Regulation

Energy Transfer Signs Deals for Louisiana Lake Charles Export Plant

The agreements come even though the U.S. Department of Energy has so far refused to extend Lake Charles' authorization to sell LNG to non-Free Trade Agreement (FTA) countries beyond December 2025.

TC Energy Urges Canada to Speed Permits for Energy Transition Projects

TC Energy has more than 20,000 kilometers (14,300 miles) of pipeline in western Canada that could be repurposed to carry carbon dioxide for sequestration underground or transport low-emissions hydrogen, CEO Francois Poirier said.

CPC Adopts New Regulations on Tanker Loadings in Its Marine Terminal

Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) said it has adopted new regulations allowing it to reduce the loading speeds of oil tankers in its marine terminal at times of changing weather conditions to minimize air pollution.

Shell, BP Pursue Arbitration Claims Against Venture Global LNG

Top LNG traders Shell and BP have separately filed for arbitration against U.S. exporter Venture Global LNG for failing to supply contracted cargoes, even as it sold to non-contract customers as prices soared, four people familiar with the matter said.

BP Settles US Natural Gas Market Manipulation Case for $10.8 Million

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) alleged that BP violated the Natural Gas Act by manipulating the next-day gas market at Houston Ship Channel from mid-September through Nov. 30, 2008.

Sempra Expects US to Approve Permit Extension for Cameron LNG Plant

Sempra Infrastructure likely will ask the U.S. Department of Energy for an export license extension for its Cameron LNG facility expansion, President Dan Brouillette said on Monday.

Equitrans Midstream Weighing Options as Court Blocks Mountain Valley Project

Pipeline operator Equitrans Midstream said on Tuesday it is evaluating all legal options, including an emergency appeal at the U.S. Supreme Court, after an appellate court halted construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline project in the Jefferson National Forest.

Canada Regulator Issues Order to Trans Mountain Over Community Impact Monitoring

The Canada Energy Regulator issued an "Inspection Office Order" to Trans Mountain for not adhering to an approved plan to monitor the impact of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project on local communities during construction.

Russia Bans Tiny US-based NGO for 'Sabotaging' Vast Gas Pipeline

Russia accused a small U.S.-based charity on Wednesday of "sabotaging" the construction of a huge gas pipeline to China and banned it as an "undesirable organization."

Delaware Court Holds TC Energy Liable for Fiduciary Duty Breaches in Columbia Pipeline Deal; Appeals Planned

(P&GJ) — A Delaware court holds TC Energy liable for aiding and abetting breaches of fiduciary duty by former top executives of Columbia Pipeline Group Inc., while TC Energy plans to appeal the decision.

Venture Global LNG Seeks Approval to Speed Up Plant Construction

Venture Global LNG has asked U.S. regulators for an expedited review of a request to add construction workers to its Plaquemines LNG export project and to allow work around the clock seven days per week.

US Dept of Energy Grants Export License to Gulfstream LNG

Gulfstream LNG Development has received an export authorization from the U.S. Department of Energy to advance its proposed LNG export plant in Louisiana, the company said on Friday.

Mountain Valley Pipeline Gets FERC Authorization to Resume Construction

U.S. energy company Equitrans Midstream Corp.'s long-delayed $6.6 billion Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline received authorization on Wednesday from the country's energy regulator to restart construction of the project.

MVP Pipeline Foes Say Congress Can't 'Mandate Victory' for the Project

A provision of the U.S. debt ceiling bill that streamlined the federal approval process for the $6.6 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline and limited court reviews of challenges to the project violates the U.S. Constitution’s separation of powers doctrine, opponents of the pipeline have claimed.

Oil Shippers on Canada's Trans Mountain Expansion Dispute Pipeline Tolls

Oil shippers on the Trans Mountain expansion project are challenging proposed pipeline tolls filed by Canadian government-owned Trans Mountain Corp. with regulators last month, citing concerns about significant cost increases.

