
The U.S. Department of Energy has rejected the first batch of bids from oil companies to resupply a small amount of oil to the nation’s emergency crude oil stockpile in February, according to a DOE spokesperson.
Environmental Groups Sue to Stop Texas Gulf Coast Export Facility, Pipeline Project
Environmental groups have sued the US to overturn the approval of the SPOT oil-export facility and related pipeline project off the Texas Gulf Coast. The terminal will be able to load two supertankers at a time and export 2 MMbbls of crude oil per day.
Mexico's Pemex Destroyed Resources Worth $342 Million from Two Top Gas Fields
Mexican state oil company Pemex illegally burnt off hydrocarbon resources worth more than $342 million in the three years up to August 2022 at two of its most important new fields, internal documents from the country's oil regulator showed.
Chinese Oil Major CNOOC Wins Ruling Against Canada's Pembina Pipeline
Canada's Pembina Pipeline Corp. unjustly discriminated against Chinese oil major CNOOC Ltd. by refusing access to storage facilities in Edmonton, Alberta, the Canada Energy Regulator has ruled. The Edmonton terminal is part of the TransMountain pipeline system and is fed by 20 feeder pipelines coming from different parts of Alberta.
Tennessee Community Pushes Against Kinder Morgan’s 32-Mile Cumberland Pipeline Project
(P&GJ) — Residents in Dickson County, Tennessee, are hesitant to welcome Kinder Morgan’s 32-mile-long Cumberland gas pipeline project in the community, citing concerns over living within the pipeline's "explosion zone," a fear sparked by a 1996 explosion in a neighboring town.
UK Court Rules $1.15 Billion Funding for Mozambique LNG Project is Lawful
The British government's funding of up to $1.15 billion for an LNG project in Mozambique is lawful, a London court ruled on Friday, dismissing an appeal by Friends of the Earth.
NATO, EU Launching Task Force to Protect Pipelines Following Nord Stream Attack
NATO and the EU are launching a task force to boost the protection of critical infrastructure in response to last year's attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines and Russia's "weaponizing of energy," the organizations’ leaders said on Wednesday.
API Unveils Plan to Prioritize US Natural Gas, Northeast Pipeline Development
(P&GJ) — The American Petroleum Institute (API) President and CEO Mike Sommers has released a new report and outlined the policies needed to make, move and improve American energy and prioritize U.S. natural gas and oil as a long-term strategic asset.
German Green Group Files Complaint Seeking Shorter LNG Terminal License
A German environmental group has lodged a complaint calling for the operating license of a new floating LNG terminal at Wilhelmshaven to be shortened by a decade, citing its discharging of chlorine and risks to Germany's climate targets.
Spire STL Gas Pipeline Project Backed by FERC Following Legal Woes
(P&GJ) — The Spire STL Pipeline has been reissued a permanent certificate by FERC to operate the 65-mile (105-km) natural gas system, stating the project sufficiently satisfies economic needs in the St. Louis region.
US Pipeline Regulator Probing 60-Barrel Leak on Colonial's Line 3
Top U.S. pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline on Wednesday shut its Line 3 for unscheduled maintenance in response to a "product release" at its Witt delivery station near Danville, Virginia. PHMSA is monitoring the estimated 60-barrel leak on the company's Line 3 pipeline in Virginia, a source told Reuters on Thursday.
Biden Names Democrat Willie Phillips as Acting Head of FERC
President Joe Biden has named Willie Phillips, a Democrat, acting chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC said on Tuesday. Phillips joined the commission in December, 2021 after being appointed by Biden and approved by Congress. Phillips will be the first African-American to take the reigns at FERC.
ONEOK Seeks FERC Approval for 155-Mile Permian-Mexico Connector Pipeline
Saguaro Connector Pipeline filed for a presidential permit application with FERC to construct and operate facilities for the exportation of natural gas at a new international border-crossing at the U.S. and Mexico border in Hudspeth County, Texas. The pipeline would consist of approximately 155 miles of 48-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline originating at the Waha Hub in Pecos County, Texas.
RRC Launches Investigation into Service Issues with Gas Distribution Operator Atmos Mid-Tex
(P&GJ) — The Railroad Commission on Dec. 27 launched an investigation on the performance of Atmos Energy Mid-Tex Division’s gas distribution system during last week’s Winter Storm Elliott.
