Projects

Italy's Saipem Completes Exit from Russia's Arctic-2 LNG Project

Italian energy engineering and construction group Saipem is no longer involved in Arctic-2 LNG, a massive Russian project to build an LNG production site in the Arctic, which was targeted by U.S. sanctions last month.

Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Stalled as Canada Regulator Rejects Variance Request

The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) on Tuesday denied a request from the Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) project for a variance on a section of oil pipeline under construction in British Columbia, a decision that could delay the 590,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) expansion.

Venture Global LNG Expects Extended Start-Up at Second Plant, Says CEO

A Venture Global LNG export plant due to begin operating in 2024 will undergo a lengthy startup similar to its Calcasieu Pass LNG facility, with customers likely to receive their first cargoes in 2026 at the earliest, CEO Mike Sabel told Reuters.

Republican States Challenge EPA's Pipeline Veto Power Expansion in Federal Lawsuit

A group of 11 Republican-led states and energy industry groups have challenged a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that bolsters state and tribal veto power over pipelines and other major infrastructure projects that might pollute rivers and streams.

Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Faces Further Delays, Posing Financial Challenges for Canadian Oil Producers

Canadian oil producers are bracing for further potential delays to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (TMX) that could cost them millions of dollars in lost revenues in coming months after they ramped up production ready to fill the expanded line, meant to unlock access to Asia.

Guyana Moving Toward New Offshore Gas Pipeline in Liza Offshore Fields

(P&GJ) — With the Gas To Energy project, the government of Guyana will — for the first time — produce energy using the associated natural gas produced in the Liza offshore fields of the Stabroek Block.

CO2 Projects Look to Overcome Siting Opposition

(P&GJ) – In the last two years, while the Biden administration has been embracing direct-air capture (DAC) hubs, Houston-based Occidental Petroleum Corp. (Oxy) and its one-time spinoff, California Resources Corp. (CRC), have been leading increased industry interest in the transportation and storage of carbon, in the transition to a zero-emissions energy world.

Michigan Regulators Approve Enbridge Great Lakes Tunnel for Oil Pipeline

Michigan regulators on Friday approved Canadian pipeline company Enbridge's application to build a tunnel under the Great Lakes to house its aging Line 5 oil pipeline, a major step forward for the $750 million project.

Mountain Valley Pipeline Owner Equitrans Considering Asset Sale

While there is no certainty that the company would decide to proceed with the sale, it would likely attract interest if it were to launch a sale process in early 2024, coinciding with the expected completion of the Mountain Valley pipeline.

Canadian Regulators Approve Preliminary Interim Tolls on Expanded Trans Mountain Pipeline

The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) on Thursday approved preliminary interim tolls for the expanded Trans Mountain pipeline system, allowing the project to begin charging for shipping services once operations start.

Editor’s Notebook: Trouble in the Heartland

(P&GJ) — It seems that even CO2 pipelines — a centerpiece of the Biden administration’s net zero greenhouse gas reductions policy — can’t catch a break when it comes to getting out of the starting block where permitting and public opinion are concerned.

Green Hydrogen Projects by Spain's Enagas Poised to Receive EU Funding

Two renewable hydrogen projects partially managed by Spain's gas grid operator Enagas have been included in the European Commission's list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI), the company said on Tuesday, meaning they could benefit from accelerated permitting procedures and subsidies.

Cambodia Scraps Coal Power Project to Build Gas-Fired Plant, Import LNG

Cambodia has abandoned plans to build a $1.5 billion 700 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power project in a protected reserve along the southwestern coast and will build an 800 MW natural-gas fired plant instead, its energy minister told Reuters.

Europe Studies Mega-Projects for Piping CO2 Offshore

(P&GJ) — Belgian TSO Fluxys and Norway’s state oil and gas company Equinor are working on plans for a 620-mile (1,000-km) pipeline that could export CO2 from industrial clusters in Zeebrugge, Belgium to storage sites offshore Norway. An extension to industrial sites in the port of Dunkirk, France is also under consideration.

Snam, Eni, Terna to Fast Track European Pipeline, Hydrogen, Carbon Capture Projects

The two initiatives supported by Snam are a pipeline for hydrogen between Italy, Austria and Germany dubbed the SoutH2 Corridor and a carbon capture and storage hub offshore Ravenna known as the Callisto Mediterranean C02 Network.

