March 2022, Vol. 249, No. 3
Editor's Notebook
Once again, a U.S. appeals court has tossed out permits granted by federal agencies that would have allowed the Mountain Valley Pipeline to cross a 3.5-mile section of the Jefferson National Forest.
Projects
Cheniere Substantially Completes Sabine Pass Train 6, US Unveils $1.15 Billion for Abandoned Oil, Gas Well Cleanup, Shell Reroutes Oil Supplies after Cyberattack on German Firm and more.
Government
A House Democratic subcommittee chairman is teeing up legislation to create a new regulatory agency that would ostensibly safeguard interstate pipeline reliability.
The Democratic-majority FERC dealt another blow to environmentalists when it refused their entreaties to reconsider the commission’s 2017 approval of the Weymouth compressor station outside Boston.
Features
In early November, the consulting firm FTI Consulting Inc. conducted a workshop on underground natural gas storage as part of its contract with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
The South Africa Competition Tribunal has approved without conditions the large merger of South Africa African Gas Development Company SOC O Ltd. (iGas), Companhia Mocambicana de Gasoduto S.A. (CMG) and Republic of Mozambique Pipeline Investments Company (Pty) Ltd. (ROMPCO).
Zambia’s national demand for petroleum products is projected to surge to more than 4.4 million tons (4 million metric tonnes) by 2030, exerting pressure on the landlocked southern Africa country to explore alternatives in fast-tracking the implementation of its medium- and long-term pipeline development plan.
In-line inspection (ILI) has long been the go-to method to prove the integrity of pipelines but what happens after the inspection report has been delivered?
To meet the growing demand for natural gas, hundreds of new pipelines are being installed in the same corridors as high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) transmission lines.
November 2019 saw the dawn of a new era in real-time pig tracking when Halliburton Pipeline and Process Services successfully validated a live pig-tracking method based on patented transient wave theory, the foundation of their InnerVue suite of services.
Transporting heavy crude oils through pipeline or by other transportation means is challenging, often requiring the petroleum industry to distribute via truck or rail and adding significant expense and hazards to transportation.
Coastal GasLink’s pipeline project is more than 57% complete overall, and more than 46% of the construction is finished, according to its monthly construction update.
Williams delivered a record amount of natural gas on its Transco interstate pipeline, providing essential and reliable service to natural gas distribution companies, electric power generators, LNG exporters and other customers located along the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast.
Logistics management company ASCO has been awarded two, five-year contracts with Mitsui E&P Australia for storage and camp management at the company’s Stage 2 Development campaign at the Waitsia gas field project.
A major North American transmission pipeline operator historically had its engineering team work with its Lands Department when third-party service providers submitted a request for approval if the request included completing any activities that involved vehicles crossing a pipeline.
After numerous delays and environment-related issues, Energy Transfer announced its Mariner East pipeline system is complete and commissioning is in progress.
Can lightning cause corrosion? It’s a question people don’t often consider. However, when it comes to pipelines, it’s a legitimate concern.
Routing hydrocarbon pipelines through steep terrains and along high mountainous areas is a challenging task for pipeline engineers because of significant risks during the construction phase, as well as operation and maintenance time.
Special Section: Hydrogen
Linde Engineering started a full-scale pilot plant in Germany to showcase how its HISELECT powered by Evonik membrane technology can extract hydrogen from natural gas pipelines, contributing to a decarbonized industry.
Essar Oil UK, the leading UK-focused downstream energy company, announces plans to install a new $60.8 million (£45 million) furnace at Stanlow that’s capable of using hydrogen as its fuel source, which is a first for the United Kingdom.
GSZ Ltd., the owner and operator of the Hungarian high-pressure transmission natural gas pipeline system, commissioned DNV to assess the suitability for partial to full hydrogen transport of one of FGSZ’s pipelines.
As part of Europipe’s hydrogen research program, the company recently tested different flow coatings in pure hydrogen to evaluate their suitability for use in hydrogen transport.
Consortium to Develop Green H2, Ammonia Project in Malaysia, Green Hydrogen Systems Signs Supply Agreement and Linde Wins Long-Term Contract with BASF.
EIA Reports
After starting the winter heating season (November–March) below its previous five-year average, the Lower 48 working natural gas in storage surpassed its five-year average in mid-December during one of the warmest Decembers on record.
After declining in 2020, the combined production of U.S. fossil fuels (including natural gas, crude oil, and coal) increased by 2% in 2021 to 77.14 quadrillion Btu.
Tech Notes
Eclipse Magnetics Oil and Gas Division (Eclipse) has designed and delivered a bespoke magnetic separator to an international operating company for use within a gas pipeline pig receiver in North Africa.
Since beginning commercial operation in January 2018, the second line of the China-Russia crude oil pipeline has doubled the yearly annual imports of crude oil from Russia to China from 15 million to 30 million tons.
What's New
News from OleumTech, Honeywell, NDT Global, Dynatrol, Antaira and Denso.
Business
People Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Rich Glick announced that Nicole Sitaraman has joined the Office of Public Participation (OPP) as deputy director. OPP is the newest office at FERC, created last year to help the public engage with the commission’s regulatory process. ..
Companies Pipeline engineering software developer Technical Toolboxes has been acquired by HKW, a private equity firm. The deal will provide the company with the resources it needs to grow, said CEO Drew Lafleur. Technical Toolboxes has provided software to support midstream engineering needs for..
Associations ASTM International’s plastic piping systems committee (F17) presented the Frank W. Reinhart and Henry “Butch” Kuhlman Award to James Goddard of Powell, Ohio. An ASTM International member since 1980, Goddard was recognized for his contributions in support of sound and effective plas..
Obituary Longtime Berg Pipe employee Daniel Wendell (Dan) Etter died Jan. 25, in Panama City, Florida. Dan, and his wife Debi, both began working at Berg Pipe in 1980 at the Panama City facility before relocating to Mobile in 2012. He spent more 40 years at Berg Pipe, starting as a repair wel..
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