Italy Court Ruling Allows Work on Tuscan LNG Terminal to Proceed
An Italian administrative court has ruled against a request for a precautionary halt on works for a new LNG terminal in the Tuscan port city of Piombino, saying it did not pose an immediate threat to public safety.
FERC Rejects Environmental Concerns About Gas Pipeline Projects
(P&GJ) — The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) continues to dispatch environmental objections to pipeline projects. Even Chairman Richard Glick, who had originally made reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions his guiding light, is turning a deaf ear.
Using Regulation to Develop Natural Gas Systems
(P&GJ) — Engineering design serves as a fundamental pillar of the lifecycle of an engineering project. The fundamentals of engineering design use industry standards combined with federal, state and municipal codes to produce a construction-ready engineering package.
TC Energy Submits Restart Plan for Keystone Pipeline to US regulator
TC Energy Corp. has submitted a restart plan for its Keystone pipeline to U.S. safety regulator Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) which is being reviewed, according to a source on Tuesday.
Understanding, Implementing New TSA Pipeline Directive
(P&GJ) — The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) made a significant change to its security directive for owners and operators of hazardous liquid and natural gas pipeline and liquified natural gas facilities, with the goal “to reduce the risk that cybersecurity threats pose to critical pipeline systems.”
Methane Emissions Problem Requires Better Monitoring
(P&GJ) — In 2021, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration measured methane in the atmosphere at 1,900 parts per billion. That was a record high and almost three times the level of methane present in the preindustrial age.
Canada to Bring Back Sanctions on Nord Stream Pipeline Parts
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government will revoke the waiver that exempted Nord Stream pipeline turbines from Canadian sanctions on Russia’s oil and gas industry, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing a senior government official.
EQT-THQ Appalachia Latest US Energy Deal to Face Regulatory Delay
Natural gas producer EQT Corp. said on Friday the U.S. antitrust regulator has asked for more information on its planned $5.2 billion buyout of THQ Appalachia I LLC and associated pipeline infrastructure.
FERC Rejects Environmental Concerns About Gas Pipeline Projects
(P&GJ) — TCO Gas and Pipelines (ATCO) continually innovates to reduce emissions and provide clean energy to its customers. In 2018, the company kicked off its decarbonization plan in a review of its different business units to understand where opportunities existed to reduce emissions across their operations to meet their ambitious environmental, social, and governance (ESG) targets.
Agencies with Power to Approve Pipelines Need Reality Check
(P&GJ) — Federal regulators with the power to approve natural gas pipelines need to make judgment calls on everything from how pipelines will affect farmland to how much methane will leak.
API Publishes Two Updated Standards for Underground Natural Gas Storage
(P&GJ) — The American Petroleum Institute released two second-edition standards on Nov. 29 for natural gas storage in underground salt caverns and depleted hydrocarbon and aquifer reservoirs to help ensure a safe and reliable energy supply.
The Forgotten World of Moving the Pipe
(P&GJ) — There are three major ways of moving pipeline sections from fabrication in a factory to placement in the ground in a right-of-way in North America. The decision of which transport method to use is based on several key factors, including costs, accessibility, and availability of needed resources.
Manchin Permitting Bill Provided Little Relief for Pipelines
(P&GJ) — Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) withdrawal of his infrastructure permitting reform bill from Senate consideration at the end of September probably shouldn’t cause any teeth gnashing among interstate pipeline companies hoping for a new era of pro-pipeline regulatory policy. In that regard, the bill was a major disappointment.
- 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
- Kinder Morgan Declares Force Majeure on West Texas Gas Pipeline After Fire
- Venezuela Proposes Alternative Payment Plan as Weak Bids Surface in Citgo Auction
- Baker Hughes Wins Contract for Huge Aramco Gas Expansion Project
- Enbridge Picks Contractors for Great Lakes Tunnel Project, Securing Line 5 Pipeline Route
- Russia's Gazprom Sees Worst Loss in Decades as European Gas Sales Collapse
- Shell Nigeria Inks $100 Million Gas Pipeline Deal with Oyo State
