Natural Gas

Biden Angers All Sides with Scaled Back Offshore Oil Drilling Plan

The Biden administration's plan to slash offshore oil and gas leasing drew fire from both the fossil fuel industry and environmentalists on Friday, with energy companies saying it will raise fuel prices and greens saying it undermines efforts to stop global warming.

Moldova Will No Longer Buy Gas from Russia's Gazprom

Much of Moldova will no longer buy gas from Russian energy giant Gazprom, Moldovan Energy Minister Victor Parlicov said on Monday, referring to parts of the country that capital Chisinau controlled and not breakaway areas.

Eni Makes Major Gas Discovery in Indonesia

Italian energy group Eni has made a significant gas discovery in Indonesia, opening the door to strengthening its position in the Asian country, where it has been present since 2001 with a portfolio of exploration and production assets.

Study Finds Growth Within Thermal Flowmeter Market

(P&GJ) — Thermal flowmeters are riding the surge of gas flow measurement in both renewable and traditional natural gas applications, according to a new study from Flow Research, “The World Market for Thermal Flowmeters.”

Turkey's BOTAS to Supply 2 Million Cubic Meters of Gas to Moldova Starting in October

Turkey's state gas grid operator BOTAS said on Thursday it had signed a deal to supply Moldova with 2 million cubic meters of natural gas per day from October, in the second such agreement announced by the operator in as many days.

Woodside Needs New Seismic Approval for Scarborough Gas Project

Australia's federal court on Thursday halted approval for Woodside to conduct seismic blasting under the seabed for its $12 billion Scarborough gas project after a legal challenge by an Indigenous woman.

CEPS Secures Deal for Net4Gas; Adds 2,485 Miles of Gas Pipelines to Portfolio

The Czech government approved a plan for state-controlled electricity transmission grid operator CEPS to acquire natural gas transmission system operator Net4Gas, which operates nearly 4,000 km (2,485 miles) of pipelines shipping gas to and from Germany and Slovakia and for domestic consumption.

Enbridge Launches New Gas Capacity Open Season for C1 Transportation Service

(P&GJ) — Enbridge Gas is hosting a new capacity open season for C1 firm transportation service, providing up to 317,000 GJ/d starting on Nov. 1, 2026, for a minimum five-year term along the Dawn (Facilities) to Dawn (Vector) transportation path.

NextEra Energy to Sell Florida City Gas to Chesapeake Utilities for $923 Million

NextEra Energy said on Tuesday it plans to sell Florida City Gas (FCG) to Chesapeake Utilities for $923 million in cash. FCG’s natural gas infrastructure encompasses approximately 3,800 miles of distribution mains and 80 miles of transmission pipelines.

Cheniere Energy Reduces Gas Intake at 2 U.S. LNG Plants by 1 Bcf/d

The largest U.S. LNG producer, Cheniere Energy, on Tuesday reduced its combined feed gas intake at two of its plants by about 1 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), according to data provider LSEG.

Norway's Equinor Signs 5-Year Gas Supply Deal with Austria's OMV

Norwegian energy group Equinor has signed a five-year agreement to supply gas to Austria's OMV as part of the latter's supply diversification strategy, the companies said on Wednesday.

Italy in Talks with Bavaria for Gas and Hydrogen Exports

Italy is in preliminary talks with Bavaria's government to supply gas and hydrogen to the southern German state, and also aims to sell energy to Austria and Hungary, four Italian and German industry and political sources told Reuters.

Shell and Trinidad's National Gas Company Sign New Supply Agreement

Shell Plc on Friday signed an agreement to supply Trinidad and Tobago's National Gas Company (NGC) with natural gas through 2036, including from the yet-to-be developed Manatee offshore field, according to the state gas company.

Peru Pipeline Workers Unearth Ancient Children's Cemetery

Peruvian workers unearthed eight bundles of funeral belongings believed to be around 1,000 years old while installing a gas pipeline in capital Lima, archaeologists said on Friday, saying the site likely marked a children's cemetery.

