Community & Environment
Canadian National Train Derails in Manitoba, Leaks Oil
A Canadian National Railway Co train derailed in Western Canada and leaked an undetermined volume of crude oil. The incident comes as crude oil shipments by rail in Canada reached a record high due to full pipelines.
Pennsylvania Suspends all Permit Work for Energy Transfer
Pennsylvania environmental regulators said they have suspended all permit work for Energy Transfer projects because it failed to comply with an October order after an explosion on the Revolution natural gas pipeline in the western part of the state.
Section of Keystone Pipeline Shut Down after Leak
TransCanada Corp said a stretch of its Keystone crude oil pipeline from Nebraska to Illinois remained shut down on Monday after a leak was discovered last week near St. Louis, Missouri.
Colombia’s Cano Limon Pipeline Bombed for 6th Time this Year: Ecopetrol
Colombia’s Cano Limon pipeline was bombed again, state-run oil company Ecopetrol said, the sixth time it has been attacked this year.
San Francisco Gas Explosion Shoots Fire that Burns Buildings
A gas explosion in a San Francisco neighborhood shot flames into the air for hours Wednesday and burned five buildings, sending panicked residents and workers fleeing into the streets. It took utility crews more than two hours to put out the fire after private construction workers cut a natural gas line, igniting the towering flames.
4 Activists Arrested Attempting to Shut Down Oil Pipeline
Four climate-change activists from the Catholic Worker movement were arrested in an attempt to shut down an Enbridge's Line 4 oil pipeline in north-central Minnesota.
Subsea Bayesian Networks – Integrity and Risk Assessments
If high levels of safety and environmental protection in the subsea oil and gas sector are to be maintained, then understanding the risks involved is more important than ever. But it has never been more difficult necessary to optimize IMR activities than it is now.
France Makes Biogas Support Conditional on Cutting Cost
France is ready to provide &8-10 billion of subsidies for renewable gas but only if the industry can substantially lower its costs, the government said. Biogas is still four times the cost of natural gas imported by pipeline.
Mexico's Fuel Thieves Undeterred by Deadly Blast
Days after a fireball erupted near the Mexican town of Tlahuelilpan, killing at least 117 people pilfering gasoline from a pipeline, the area's fuel bandits were back in business.
Solutions to Liability Risks from Decommissioned Pipelines
One solution to protect pipeline companies from potential risks of their decommissioned pipelines comes from re-applying technology that proven in another sector entirely – the world of hard-rock mining.
PG&E Didn't Cause 2017 Wildfire, but Bankruptcy Still Looms
In a long-awaited report, state investigators say a 2017 wildfire that killed 22 people in Northern California was caused by a private electrical system, not equipment belonging to embattled PG&E.
Guest Commentary: Pipeline Projects Provide Multiple Benefits
Over the past several years this false narrative that business is inherently evil has steadily crept into the social conscious. Nowhere is this animosity on display more—nor more misplaced—than toward traditional energy producers.
Future Policy Implications and Response to ‘Big Green’ Advocacy
A moderate middle group that strives to put the U.S. as the world leader in environmental protection and energy production is in the best interest of all of us – regardless of political affiliation or socio-economic background.
Death Toll Reaches 94 in Mexico Fuel Pipeline Fire Horror
People in the town where a gasoline explosion killed at least 94 people say the section of pipeline that gushed fuel has been a habitual gathering site for thieves, repeatedly damaged and patched like a trusty pair of jeans.
66 Killed in Mexico Pipeline Blast after Thieves Rupture Line
At least 66 people were killed and dozens were injured or reported missing after a gasoline pipeline was tapped by fuel thieves and exploded in central Mexico Friday, state and federal authorities said.
Pipeline Shutdowns Lead to Import Bottlenecks at Mexican Ports
Bottlenecks for offloading imported fuel are forming at some Mexican oil ports following government orders to shut pipelines to limit losses from widespread fuel theft.
Keystone XL Hearing may Proceed Despite Government Shutdown
Justice Department attorneys say the U.S. government shutdown shouldn't delay a court hearing on a judge's decision to halt Keystone XL pipeline construction.
Judge Allows Tribes to Challenge Corps’ Dakota Access Study
A federal judge is allowing four Native American tribes in the Dakotas to challenge the recent conclusion of federal officials that a Dakota Access oil pipeline spill wouldn't unfairly affect them, further prolonging a court case that has lingered for more than two years.
Dakota Access Tree Replacement Lags Deadlines
The company hired to replace trees cut along the Dakota Access pipeline route has struggled to meet its deadline for reasons ranging from equipment and staffing issues to pushback from some landowners and agencies.
Maryland Board Rejects TransCanada Project Easement
Maryland's Board of Public Works voted against a proposed pipeline easement across the western part of the state that would enable TransCanada to transport natural gas from Pennsylvania to West Virginia.
Gas Seal Technology Designed to Reduce Methane Emissions
John Crane, a provider of rotating equipment solutions, recently launched its latest gas seal technology that can reduce methane emissions by up to 95% when retrofitted into centrifugal compressors
Government
Change of Class Location Draws Opposition Citizen organizations and state regulators are opposing interstate pipeline efforts to convince federal regulators to provide an alternative to the class location system, which requires pipelines to take steps when there is population growth around a pipeli..
Columbia Gas’ Merrimack Valley Accident: Fallout Just Starting
Federal and state agencies immediately jumped into action to uncover causes and preventative lessons that might be learned from the fatal September explosions, but other investigations could have implications for pipeline operations far beyond Massachusetts.
Retiring Stavropoulos Leaves PG&E a Safer Utility
Eight years after joining PG&E in the wake of the San Bruno explosion, Nick Stavropoulos retired as an industry role model for restoring a sense of pride at the giant San Francisco utility.
APGA Chairman to Focus on Safety and Consumer Education
P&GJ talks about industry priorities and challenges with Owen Reeves, 2018-2019 chairman of the American Public Gas Association (APGA), which represents more than 70% of all publicly owned natural gas utilities in the United States.
Bulgaria to Seek Binding Bids for TurkStream Link by Jan 16
Bulgaria's state gas network operator plans to launch a binding open season this month for a 300-mile link that would transport mainly Russian gas from the TurkStream pipeline to central Europe.
Kenyan Pipeline, Insurance Fund Officials Charged Over Graft
A Kenyan court has charged senior officials from the state-run oil pipeline and others from the state health insurance fund for abuse of office and economic crimes that led to the loss of billions of shillings from the two institutions.
Pennsylvania Judge Rejects Shutting Mariner East Pipelines
A Pennsylvania administrative law judge denied a petition by state residents asking utility regulators to prohibit the operation of Energy Transfer LP and its Sunoco subsidiary's Mariner East pipelines.
Michigan Legislature Passes Great Lakes Oil Pipeline Bill
The Michigan Legislature approved a bill that would allow the replacement of a 65-year-old oil pipeline in a key Great Lakes waterway, voting to create a state authority that would oversee the construction of a tunnel to encase a new segment of pipe.
Panel to Take Closely Watched Vote on Atlantic Coast Pipeline Station
A massive winter storm delayed a closely watched vote in Virginia on a natural gas pipeline compressor station that's been the frequent target of protests. Dominion Energy needs the State Air Pollution Control Board to sign off on a permit to build a station in Buckingham County to pump gas through the planned Atlantic Coast Pipeline.
