Safety

Colombia's Cano Limon-Covenas Pipeline Attacked for Ninth Time in 2023

The suspension of pumping operations at Colombia's Cano Limon-Covenas oil pipeline will be prolonged after a new bombing attack damaged its infrastructure in the country's Arauca province, oil transportation company Cenit said.

Williams, MPLX, WES DJ Gathering Reach Settlement with EPA, DOJ Over Methane Leaks

The settlements announced by the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency require the three natural gas processors to pay a combined $9.25 million in civil penalties and make about $16 million in improvements at plants and compressor stations.

US Warns Companies Over Russian Oil Price Cap Evasion Via ESPO Pipeline

The U.S. Treasury published a warning to U.S. companies on Monday of possible evasions of the Russian oil price cap exported through the Eastern Siberia Pacific Ocean (ESPO) pipeline and ports in eastern Russia.

Security of Supply Concerns Prompt Arctic Barents Sea Gas Pipeline Rethink in Norway

Building a pipeline to transport gas produced in the Arctic Barents Sea could be worth re-examining due to an increased focus on supply security and Norway exporting more of its gas to Europe, gas infrastructure operator Gassco said on Monday.

Poland Sets Exclusion Zone Around Swinoujscie LNG Terminal

Poland will introduce a temporary 200-meter exclusion zone around its Swinoujscie LNG terminal on Thursday, the interior minister said on Wednesday, citing concerns about Russian espionage.

SGA’s New Chair Stresses Operational Excellence

(P&GJ) — The new chair of the Southern Gas Association (SGA), Luke Litteken, started his career in natural gas right out of technical college taking a job with Minnegasco (now CenterPoint Energy) in Minnesota as a technician, partly because he enjoys the outdoors. Twenty-five years later, he had the opportunity to move over to Xcel Energy, where he is now the senior vice president of the gas business.

Pipeline Leak Detection Audits Provide Invaluable Insights

(P&GJ) — Ensuring the continuing effectiveness of leak detection systems (LDS) is paramount for pipeline operators to meet tightening safety and environmental regulations and minimize the potential risks of catastrophic events.

South Africa's Transnet Halts Gas Supplies After Pipeline Damage

South Africa's Transnet has halted gas supplies through its Durban pipeline after an excavator damaged it, the state-owned logistics utility said on Friday.

ABB India Automates 81-Mile India-Bangladesh Cross-Border Oil Pipeline

(P&GJ) — ABB India has delivered integrated automation and control solutions to enable the safe operation of the 130-km (81-mile) Indo-Bangla Friendship Pipeline (IBFPL), which will carry diesel from India to Bangladesh.

Tass: Gas Pipeline Under Repair in Siberia Catches Fire

A natural gas pipeline that was being repaired in northern Siberia caught fire on Wednesday but there was no disruption to supplies, Tass news agency cited Gazprom as saying.

Perenco UK Says Oil Leak Occurred at Well Site in Southern England

Anglo-French oil company Perenco's UK unit said on Sunday that a limited oil leak occurred at one of its well sites in Wytch Farm in Dorset, southern England. Perenco UK said the spill was being contained and an investigation will be launched.

Diplomat: Russia May Demand Compensation for Nord Stream Pipeline Blasts

Moscow may seek compensation for the damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines from two explosions last September, but the future of the projects is unclear, according to a Russian diplomat cited by the news agency RIA Novosti.

Kremlin: Important to Identify Object Found Next to Nord Stream Pipeline

The Kremlin on Friday said it was important to identify an object discovered next to one of the Nord Stream pipelines and said the ongoing investigation into blasts that struck the pipelines last September must be conducted with full transparency.

US Pipeline Regulator Grants Over $25 Million in Funding to Improve Safety

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration on Monday announced more than $25 million in funding to improve safety nationwide after recent train derailments. The funding will provide support to state inspectors for hazardous materials shipments and pipelines inspections.

US Regulator Orders Lower Pressure on Keystone Pipeline System After Spill

The U.S. pipeline regulator said on Tuesday it would require TC Energy to reduce operating pressure on more than 1,000 additional miles (1,609 km) of its Keystone pipeline that spilled about 13,000 barrels of oil in rural Kansas in December.