TC Energy's Coastal GasLink Pipeline Fined for Environmental Non-Compliance

British Columbia has fined Coastal GasLink, the natural gas pipeline being built by TC Energy, $256,810 for non-compliance with environmental regulations, the Canadian province said on Thursday.

FACTBOX: Deals on the Rise in US Oil and Gas Pipeline Sector

The oil and gas pipeline business has seen increased consolidation this year as U.S. production grows and new pipeline permitting problems have made existing operators more valuable.

Former CFO of Russian Natural Gas Firm Novatek Sentenced to 7 Years in US Prison

A former deputy chief of Russian natural gas producer Novatek was sentenced on Thursday to seven years and two months in a U.S. prison for a scheme to hide millions of dollars of income in undisclosed Swiss bank accounts and submitting a false filing.

Germany Expands LNG Regasification Capacity with New Terminals

A new LNG terminal at Mukran on Ruegen Island in the German Baltic Sea should be operational from the first quarter of 2024, Gascade, the pipeline firm building its onshore connection, said.

Berkshire Hathaway Maryland Cove Point LNG Export Plant Shut

The amount of natural gas flowing to U.S. energy firm Berkshire Hathaway Energy's Cove Point LNG export plant in Maryland fell to near zero on Wednesday, a sign that the plant likely shut for work expected to start on Sept. 21.

P&GJ’s Europe 500 Report of Top Pipelines

(P&GJ) — Following is a listing of some of the longest transportation routes on the continent of Europe as of July 2023. This third such report will be broken down into two sections, gas and liquids (oil and products), which will be updated in each of our September issues going forward.

How Emissions Are Measured: Gas Concentration vs. Emission Rate

(P&GJ) — The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) proposed a rule in May that included significant measures to reduce emissions from pipelines and other midstream infrastructure.

DNO Makes Norway Gas Condensate Discovery

Norwegian oil company DNO said on Tuesday it had discovered gas condensate at its Norma prospect in the North Sea and that it would continue to drill for more resources nearby.

Budget Bill Permitting Provisions Slight Natural Gas Industry

(P&GJ) — The natural gas industry greeted the permitting reform bill Congress passed and President Biden signed with something short of enthusiasm to say the least.

Editor's Notebook: Colorado’s Bold Initiative

(P&GJ) — The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) recently adopted rules aimed at increasing repair inspections and leak detection at oil and gas facilities throughout the state. While these new guidelines do not affect midstream directly, there are implications for the sector due to the growing emphasis on carbon-capture and related pipelines.

PipeChina Starts Laying Second Gas Line Linking Sichuan to East Coast

The new line will be built in phases. Under the first stage, PipeChina will lay a 1,576-km (979 miles) western section, including 12 branches, crossing the Chongqing municipality and provinces of Sichuan and Hubei.

Sources: Disagreements Delay Russian Gas Hub Plans in Turkey

Russia's push to create a "gas hub" in Turkey to replace lost sales to Europe is facing delays because of disagreements over who should be in charge of it, two sources familiar with the project told Reuters.

US Contacts Oil Producers, Refiners as Gasoline Prices Rise

The head of the White House Council of Economic Advisers said that the U.S. Energy Department has talked to oil producers and refiners to ensure stable fuel supplies during rising gasoline prices.

Sources: Freeport LNG Cancels Four Cargoes Since Feedgas Intake Fell

Freeport LNG, the second-largest U.S. LNG exporter, has canceled four cargoes since its feedgas intake dropped below normal capacity, industry sources told Reuters on Thursday.

Gas Leak in Southern California Prompts Evacuation of Homes; No Injuries Reported

(P&GJ) — In the early hours of Thursday, a natural gas leak from an underground pipeline necessitated the evacuation of a residential neighborhood in Southern California.

Marathon Galveston Bay, Texas, FCC Expected to Remain Shut Through Late This Week

The fire-damaged, gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracker (FCC) at Marathon Petroleum's 593,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City, Texas, is expected to be shut until late this week, said people familiar with plant operations on Friday.