Regulation

EU to Tighten Hydrogen Funding Rules Amid Cheap Chinese Imports

The European Commission is working on tighter rules to ensure EU funding for hydrogen projects benefits European companies, after local industries raised concerns over cheap Chinese imports, the EU's head of climate change policy said on Monday.

India's ONGC Seeks U.S. License to Operate Venezuela Oil Projects

India's ONGC Videsh Ltd. is seeking U.S. approval to operate two projects in sanction-hit Venezuela to boost output.

Russia Defies Sanctions, Moves Forward with Arctic LNG 2 Project: LSEG Data

Russia's largest LNG producer Novatek appears to be preparing a floating storage unit to receive gas as part of its Arctic LNG 2 project, in defiance of sanctions, LSEG ship-tracking data showed on Friday.

Trump Vows to Scrap Biden’s Clean Power Rules, Fast-Track New Energy Projects

Donald Trump would rescind many of President Joe Biden's clean energy rules while also speeding approvals of power plants to meet the nation's rising electricity demands, the Republican's presidential campaign said on Thursday.

Venture Global Seeks FERC Approval to Unload First LNG Cargo at Plaquemines Plant

Venture Global LNG has sought authorization from U.S. energy regulators to unload the first LNG commissioning cargo at the Plaquemines export plant in Louisiana by Aug. 30.

Golden Pass LNG Seeks Three-Year Extension for $10 Billion Project After Dropping Lead Contractor

The developer of a Texas LNG export project has asked U.S. regulators for a three-year extension to complete construction of the $10 billion Golden Pass LNG project, citing scheduling uncertainties.

Musk's xAI Accused of Running Unpermitted Gas Turbines at Tennessee Data Center

"Despite installing nearly 20 gas turbines with a combined capacity of about 100 MW - enough electricity to power around 50,000 homes - xAI apparently has not applied for any air permits for these turbines," the Southern Environmental Law Center said in a letter to the EPA.

Baltimore Takes Shale Producers to Court Over Alleged Price-Fixing Scheme

The city of Baltimore has hit major U.S. shale oil producers including Hess and Permian Resources with a lawsuit alleging they conspired to curb production, leading to higher prices for gasoline, diesel fuel and heating oil.

U.S. Sanctions Hit Key Entities in Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 Project

The Arctic LNG 2 project by Russia's Novatek is subject to Western sanctions over Russia's conflict with Ukraine. The project had been due to become Russia's largest LNG plant with eventual output of 19.8 million metric tons per year of LNG from three trains.

New Zealand to Reverse Oil and Gas Exploration Ban, Ease LNG Import Rules

New Zealand said on Monday it would pass laws by the end of this year to reverse a ban on offshore oil and gas exploration and take urgent steps to remove regulatory hurdles to import LNG amid energy shortages.

Venture Global LNG Prepares Plaquemines Plant for Test-Mode Startup

Venture Global LNG received a vessel loaded with imported LNG this week and an authorization from a federal regulator to use nitrogen at its Plaquemines facility in Louisiana, signs of preparations for a test-mode start up.

Congress Stalls on Pipeline Safety Bill as PHMSA Nears Key Rule Decisions

Pipeline & Gas Journal Exclusive: As Congress heads toward the end of this session, presumably in late September, two different bipartisan pipeline safety bills passed by two House committees appears to be going nowhere fast.

Editor’s Notebook: Alaska’s New LNG Pipeline Push Faces Long Odds

Pipeline & Gas Journal Exclusive: Alaska’s ambitious LNG pipeline project might seem like a game-changer, but significant hurdles remain. In this Editor’s Notebook, we dive into the latest developments, investor concerns, and what it all means for the future of U.S. energy exports. Can the Last Frontier overcome the odds?

Exxon Claims Hidden Value in Hess Guyana Assets Could Alter $53 Billion Chevron Deal

Getting the arbitration panel to consider the appraised value is central to Exxon's claim that the deal is an asset acquisition disguised as a merger.

NextDecade Withdraws FERC Application for Carbon Capture Project

NextDecade announced that its subsidiary, Rio Grande LNG LLC, has withdrawn its application with FERC for the proposed carbon capture and storage project at the Rio Grande LNG facility.

