Regulation

Malaysia's Petronas to Restart Gas Pipeline Operations by Q1 2024

Malaysia's national oil company Petroliam Nasional Berhad aims to restart a gas pipeline currently under force majeure by the first quarter of 2024, a senior company executive said on Wednesday.

Iraq Petitions US Court to Enforce Oil Export Arbitration Award Against Turkey

Iraq has petitioned a U.S. federal court to enforce an arbitration award against Turkey related to Iraqi oil exports through a pipeline to a Turkish port, according to documents filed with the court.

US Cities to Receive Nearly $200 Million to Upgrade Aging, Leaking Natural Gas Pipelines

(P&GJ) — The U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has awarded $196 million in grants to 37 projects spread across 19 states for the modernization of aging natural gas pipelines.

US Official: White House Got 'Heads Up' on OPEC Cut Plans, Disagreed with Move

The Biden administration told Saudi Arabia officials that it disagreed with OPEC’s surprise decision to cut oil production when it was given a ‘heads up’ on the move, John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council, told reporters on Monday.

Bid to Pause ConocoPhillips' Alaska Willow Project Fails

A federal judge on Monday rejected a bid by environmentalists to temporarily suspend the U.S. government’s approval of ConocoPhillips' multibillion-dollar oil drilling project in Alaska’s Arctic.

Baghdad, Erbil Sign Deal to Restart Northern Oil Exports

Turkey stopped pumping about 450,000 b/d of Iraqi crude through a pipeline from the Fish-Khabur border area to its Ceyhan port on March 25 after Iraq won an arbitration case.

Mountain Valley Pipeline's West Virginia Water Permit Tossed by Court

A federal appeals court on Monday vacated a water permit needed by developers to restart construction on the Mountain Valley pipeline in West Virginia, marking the latest setback for the $6.2 billion project.

INGAA Chairman Amato Sees Permitting, Workforce Development Among Priorities

(P&GJ) — New INGAA Foundation Chair Paul Amato doesn’t exactly come from the hotbed of the natural gas industry, but in a manner of speaking, he became part of it as soon as possible. During this interview with P&GJ, Amato discusses, among other issues, his first impressions of INGAA, training and retaining younger talent, and keeping an eye on methane reduction and other permitting issues.

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.

US Could Buy Back Oil for Strategic Reserve Late This Year

The U.S. could start buying back crude oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve late this year after President Joe Biden last year directed the largest ever sale from the stockpile, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said.

INGAA CEO Applauds US House for Passing the Lower Energy Costs Act

WASHINGTON, DC (P&GJ) — Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) President and CEO Amy Andryszak has issued a statement in support of H.R. 1 - the Lower Energy Costs Act, which passed in the U.S. House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 225-204.

Mountain Valley Clears Permit Hurdle for 303-Mile Pipeline Project in Virginia

A federal appeals court on Wednesday backed construction authorizations for the $6.2 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline project in Virginia, after finding state regulators thoroughly reviewed the project's environmental impacts.

Army Corps Extends Line 5 Tunnel Review, Delaying Enbridge’s Pipeline Project by 18 Months

Canada's Enbridge Inc. said on Thursday it was "disappointed" by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' decision to extend the federal permitting process for the company's proposed Great Lakes Tunnel that would rehouse its Line 5 oil pipeline underneath the Straits of Mackinac.

FERC Moves Forward on Pipeline Rates, Affiliates

(P&GJ) — The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently moved forward with projected policies with gas pipeline implications. But their resolution is a bit up in the air now that former Chairman Richard Glick has left the commission after failing to be reconfirmed by the Senate.

US Energy Secretary Says It Could Take Years to Refill Oil Reserve

It could take years for the United States to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the energy secretary told lawmakers on Thursday, after sales directed by President Joe Biden last year pushed the stockpile to its lowest level since 1983.

Editor’s Notebook: Getting the CO2 Out

(P&GJ) — Navigator Heartland Greenway has voluntarily withdrawn its application for a certificate of authority to build a 250-mile portion of its CO2 pipeline through a part of western Illinois, but the company said it plans to refile soon.

IPC CEO Urges Canada to Offer More Funding to Build Carbon Capture

International Petroleum Corp., the first foreign oil company to sanction a project in Canada's oil sands in more than a decade, could add carbon capture and storage (CCS) to the plant if more government financial incentives become available, its CEO told Reuters.

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.

Green Groups Sue Biden Administration Over Approval of Alaska Willow Oil Project

Six environmental groups filed a lawsuit on Tuesday over the Biden administration's approval of ConocoPhillips' Willow oil and gas project in Alaska, which they claimed could be a stepping stone to more development in an ecologically sensitive region.

Putin Says Germany Remains "Occupied" Due to Response to Nord Stream Pipeline Explosion

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Germany's response to the explosion on North Sea pipelines showed that the country remained "occupied" and unable to act independently decades after its surrender at the end of World War Two.

Biden Administration Approves ConocoPhillips' $7 Billion Willow Project in Alaska

The Biden administration has approved a scaled-back version of ConocoPhillips' $7 billion oil and gas drilling project in Alaska. The department reduced the size of ConocoPhillips' proposal by 40% by denying two requested drill pads that will prevent the development of 11 miles of roads, 20 miles of pipelines, and 133 acres of gravel.

CERAWeek: Keystone Pipeline Oil Flows Won't Change After US Order to Cut Pressure, CEO Says

Oil flows on TC Energy's Keystone pipeline will not change after the U.S. pipeline regulator said it would require the company to reduce pressure following a 13,000-barrel oil spill in Kansas in December, CEO François Poirier told Reuters on Thursday.

US Carbon Pipeline Faces Setback as Residents Refuse to Cede Land Rights

Navigator CO2 Ventures’ proposed carbon pipeline project in the U.S. Midwest is struggling to secure a site to store millions of tons of greenhouse gas it hopes to collect from the region’s ethanol plants, as residents refuse to give up land rights over fears the underground reservoirs could leak, according to documents reviewed by Reuters.

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.

Turkey's Ruling Party Presents Gas Reform in Step Towards Trading Hub

Turkey's ruling AK Party presented a draft law to parliament on Wednesday aimed at establishing a competitive natural gas market as the country attempts to become a gas trading hub bringing together suppliers and consumers.

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.

Petronas Aims to Complete Malaysia LNG Investigation by Mid-Year

Malaysia's state energy company Petroliam Nasional Berhad, or Petronas, aims to complete an investigation into disruption of Malaysia LNG gas supply by the middle of the year, CEO Tengku Taufik told reporters on Friday.

Mountain Valley Pipeline Gets a Key Approval to Restart Construction

The Biden administration has determined that restarting construction on the Mountain Valley Pipeline won’t significantly jeopardize rare fish and other endangered species along its path, clearing a major hurdle that was keeping developers from finishing the project.

ConocoPhillips’ Willow Oil, Gas Drilling Project in Alaska Sparks Green Opposition

Environmental and climate activists are rallying online against ConocoPhillips’ proposed Willow oil and gas drilling project in Alaska as the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden weighs whether to greenlight the controversial plan.

Biden Administration Works on 'Green' Natural Gas as US Vies for Top LNG Spot

The Biden administration is holding talks with global energy companies and foreign officials in an effort to set standards for certified natural gas, a form of the fuel that producers market as climate friendly.