December 2017, Vol. 244, No. 12

Archive

Features

Arctic Extraction Could Occur from Artificial Island

Hilcorp plans to proceed with a pipeline construction project to transport oil from artificial island in the Arctic to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.

Britain Moves Forward on Gas Mains Replacement Program

Britain is halfway through replacing the regional gas distribution network which serves 23 million businesses and homes. A pipeline system of about 155,000 miles (250,000 km) in total length – it is also rather old. “Much of the original U.K. network is over a hundred years old,” said Jonathan Call..

Canada’s Pipeline Industry Takes Another Hit

TransCanada scraps the Energy East pipeline construction project.

Canadian Oil Patch Wants Flexibility on Methane Cuts

Thousands of jobs in the Canadian oil patch are at risk if governments try to impose the wrong approach to cutting back a highly potent greenhouse gas, says an industry lobby group. “Let’s take the best opportunities as opposed to being very prescriptive,” Tim McMillan, head of the Canadian Associa..

Common Sense Regulations for the Common Good

The president of the Plastics Pipe Institute says it's time for pipeline regulations affecting plastic pipe manufacturers to be amended.

Get Ready for an Appalachian Gas Bonanza

Natural gas pipeline construction projects in America's Appalachian Basin are booming.

Haynesville Shale Output Climbs Past 7 Bcf/d

An early center of American shale drilling is roaring back to life, boosted by new petrochemical and fertilizer plants, and liquefied natural gas export terminals along the Gulf Coast. The Haynesville Shale, a giant field in northwest Louisiana, was one of fracking’s hottest spots a decade ago. But ..

How Harvey Heroics Helped to Save JSW Steel

If necessity truly is the mother of invention, there are not too many greater motivators of creative thinking than the destructive force of a hurricane, as employees at JSW Steel (USA) discovered in late August. With Hurricane Harvey barreling down on the 700-acre facility, a handful of the company..

John Davies to Keynote Pipeline Conference

John Davies, CEO of Davies Public Affairs, a leading communications strategist in the ongoing debate over energy infrastructure, will be the keynote speaker for the 14th annual Pipeline Opportunities Conference on April 3 at the Omni Galleria In Houston.. Davies, the subject of this month’s Q&A beg..

Massachusetts Campaign Raises Voice in Turbulent Northeast

Massachusetts launches campaign to get support for pipeline construction projects.

Meet APGA Chairman Greg Henderson

Greg Henderson is the 2017-18 chairman of the American Public Gas Association (APGA). APGA is the national trade association for publicly owned natural gas utilities that are owned and operated by government entities rather than stockholders. There are over 1,000 public gas utilities in the United S..

Millennium Pipeline Defends Compressor Emissions with ‘Real-World’ Comparisons

By Jeff Awalt, Executive Editor The dramatic rise in anti-pipeline activism has been a game-changer for an industry accustomed to public decorum, but pipeline companies are learning to play by the new rules. Millennium Pipeline Company is a notable example. Millennium recognized that activists use..

Millennium’s Appeal Reaps Unexpected Benefits

Millennium Pipeline's appeal of New York's decision to deny a water permit for the Valley Lateral pipeline construction project causes regulatory conflict.

National Grid Rolls Out Pipeline Innovations

National Grid tests a miniature gas robotic agile pipeline inspection device.

NATURAL GAS TRANSPORTATION: Expanding with Renewable Natural Gas

Partners in the Houston-based energy private equity firm, EIV Capital LLC, obviously liked what they saw in the natural gas transportation space, and particularly renewable natural gas (RNG), or biomethane, because last summer they plunked down $47 million in equity funds in Chicago-based AMP Americ..

New Gas Pipeline Projects Underway in Colombia

Colombia moves ahead with natural gas pipeline construction projects.

Oil & Gas Industry Is Hiring Again

The oil and gas industry is hiring more than it’s letting go for the first time in three years, a new report from recruitment firm NES Global Talent and Oilandgasjobsearch.com shows. This is the latest sign of recovery in oil and gas after the 2014 price crash, reinforcing the belief that a lot of o..

PENNEAST: Backers Tout Lower Energy Prices in Fight with Green Groups

Supporters of the PennEast pipeline construction project tout lower energy prices in fight with environmental groups.

SoCalGas Fortifying Infrastructure in a Big Way

SoCalGas embarks on pipeline construction projects to improve its infrastructure.

The Failure of Keystone XL

Whether or not it gets built, the Keystone XL pipeline construction represents an unproductive dialogue on energy in America.

Traces of Bentonite Prevent Bonding of Electrofusion Pipeline Joints

Underground pipelines are often installed using drilling techniques that minimize surface disruption. An investigation to determine the root cause of field failures in a polyethylene gas distribution line led to the discovery that a common ingredient in drilling mud could lead to ineffective bonding..

Winning Locally a Key in Battle with Environmentalists

To move ahead with pipeline construction projects, one industry expert says it is essential to gain the support of local residents.

TechNotes

Low Carbon Emission Solution for Pipeline Purging

DNV GL won first place in a competition organized by GRTgaz, the French natural gas transmission system operator, which runs a series of challenges during the year to identify innovative concepts to optimize its operations. The winning solution is aimed at reducing the carbon emissions associated wi..

Optum Emerges as Pipeline Drag Reducer Manufacturer

Optum Energy Solutions entered the pipeline drag reducer market as a major manufacturer and full service supplier. The leadership team at Optum traces its experience with drag reducing agents (DRA) to the first commercial use of the technology for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. The company offers custo..

SwRI, UTSA Jointly Invest in Corrosion, Energy Projects

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) announced two new research projects through the Connecting through Research Partnerships (Connect) Program. Each project will receive $125,000 in funding. One project will research a new technique to mitigate crack..

Company & Association News

Companies in the News

Ameren Illinois unveiled its new CNG refueling station, along with seven new trucks that run on the alternative fuel. The facility also provides fuel to CNG trailers used by Ameren Illinois for emergency response operations and system maintenance. The deployment of CNG vehicles is expected to save $..

Names in the News

President Trump nominated Linda Capuano, a fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, to head the Energy Information Administration. The EIA, a division of the Department of Energy, is one of the world’s most prominent providers of data and analysis on the world’s energy sector, ..

What's New

What's New

An overview of the latest innovations in technology that can be used during pipeline construction projects, as featured in our December 2017 issue.

In The News

In the News

More Drones Helping Monitor Storage Tanks After incidents that occurred during Hurricane Harvey, energy companies along the Houston Ship Channel are working to avoid and prevent leaks, emissions and spills, reports the Houston Chronicle. Royal Dutch Shell, for instance, is using flying drones to he..

World News

China May Overtake U.S. as World’s No. 1 Natural Gas Consumer China is in a “golden age” for natural gas that will make it the world’s biggest user of the fuel sometime between 2040-50, according to analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. China is poised to outpace the United States, the current No...

Government

Government

An overview of the latest trends and news regarding pipeline regulations in America.

Projects

Projects

An overview of pipeline construction projects worldwide, as featured in our December 2017 issue.

Editor's Notebook

Time to Say Thanks and Goodbye

Our editor, Jeff Share, reflects on his time covering the pipeline industry as he heads into retirement at the beginning of 2018.