Canadian Pipeline Operator TC Energy Forecasts Higher 2024 Earnings Despite Competition

TC's Keystone oil pipeline, which moves crude from Alberta to U.S. Midwest refineries and the Cushing, Oklahoma storage hub, faces stiffer competition starting in the first quarter when the Canadian government-owned Trans Mountain pipeline is scheduled to complete an expansion.

Sierra Madre Natural Gas Pipeline Project Reaches Milestone with EPC Contract Award

The 500-mile Sierra Madre pipeline will be the primary natural gas supply path to transport up to 2.8 Bcf/d from the U.S. border to the first phase of Mexico Pacific's 15 million tonne per annum Saguaro Energia LNG export facility in Puerto Libertad, Sonora, Mexico.

Trans Mountain Faces Regulatory Hearing on Pipeline Variance Request

The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) has ordered the company building the Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion (TMX) to appear at an oral hearing on Monday, as the regulator weighs whether to approve a variance request from the project.

Indonesia Launches First Carbon Storage Project in West Papua

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo on Friday launched construction of a carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) project in West Papua province operated by BP Plc, the country's first carbon storage project.

Brazil Midstream Hopes for $20 Billion Infusion by 2028

(P&GJ) – The Brazil gas and pipelines sector hopes to attract about $20 billion in investments for its development by 2028, thanks to de-monopolization of the industry and the adoption of new legislation, according to recent statements, made by leading market participants and state analysts.

Balticconnector Gas Pipeline to Expand Transmission Capacity Post-Repair

The Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, which was damaged last month, will get a bigger northbound transmission capacity next year following repairs, Finnish operator Gasgrid said in a statement on Wednesday.

Few Ranking Surprises in Annual P&GJ Listings

(P&GJ) – The list of companies leading the way in Pipeline & Gas Journal’s 42nd annual 500 Report will certainly be familiar to long-time midstream observers, with little shake-up in rankings occurring between the 2022 and 2023 editions of the publication.

Wolf Carbon Solutions Initiates Withdrawal of Carbon Pipeline Application in Illinois

Wolf Carbon Solutions has moved to withdraw its permit application in Illinois to build a carbon capture pipeline that would transport as much as 12 million tons of carbon dioxide annually to a storage site in the state, according to a company filing in the state regulatory commission docket.

TC Energy Receives FERC Approval for Virginia Reliability Project

Columbia Gas Transmission’s Virginia Reliability Project (VRP) is an expansion project that would replace two existing segments of the pipeline system to continue reliable and abundant natural gas supply.

ConocoPhillips' $8 Billion Willow Project Approvals Upheld by US Judge

A federal judge in Alaska upheld U.S. approvals for ConocoPhillips’ multibillion-dollar Willow oil and gas drilling project in the state’s Arctic on Nov. 9, rejecting environmental and indigenous groups' concerns that the project poses too large of a climate threat.

Environmental Groups Call for Funding Halt to TotalEnergies' Mozambique LNG Project

Banks and other financiers should withdraw their support of TotalEnergies' $20 billion LNG terminal in Mozambique, environmental lobby groups urged in a letter sent to more than two dozen project funders on Friday.

Projects November 2023

Canada’s Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion, expected to almost triple the flow of crude from Alberta to the nation’s Pacific Coast, will reshuffle North America’s supply by diverting barrels to the U.S. Midwest and Gulf Coast, analysts predict.

Biden Wants to Count Emissions Downstream of Pipeline Projects

(P&GJ) — The Biden administration announced its latest effort to throw a wrench in pipeline construction. The Biden Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) wants to roll back Trump administration pro-pipeline changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Editor’s Notebook: It Could Have Been Worse, Revisited

(P&GJ) — With its approval of the Willow Project on the North Slope Alaska early this year, along with its continued of drilling permits on federal lands, the Biden administration has begun to show at least some desire to play ball where oil projects are involved, much to the chagrin of the anti-fossil fuel forces.

DOE Rejects Repsol's Bid to Reopen Approval for Venture Global LNG Export Plant

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Tuesday rejected for a second time oil major Repsol SA's request to reopen regulators' approval of Venture Global LNG's Calcasieu Pass export plant in Louisiana.