TotalEnergies Faces Second Lawsuit Over Uganda Oil Projects

The French and Ugandan groups, led by Friends of the Earth France, accuse the energy company of failing to protect people and the environment from its Tilenga oil development and the $3.5 billion East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).

Nigeria Investigates Shell's Trans Niger Pipeline Spill

Nigerian authorities and Shell's local subsidiary were on Monday investigating the cause of a spill on the Trans Niger pipeline that lasted several days.

Energy Transfer to Continue Lake Charles LNG Project Despite DOE Rehearing Denial

Pipeline operator and LNG developer Energy Transfer on Friday said it will continue construction of its Lake Charles LNG project despite a rehearing denial by the U.S. Department of Energy.

US Mountain Valley Gas Pipeline Moving Forward, Capacity May Be Limited

The $6.6 billion Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline from West Virginia to Virginia is on track to get final permits by Saturday, moving the long-delayed project closer to re-starting construction.

DOE Refuses Pipeline Operator Energy Transfer's Rehearing Request for LNG Project

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will not rehear pipeline operator Energy Transfer's request for a second extension of its Lake Charles LNG export project. The decision could spell an end to the project, according to the company's own filings with the DOE.

New State Budget Allows Texas Railroad Commission to Better Serve Oil, Gas Industry

The budget includes new funding to enhance the RRC’s work serving public safety and environmental protection, including hiring up to 50 new pipeline safety inspectors to inspect thousands of more miles of pipelines in Texas.

Canadian Regulator Raises Pipeline Abandonment Cost Estimate to Over $14 Billion

The increase means most of the 93 companies whose Canadian pipelines are regulated by the CER will face higher abandonment costs, the regulator said.

Useful Considerations for CO2, Hydrogen Pipeline Operators

(P&GJ) — When a pipeline operator becomes a “common carrier” under Texas law, it is granted the power of eminent domain over private property for public use. Texas law provides two independent sources for common carrier status: Texas Natural Resources Code Section 111 and Texas Business Organizations Code Section 2.105. Common carrier status is critical to pipeline projects in Texas, especially when easements are difficult to obtain.

Adapting ROW Strategies to Sustainability, Public Perception

(P&GJ) — Pipeline infrastructure and operations raise two common concerns among landowners and other public entities: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and ecosystem disturbance.

Proactive Integrity Management for Pipeline River Crossings

(P&GJ) — The selection of appropriate pipeline routes is critical for reducing the impact of geotechnical and hydrotechnical hazards. Many hazards, including water crossings, can be avoided by careful route planning.

US Hopes to Buy 12 Million Barrels of Oil for Reserve This Year

The Biden administration hopes to buy back at least 12 million barrels of oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve this year, including six million already announced, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

DNV Grants Safety Certification to Project Greensand's CO2 Storage in the North Sea

(P&GJ) — The project is the first in the world to demonstrate that CO2 can be transported across national borders and stored offshore to mitigate climate change. The safety verification covers everything from the fabrication by the individual subcontractors to the actual offshore installation.

New Water Permit Brings 303-Mile Mountain Valley Gas Pipeline Closer to 2023 Completion

Analysts at Height Capital Markets, an investment banking and research firm, said language supporting Mountain Valley in the recently approved U.S. Fiscal Responsibility Act and issuance of the West Virginia permit "significantly raises the probability of a 2023 placed-in-service date" for the project.

US Buys 3 Million Barrels for Oil Stockpile, Announces Plan for 3 Million More

The U.S. Department of Energy said on Friday it awarded supply contracts to five companies to deliver 3 million barrels of crude oil to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in August at an average price of $73 per barrel.

LNG Developer Venture Global Spars with Customers Over Cargoes

Venture Global LNG, which is building three multibillion-dollar U.S. LNG processing plants, is sparring with two customers of its first project over mechanical failures that have prevented commercial deliveries a year after initial shipments began.