May 2022, Vol. 249, No. 5
Editor's Notebook
With its new policy declaring that greenhouse gas and “environmental justice” must be taken into account during the approval process for natural gas pipelines, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has outdone itself in further muddying the road forward for future projects.
Projects
$21 Million Investment Secured to Complete Mountain Valley Pipeline, Italy’s Draghi Discussed Idea of Italy–Spain Pipeline with Counterpart, Texas Pipeline Company Max Energy Purchases Southcross Gas Pipeline and more.
Government
Pipeline companies had already been pressuring the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine to rethink its two new policy statements on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and pipeline certificates.
Features
After several decades of being a favorite of the environmental community, natural gas finds itself amid climate change worries on the outside looking in, seeking to make billions of dollars of pipeline, processing and storage infrastructure relevant in a world hungry for a carbon-free energy future by 2050.
For 2022, Kim Greene has taken on an additional leadership role as chair of the American Gas Association (AGA), bringing her passion for the industry and its safe delivery of natural gas to the top of the organization.
Like any industrial operation, pipeline operators strive to provide safety and reliability in the delivery of their products. However, impacts from a variety of factors – from natural and environmental processes to vandalism and terrorism – threaten to disrupt the safety and reliability of pipeline systems.
The surge of LNG expansion activity continued in March and April after the Ukraine invasion, as President Joe Biden promised the United States would deliver at least 15 Bcm in additional LNG to Europe this year than previously planned, with more to come in future years.
To be sure, it has not been an easy road, but of all the projects that have been completed this year, the Mariner East system may be midstream’s most satisfying – it certainly has been for those in the Marcellus and Utica shale plays of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.
There is no shortage of ideas when it comes to exploiting the strong winds offshore Germany and the Netherlands to produce green hydrogen.
Hydrogen is poised to play an essential role in the global energy transition, and it holds enormous potential in helping sectors—from mobility to power generation—achieve deep decarbonization.
Last Year, 14 Liquids Pipeline Projects Completed In US, Crude Oil Prices Increased as Global Demand Outpaced Supply and Interstate Gas Pipeline Capacity Additions Decrease in 2021.
Natural gas and related infrastructure will be critical to securing a low-carbon economy and will continue to be a significant contributor to the U.S. long-term energy mix, according to the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America’s (INGAA) President and CEO Amy Andryszak.
The flowmeter market is now strong and trending upward as the economy regains its footing and rising oil and gas prices drive exploration and production, according to a new study by Flow Research Inc.
In 2000, the federal government’s U.S. Geological Survey, based in Washington, D.C., identified the Guyana-Suriname Basin as having the second highest resource potential among unexplored oil and gas basins in the world.
A number of businesses and organizations involved in the pipeline industry may have funds owed to them by states within the United States and provinces in Canada.
In 2011, a customer, who was in a difficult situation, approached Pipesurvey International (PSI). The customer had a pipeline that ran from the Q1 Field in the North Sea 52 miles (81 km) off the coast of The Netherlands, to an offshore terminal that needed an in-line inspection (ILI).
Tech Notes
NuStar Energy, based in San Antonio, Texas, tapped Hard Rock Directional Drilling to extend one of its three South Texas Pipeline Systems.
EnerMech secured more than $100 million of pre-commissioning and new pipeline contract awards, following a $30 million equipment investment program across its global locations.
In natural gas storage facilities in underground salt caverns, hydrates can easily form in the pipes, clogging them and making regular measurement of the gas pressure difficult.
What's New
Emerson, RegO, Sick, Dekotec, Esco Tool and Polygon.
Business
People Superior Pipeline Company announced three key promotions on its senior management team. Bill Ward was promoted to president of the Tulsa, Oklahoma-based company from senior vice president of Commercial Activities. Ed Alexander was promoted to chief financial officer and controller from sen..
Associations The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) announced the recipients of its inaugural GECF Awards. The ‘Long-Term Commitment to Natural Gas Award’ was conferred on HE Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the minister of State for Energy Affairs of Qatar and president and CEO of QatarEnergy. The ‘GECF..
Guest Commentary
As Ukrainians fight to hold the line against heavy shelling and missile strikes, Russia is being admonished by Ukraine’s international supporters. Moscow promises to cause as much disruption as possible to its detractors with a full-on cyber retaliation.
- Texas Waha Hub Gas Prices Plunge to Record Lows, Hit Negative Territory
- U.S. Appeals Court Strikes Down Controversial Biden Pipeline Safety Rules
- Williams Seeks Emergency Certificate to Operate $1 Billion Mid-Atlantic Gas Pipeline After Court Reversal
- Texas Oil Pipelines Near Max Capacity, Threatening Future Export Limits
- Energy Transfer Subsidiary Selects KTJV for Lake Charles LNG Export Project
- Saudi Arabia Looking to Expand Pipeline to Reduce Oil Exports via Gulf
- Report: Houston Region Poised to Become a Global Clean Hydrogen Hub
- Texas Startup Endeavors Again to Build First Major U.S. Oil Refinery Since 1977
- Puerto Bahia, Gasco to Build Liquefied Petroleum Gas Facility in Cartagena, Colombia
- U.S. Court Overturns FERC Approval for NextDecade’s $18 Billion Rio Grande LNG Project