Regulation
French Court Dismisses Lawsuit Against TotalEnergies Over Uganda Pipeline Project
Under the case filed in 2019, six French and Ugandan activist groups had accused the company of not doing all it could to protect people and the environment from the Tilenga oil development and the $3.5 billion East African Crude Oil Pipeline.
Mexico's Pemex Increased Gas Flaring at Top Field, Despite Pledge to Stop
In January, an estimated 1.3 billion cubic feet of gas were burned from four flares at the Papan and Perdiz plants meant to process gas from Ixachi, satellite data shows, up from 1 billion cubic feet in November when the promise was made.
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.
EPA: US 2022 Power Plant Emissions Fell on Switch from Coal to Gas
U.S. power plant emissions of pollutants that harm human health and warm the planet fell last year as the industry continued a switch from coal to natural gas, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday.
FERC’s Pipeline, LNG Project Evaluations Looking at EJ
(P&GJ) — The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is devoting an increasing amount of attention and staff resources to the evaluation of impacts of interstate natural gas pipeline and LNG terminal projects on environmental justice (EJ) communities (that is, communities with disproportionately large minority and low-income populations).
ESG & Innovation: API Looks at Species, Habitat Conservation
(P&GJ) — The American Petroleum Institute (API) published a first-edition document focused on species and habitat conservation for onshore natural gas and oil production facilities that will help boost the industry’s existing practices to enhance environmental performance.
US Regulator Approves 135-Mile ET Louisiana Pipeline
The 135-mile pipeline Gulf Run pipeline, with a capacity of 1.65 Bcf/d, transports gas from the company’s other Energy Transfer pipelines that link to basins in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, running from Westdale to Starks, Louisiana.
Guest Perspective: Plastic Pipe Regulations, Rules and Results
(P&GJ) — The continued increase in oil and gas output is relying more and more on spoolable reinforced plastic pipe and polyethylene (PE) line pipe. This is due to the high integrity of the pipe itself, and ease of installation. Additionally, PE pipes are easily joined by heat fusion forming a monolithic system that eliminates the potential for leaks at the joints.
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.
Cheniere Initiates Permit Process for Key Sabine Pass Project Expansion
Cheniere Energy Inc. on Thursday initiated an expansion permit process of LNG export capacity at its key Sabine Pass plant in Louisiana after the exporter topped revenue estimate on strong demand following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
US Official Says Russia's Crude Output Cut Signals Unsold Oil
Russia's decision to cut crude oil production by 500,000 barrels per day reflects its inability to sell all of its oil, Ben Harris, a U.S. Treasury Department Assistant Secretary, said on Thursday.
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.
IEA's Birol Warns of Tighter Energy Supply Next Winter
International Energy Agency (IEA) head Fatih Birol has warned of possible energy shortages next winter as relatively little new LNG is coming to the market while China's consumption is set to rise this year.
Slovak Parliament Rows Back on Taxing Main Gas Transit Pipeline
The tax, planned at 6,000 euros per kilometer of pipeline, or around 126 million euros ($134 million) per year, was approved late last year as part of efforts to raise revenue for the 2023 budget that already sees a 6.4% deficit of gross domestic product.
US LNG Producers Poised to Leapfrog Rivals with Three New Projects
Projects best positioned to move ahead include Sempra Energy's Port Arthur plant in Texas, Energy Transfer LP's Lake Charles in Louisiana and NextDecade Corp.'s Rio Grande in Texas. They have all or most of the long-term LNG sales agreements needed to convince bank's that the projects are ready for debt financing, according to Reuters analysts.
EPA Sets Soot Pollution Rule, Kinder Morgan Warns of Hefty Costs
The U.S. environmental regulator said it sent the White House its final plan to slash interstate smog and soot pollution from the power sector. Pipeline operator Kinder Morgan warned the plan would cost an estimated $4.1 billion in upgrades and retrofits to about 950 engines along its pipelines, which carry about 40% of the natural gas consumed in the U.S.
Navigator to Submit Expanded Proposal for 1,300-Mile Carbon Pipeline Project
(P&GJ) — Navigator CO2 plans to resubmit an enhanced proposal to the Illinois Commerce Agency before the end of February, over six months after initially submitting an application to the commission for its multistate pipeline. The expanded proposal is set to include at least one new sequestration site and an additional lateral route.
