North America

Restart Delayed at Texas Coal Unit Linked to Petra Nova CCS Project

The coal unit had hosted the $1 billion Petra Nova carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) plant, which sent the carbon dioxide gas about 80 miles (130 km) by pipeline, where it was pumped into an aging oilfield to boost output, a technique known as enhanced oil recovery.

Equitrans to Begin Construction on Ohio Valley Connector Expansion Project

(P&GJ) — On Monday, FERC issued the Notice to Proceed, signaling Equitrans' imminent commencement of construction. The expansion project is designed to enhance deliverability on its Ohio Valley Connector pipeline, bolstering its capacity by approximately 350 MMcf/d.

Equitrans' 303-Mile Mountain Valley Pipeline on Track to Be Completed by Year-End 2023

U.S. energy company Equitrans Midstream on Tuesday said it still expects to complete the Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline by the end of the year despite being tangled in numerous court fights since construction began in 2018.

SwRI Tapping into Geothermal Energy Possibilities in Texas

(P&GJ) — Electric power generates the second-largest share of greenhouse gas emissions and includes emissions from electricity production used by end use sectors, such as industry. Nearly 80% of electricity in the U.S. comes from burning fossil fuels, mostly coal and natural gas.

Pipeline Companies to Pay $12.5 Million in Penalties After Spills in Montana, North Dakota

Belle Fourche Pipeline Company and Bridger Pipeline LLC that own and operate a network of crude oil pipelines in Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming have together agreed to pay a $12.5 million civil penalty relating to oil spills.

TC Energy Begins Re-Pressurizing Unaffected Pipeline Section in Virginia

Canada's TC Energy began re-pressurizing part of its Columbia Gas Transmission Pipeline in Strasburg, Virginia that was not directly impacted by an unplanned incident last week, the company said late on Friday.

Enbridge Fixing Minnesota Aquifer Breach Related to Oil Pipeline Construction

Enbridge Inc. on Friday said it was working to fix an aquifer breach in rural Minnesota related to the construction of its Line 3 oil pipeline replacement project, which was completed in 2021 and carries Canadian crude to U.S. refineries.

TC Energy to Spin Off Oil Pipeline Business, Focus on Natural Gas

North American pipeline company TC Energy, which has been seeking to sell assets and cut debt, said on Thursday it would spin off its oil pipeline business and focus on transporting natural gas, saying the businesses would be more valuable apart.

Shell Expects Venture Global LNG Supply Deal to Be Honored, CEO Says

Top LNG trader Shell expects its agreement with Venture Global LNG to supply liquefied natural gas to be honored, but does not see this happening at the moment, CEO Wael Sawan said on Thursday.

Mitsubishi Power Delivers Hydrogen-Ready Gas Turbines to Utah Project

(P&GJ) — Mitsubishi Power Americas has delivered two M501JAC advanced-class gas turbines to the Intermountain Power Project (IPP) Renewed project in Delta, Utah. A pipeline from the ACES Delta hub will feed the IPP Renewed project with hydrogen to operate the J-Class turbines.

Supreme Court Approves Completion of 303-Mile Mountain Valley Gas Pipeline

The justices granted Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC's request to lift stays imposed by a lower court that had halted construction of a final short section of the 303-mile (488-km) natural gas pipeline. That section is a 3.5-mile (5.6-km) corridor through the federally owned Jefferson National Forest.

EQT in Deal with Energy Transfer Louisiana Lake Charles LNG Export Plant

EQT, the biggest U.S. natural gas producer, entered into an LNG agreement with U.S. energy firm Energy Transfer's proposed Lake Charles LNG export plant in Louisiana.

Maryland Cove Point LNG Feedgas Drops After TC Energy’s Gas Pipe Explodes in Virginia

The shutdown of part of Canadian energy company TC Energy's Columbia Gas Transmission Pipeline in Virginia after a fire on Tuesday has reduced the amount of gas flowing to the Cove Point LNG export plant in Maryland, the plant told customers.

Black Bear's AlaTenn Pipeline Commences Gas Deliveries to New Power Plant Units

(P&GJ) — Black Bear's AlaTenn pipeline system has started delivering natural gas supply for the commissioning of three new natural gas-fueled power plant units in Alabama’s Colbert County.