US Intelligence Suggests Pro-Ukrainian Group Sabotaged Nord Stream Pipelines -NYT

New intelligence reviewed by U.S. officials suggests that a pro-Ukrainian group carried out the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines last year, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.

Equinor's Hammerfest LNG Plant Suffers Gas Leak, Production Unaffected

Norway's Hammerfest LNG plant was hit by a gas leak on Friday but production was unaffected, a spokesperson for operator Equinor told Reuters.

Police: Blast at Shell's Nigeria Oil Pipeline Kills 12

An explosion on a Nigerian oil pipeline owned by Shell killed at least 12 people on Friday, authorities at the scene said, while members of the affected community in Emohua said they feared many more had died in the blast.

Nigeria Oil Pipeline Blast Kills At Least One in Niger Delta

A crude oil pipeline explosion killed at least one person and injured another on Friday, authorities on the scene said, while members of the affected community in Emohua said they feared many more had died in the blast.

Sources: Russia Set to Mothball Damaged Nord Stream Gas Pipelines

Russia's ruptured undersea Nord Stream gas pipelines are set to be sealed up and mothballed as there are no immediate plans to repair or reactivate them, sources familiar with the plans have told Reuters.

Amplify Reaches $96.5 Million Settlement Over Pipeline Damages

(P&GJ) — Shipping companies will pay $96.5 million to Amplify Energy Inc. to settle Amplify's claims of damages resulting from anchor strikes that ultimately resulted in a southern California pipeline incident in 2021.

Pemex Deer Park, Texas Fire Broke Out in Crude Distillation Area

A Thursday night fire at Pemex’s 312,500 barrel-per-day Deer Park, Texas, refinery broke out in a crude distillation unit, said people familiar with plant operations. The sources did not know which of two Deer Park CDUs were hit by fire.

New Approach to Digital Pipeline Integrity Management

(P&GJ) — Pigging is an operation that is regularly required by pipeline operators for both cleaning and data collection (intelligent pigging). Managing pigging schedules and risks is a significant challenge to operators/pigging vendors without an intimate knowledge of the pipeline.

Focus on Integrity: Three Strategies for More Secure Pipeline Operations

(P&GJ) — The safe movement of liquids and gases across the pipeline infrastructure of the United States is critical. Whether pipelines are delivering fuels for transportation or home energy, feedstocks used to manufacture a wide variety of plastics and specialty chemicals, or any of the myriad other products that keep nations running, pipeline companies must ensure that operation continues without incident 24/7.

DNV Kicks Off Phase Two of Offshore Hydrogen Pipeline Project H2Pipe

(P&GJ) — Phase 2 of H2Pipe will include a feasibility-level design of offshore hydrogen pipelines and a risk assessment study to examine the safety aspects of offshore hydrogen pipelines. The project's primary outcome is expected to be a detailed guideline offering specific guidance for use in the design and re-purposing of offshore pipelines for hydrogen transport. Phase 2 of H2Pipe is planned to start in Q1 2023 and last 2 years.

Damaged Line Triggers Natural Gas Leak in College Station, Texas

(P&GJ) — At around 4:00 p.m. on Monday, the Texas Avenue and Richards Street neighborhood was the scene of a gas leak that the College Station Fire Department and College Station Police attempted to contain.

US Energy Regulator Approves Partial Restart of Freeport LNG

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the partial restart of two liquefaction trains, two tanks, and one loop and dock each, a filing showed on Tuesday. Restart of a third train, along with a tank, a loop, and a dock, would require additional permission.

Nord Stream Blast Inquiries Ongoing, Say Denmark, Sweden, Germany at UN

Investigations by Denmark, Germany and Sweden into explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines have not yet concluded, the three countries told the U.N. Security Council in a letter on Tuesday ahead of a meeting called by Russia on the September incident.

Gas Flow Continues After Fire at Russian Pipeline, No Injuries

Depressurization of an export gas pipeline transiting the Myshkinsky district of the Yaroslavl region north of Moscow sparked a fire but caused no casualties on Monday, Russia's emergencies ministry said.

Kinder Morgan Restarts Gas Pipeline After Leak at Watson Station in California - CNN

Pipeline operator Kinder Morgan has resumed operations after a leak was detected this week in a California gasoline pipeline that supplies unleaded and diesel fuel to storage facilities in southern Nevada, CNN reported on Saturday.