Pipeline Capacity Shields Canadian Oil Exports from Rail Strike Impact

A looming labor dispute at Canada's two main railroads is unlikely to significantly reduce oil exports to the United States due to excess capacity on Trans Mountain and other pipelines, people close to the matter said.

U.S. Appeals Court Strikes Down Controversial Biden Pipeline Safety Rules

A U.S. appeals court on Friday tossed out several natural gas pipeline safety standards adopted by President Joe Biden's administration following industry criticism about the massive costs on pipeline operators.

Texas RRC Levies Over $2 Million in Penalties for Oil, Gas Violations

The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) has imposed more than $2 million in fines on operators and businesses for violations within the state's oil and gas industry.

Tennessee Pipeline Gets Initial FERC Approval

FERC has given a preliminary green light to East Tennessee Natural Gas to build 122 miles of 30-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline, providing about 300,000 dekatherms per day of firm natural gas transportation to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Kingston Fossil Plant.

U.S. to Purchase Oil Through 2025 After Massive 2022 Drawdown

The U.S. is slowly replenishing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, planning to buy back millions of barrels of oil for delivery in the first several months of next year, after the largest ever sale from the stockpile in 2022.

Harris Walks Fine Line on Energy, Keeping Voters and Industry Guessing

Is she the climate and anti-pollution warrior who was attorney general of California? Or the pragmatic Number Two in the Democratic Biden administration that oversaw record U.S. oil production and exports.

NextDecade to Appeal Court Ruling Overturning Rio Grande LNG Project Approval

U.S. liquefied natural gas developer NextDecade said it will appeal a court ruling that overturned federal approval for its $18 billion Rio Grande LNG project and warned loss of its permits could prevent access to its loans.

Germany Issues Arrest Warrant for Ukrainian in Nord Stream Pipeline Attack, But Suspect Has Fled, Officials Say

Poland received a European arrest warrant issued by Berlin in connection with the 2022 attack on Nord Stream pipelines, but the suspect, a Ukrainian man named as Volodymyr Z, has already left Poland, Polish prosecutors told Reuters.

Nigerian Army Destroys 27 Illegal Refineries, Seizes 100,000 Liters of Stolen Oil

Nigerian army troops have destroyed at least 27 illicit refining sites and seized stolen crude oil following raids this week on illegal oil bunkering sites in the Niger River delta, an army spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Texas Oil Regulator Faces Scrutiny as "Zombie" Wells Reemerge

On a sprawling ranch in Pecos County in late July, oil well control specialist Hawk Dunlap used a backhoe to uncover an abandoned or so-called zombie well that had sprung back to life despite being plugged just over a year earlier, hissing gas and bubbling toxic water into the dry Texas dirt.

UK Court Rules Approval for BP-Backed Gas-Fired Power Station Was Lawful

Britain's approval of a new gas-fired power station backed by BP was lawful, London's High Court ruled on Wednesday, dismissing a legal challenge over the project.

Russian Court Freezes $1.2 Billion in Linde UK Assets Over Gas Processing Dispute

A Russian court has ordered that assets worth around $1.15 billion of a British subsidiary of German industrial gases company Linde be frozen in a dispute over a gas processing plant, court filings showed on Wednesday.

Exxon Reports 59 Layoffs to Texas Workforce Commission After Pioneer Acquisition

Exxon Mobil issued a layoff notice to 59 employees as part of its workforce reshuffle following its $60 billion acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources, according to a filing with the Texas Workforce Commission.

U.S. to Buy 6 Million Barrels of Oil for SPR, Building on 5 Million Bought Last Month

The U.S. is seeking to buy another 6 million barrels of oil from energy companies to help replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), the Department of Energy said on Monday.

Dangote Refinery Urges Nigeria to Enforce Crude Supply Law for Local Refiners

The Dangote Oil Refinery has called on Nigeria's upstream oil regulator to force producers to abide by a law that stipulates they supply local refineries, saying that lax enforcement was raising its operational costs.