Oil Prices Fall After Additional US Crude Reserve Release Announced
Oil prices fell in early Asian trade on Tuesday after the U.S. government said it will release 26 million barrels of crude from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Last year, U.S. President Joe Biden's administration sold a record 180 million barrels from the reserve.
Source: Argentine Congress to Take Up LNG Law in March After Delay
A law aimed at boosting Argentina's LNG industry, with an eye toward future exports, will be taken up in March after a delay blamed on disputes over legislative fine print, a energy ministry source told Reuters on Tuesday.
US to Sell 26 Million Barrels of Oil Reserves As Mandated by Congress
The Biden administration said on Monday it is selling 26 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a release that had been mandated by Congress in previous years. The U.S. Department of Energy considered canceling the sale of the 26 million barrels after the Biden administration sold a record 180 million barrels from the reserve last year.
U.S. Treasury to Open Advanced Energy Tax Credit Applications on May 31
The U.S. Treasury said on Monday it will open applications on May 31 for $4 billion worth of new tax credits for advanced energy manufacturing and decarbonization projects, with $1.6 billion of those required to be in communities hit by closures of coal mines or coal-fired power plants.
Louisiana Slams EPA Over Lack of Urgency on Carbon-Project Approvals
Louisiana and other top oil-producing states say they can speed up permitting of carbon sequestration projects if allowed to handle decisions that currently fall under the EPA. There are dozens of these projects with multimillion-dollar price tags proposed by energy firms around the United States.
Philippine Malampaya Gas Field Operator Seeks 15-Year Contract Extension
Prime Infra Holdings Inc., the new operator of the Philippines' Malampaya natural gas field, is seeking a 15-year extension of the project contract to be able to explore for additional supply around the reservoir, its chief executive said on Wednesday.
LNG Developer NextDecade Blasts Inaction by US Energy Regulator
U.S. LNG developer NextDecade Corp. on Monday criticized regulator the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for what it called "inexcusable" delays in reviewing information that would allow it to move ahead with a $15.7 billion export project.
Italian Union Files Legal Complaint Against Snam's LNG Terminal Over Environmental Concerns
The Italian trade union USB filed a legal complaint against a plan by gas grid operator Snam to set up a new LNG terminal in the Tuscan port of Piombino, it said in a press release on Friday.
US Senators Manchin, Cruz Float Bill to Block Gas Stove Bans
Cruz, a Texas Republican, and Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, teamed up to float the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act, a bill that would prevent the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission from banning gas stoves.
Biden Backs Scaled-Down Version of ConocoPhillips Alaska Oil Project
President Joe Biden's administration said on Wednesday it would support a scaled-back version of ConocoPhillips' planned $6 billion Willow oil and gas drilling project in Alaska but has not yet made a final decision on the contentious proposal.
Carbon Pipeline Company Sues Iowa County Over Local Siting Ordinance
The developer of a Midwest carbon capture pipeline network has sued Shelby County in Iowa, saying its ordinance restricting the siting of hazardous pipelines is overruled by a federal pipeline safety law.
2,000-Mile Carbon Pipeline Project Sparks Battle Among North Dakota Landowners
(P&GJ) — Landowners from North Dakota gave testimony on Jan. 27 in favor of and against Summit Carbon Solutions' use of eminent domain to construct a 2,000-mile carbon pipeline network beneath hundreds of homes and farms in the Midwest.
Peninsula Pipeline Receives Approval to Expand Natural Gas Infrastructure in Nassau County, Florida
(P&GJ) — Peninsula Pipeline Co. will construct new infrastructure in two phases. Phase one involves the construction of three new pipeline segments, which consist of steel pipe, new regulator stations and improvements, a new gas injection point and three new points of delivery. Phase two of the project involves the installation of two new steel pipeline segments.
- FERC Approves TC Energy's 1,377-Mile West Coast Pipeline Expansion
- Kinder Morgan to Buy NextEra’s 462-Mile Texas Pipeline System for $1.8 Billion
- Williams' Gas Pipeline in Idaho Ruptures, Company Challenges Explosion Allegations
- Biden Awards $7 Billion in Hydrogen Hub Money to 16 States
- Mountain Valley Pipeline Sues Protesters Hindering $7.2 Billion Construction Project