Australian Firm FFI Dives into U.S. Market with Phoenix Hydrogen Hub Acquisition

(P&GJ) — Australian green hydrogen developer Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) has made its first move into the U.S. market by purchasing the Phoenix Hydrogen Hub (PHH) project in Buckeye, Arizona, from fuel-cell truck manufacturer Nikola for $24 million.

TC Energy's Columbia Gas Pipeline Explodes Near Virginia's Interstate 81

(P&GJ) — A gas line explosion occurred near Strasburg, Virginia, in rural western Virginia, not far from Interstate 81. The incident took place on Tuesday morning and was promptly responded to by local officials, according to The Associated Press.

U.S. Oil M&A Jumps as Private Equity Unloads Shale Assets

U.S. oil and gas deals rebounded in the second quarter as private equity firms shed shale portfolio investments and publicly traded oil firms grabbed smaller rivals.

Canada Releases Framework to Phase Out Inefficient Fossil Fuel Subsidies

Climate policy analysts said the framework was an important step forward but fell short in continuing to allow government support for oil and gas projects that plan to reduce emissions through technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS).

US to Spend $700 Million for Oil and Gas Sector to Cut Methane Emissions

The U.S. government will provide up to $700 million in funding to monitor and reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, setting aside half of the amount for grants to states, two agencies said on Monday.

TC Energy Sells 40% Stake in Columbia Gas Transmission Pipelines to GIP for $4 Billion

Canada's TC Energy has agreed to divest a 40% interest in its Columbia Gas Transmission and Columbia Gulf Transmission pipelines, which span more than 15,000 miles and deliver a substantial portion of daily U.S. natural gas demand, for $3.95 billion to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).

Natural Gas Pipeline at Risk as Wildfire Sweeps Through Washington County

The Newell Road Wildfire has already destroyed several structures in the area and is threatening homes, farms, crops and livestock, solar and wind farms and a natural gas pipeline, county emergency officials said.

Natural Gas Connection Failure Investigated in Fatal Pennsylvania Factory Explosion

(P&GJ) — Federal safety inspectors confirmed Tuesday that natural gas seeped through a faulty connection at a Pennsylvania chocolate factory where a strong explosion destroyed one building, severely damaged another, and killed seven people

Cheniere Energy's Sabine Pass LNG Plant Returns to Normal

Cheniere Energy Inc.'s Sabine Pass LNG export facility returned to normal processing levels on Thursday following an outage at one of its units on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Senate Backs Amendment Banning US Strategic Oil Reserve Sales to China

The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed an amendment to an annual defense bill on Thursday that would ban exports to China of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

US Looks to Mexico for In-Demand Sour Crude Barrels

The United States is on track in July to take in higher imports of crude oil from Mexico for a second month, as global demand for sour crudes ramps up following production cuts from OPEC+ that have cut off a pivotal source.

Cheniere Energy Plans to Build New Gas Pipeline to Feed LNG Expansion in Louisiana

Cheniere Energy Inc., the largest U.S. LNG exporter, says it may build a new pipeline to link its Louisiana expansion project to other pipelines in major shale-gas producing regions as it seeks to diversify its risk.

Alaska LNG Project Clears Challenge, Advances 800-Mile Pipeline

The Biden administration backed the MVP for the second time, Mexico Pacific planned a $14 billion natural gas pipeline and liquefaction plant, and an Alaska LNG project advanced after a lawsuit from environmentalists was rejected, Comet Ridge and Jemena entered an agreement to develop a gas pipeline, while Caliche launched an open season for an expansion project.

Global News July 2023

Latest industry developments from around the world!

Halliburton, Baker Hughes Highlight LNG Market Resilience Amid North America Shale Weakness

Halliburton shares were down in early trading as markets worried about its exposure to North America markets. However, shares of Baker Hughes — a major equipment supplier to LNG developers — were up, thanks to its exposure to LNG markets.

EverWind to Invest $1 Billion in Hydrogen, Ammonia Production to Power Nova Scotia Project

EverWind Fuels said on Monday it would invest $1 billion in renewable energy generation to power its green hydrogen and ammonia production project in Nova Scotia.