Regulation

Canada Regulators Face Activist Ire for Trans Mountain Variance Approval

Environmental activists say the CER's conditions around the materials Trans Mountain can use to build the smaller section of pipe are too lenient. However, there is little they can do at this stage to block the approval.

Energy Transfer Does Not Expect Shutdown of Dakota Access Oil Pipeline

Energy Transfer does not expect the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to shut down the Dakota Access oil pipeline (DAPL) after a long-pending environmental review of a section that runs under a lake and is opposed by nearby Native American tribes.

Enterprise Products Partners to Receive Sea Port Oil Terminal License in Q1 2024

Enterprise Products Partners expects to receive an export license for its Sea Port Oil Terminal (SPOT) in the first quarter of 2024 versus by the end of 2023, as previously expected, a company executive said on Monday.

Global Pipeline Construction Outlook 2024: New LNG Terminals Sound Beckon Call for More Pipelines

(P&GJ) — It comes as little surprise to those in midstream that during the past year we have continued to see LNG initiatives garner more attention than pipeline projects. However, terminal construction drives new pipeline construction.

Projects January 2024

Wolf Carbon withdraws pipeline application in Illinois; Canadian oil, gas producers plan to drill 8% more wells in 2024; TC Energy receives FERC approval for Virginia Reliability Project; and more!

Pipelines Unhappy with Clean Water Act Final Rule

The new Clean Water Act (CWA) final rule from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) potentially complicates efforts by pipeline builders (and other infrastructure sectors) to get construction approval from states and tribes.

U.S. Buys 3.2 Million Barrels of Oil for Strategic Petroleum Reserve

The United States bought 3.2 million barrels of oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, as it continues to slowly replenish the stash after selling a record amount following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a Department of Energy document showed on Friday.

U.S. Regulator Seeks More Data on Occidental-CrownRock Deal

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has asked for more information on Occidental Petroleum's $12 billion deal for Permian-based producer CrownRock, the firms said on Monday, making it the latest big oil merger to face increased scrutiny.

Spotlight on Germany: Nation’s Pipelines Nearing Major Changes

The pipelines’ sector of Germany is on the verge of major changes, due to the ongoing conversion to hydrogen and the rapid development of H2 and gas pipelines’ infrastructure throughout the country.

Ecuador in Talks to Transfer 301-Mile OCP Oil Pipeline, Assets, and Liabilities to State Control

Ecuador is holding talks to transfer a private oil pipeline operated by OCP, as well as its associated infrastructure, liabilities and assets, to state control, the government announced in a statement on Friday.

NEPA Proposal Elevates GHG as Approval Impediment

The EPA isn’t the only Biden administration office throwing up potential roadblocks to pipeline construction. Interstate pipeline builders weighed in on the Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) proposed reversal of changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) made by the Trump administration.

Biden Administration Taking Heat from All Sides Over Louisiana LNG Project

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, a panel of three regulators, is expected to vote in weeks or months on approval of Venture Global's Calcasieu Pass 2, or CP2, liquefied natural gas terminal (CP2) project.

Blinken Urges Bosnian Lawmakers to Pass Gas Pipeline Law with Croatia

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Bosnian Croat lawmakers to stop holding up legislation to build a natural gas pipeline with Croatia, seen as an alternative to Russian gas, local media reported on Thursday.

INGAA Foundation Unveils Report on Electrifying Natural Gas Compression for Greenhouse Gas Reduction

The Foundation aimed to assess the potential effects of electrifying natural gas transmission compression as a strategic measure to combat greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the natural gas supply chain.

Deep Freeze Hits U.S. Oil Industry from North Dakota to Texas

A severe winter storm shut a U.S. Gulf Coast refinery in Texas on Tuesday, triggered malfunctions at others, and halved North Dakota oil production as it dumped snow and rain across a broad swath of the nation.

West Virginia Greenlights Hope Gas' $177 Million Pipeline, Deemed 'Reasonable and Necessary’

West Virginia's PSC approves Hope Gas' pipeline project, investing $177 million to meet Morgantown's rising demand. Amid supply challenges, local customers welcome increased capacity for the region's energy needs.

U.S. Proposes Fee on Methane from Big Oil and Gas Producers

The U.S. on Friday proposed a fee on emissions of methane from big oil and gas producers as required under the 2022 climate law and as a backstop to wider regulations on the greenhouse gas from energy operations.

Commonwealth LNG Urges Biden to Support Pending LNG Export Application

U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) developer Commonwealth LNG on Thursday called on President Joe Biden to support its long-pending LNG export application.

TotalEnergies Denies Plans to Sell NextDecade Shares Amid Market Speculation

TotalEnergies has no plans to sell its shares in U.S. LNG company NextDecade, the French energy group said on Thursday after market speculation over a potential sale.

Venture Global LNG Explains to FERC Its Failure to Sell Commercial Cargoes

Venture Global LNG has told a U.S. regulator that it cannot meet contracts to provide LNG cargoes to several major customers because its export plant is not yet ready to meet three criteria in the contracts, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Oil, Gas Lobby Group Warns Against U.S. Slowing Down LNG Approvals

The head of the leading U.S. oil and gas lobby group, the American Petroleum Institute, said that if U.S. regulators slow down or stop approving liquefied natural gas exports, they will put allies at risk.

Galp to Join BP and Shell in Formal Complaint Against LNG Exporter Venture Global

Portugal oil and gas firm Galp has asked U.S. regulators to allow it to join BP and Shell's formal complaints against U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter Venture Global LNG, a filing showed on Tuesday.

EIA: U.S. Energy-Related CO2 Emissions to Remain Unchanged in 2024

U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are expected to remain unchanged in 2024, as increased natural gas and petroleum emissions offset decreased coal emissions, the Energy Information Administration said in a monthly report on Tuesday.

Trans Mountain Oil Pipeline Modification Request Heads to Friday Regulatory Hearing

The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) will conduct a hearing on Friday about Trans Mountain Corp.'s request for a change in construction to complete expansion of its oil pipeline from Alberta to British Columbia, according to a filing on Monday.

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Exxon's Bid to Move Minnesota Climate Lawsuit to Federal Court

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a bid by major fossil fuel companies and an industry trade group to move a lawsuit filed by Minnesota accusing them of worsening climate change out of state court and into federal court, the energy industry's favored venue.

Nigeria's Top Court Says Shell's Appeal Should Be Heard After Oil Spill Claim

Nigeria's Supreme Court on Friday ruled that Shell should be granted a hearing over an alleged oil spill in the Niger Delta after the Court of Appeal halted an asset sale and ordered a judgement claim to be paid prior to hearing its case.

Biden Administration Slowly Puts Oil Back into the SPR Emergency Stash

The administration of President Joe Biden is slowly putting oil back into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, after selling a record amount from the emergency stockpile in 2022.

U.S. DOT Invests Nearly $15 Million to Improve Pipeline Safety

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is awarding $14.8 million in grants to fund projects and activities to improve pipeline safety.

Shell Backs BP in Fight Over Venture Global LNG Exports

Shell has joined BP in its battle against Venture Global LNG, accusing the LNG producer of denying it and other customers access to supplies while exporting more than $18 billion worth of the superchilled gas, according to a filing with U.S. regulators.

Trans Mountain Pipeline Eyes March or May for Line Fill in Long-Delayed Expansion

Trans Mountain Corp. plans to begin line fill in March or May on its long-delayed Canadian oil pipeline expansion, depending on the diameter of pipe it uses and assuming no new problems, the Canadian government-owned company said in a filing on Wednesday.