Regulation
Rising Imports, Falling Exports Push US Trade Deficit to Six-Month High
The U.S. trade deficit widened by the most in eight years in April as imports of goods rebounded while exports of energy products declined, a trend that if sustained, could result in trade being a drag on economic growth in the second quarter.
Canada's Trans Mountain Seeks Toll Approval for Expanded Oil Pipeline
Canadian government-owned Trans Mountain Corp. has applied to regulators for tolls on its long-delayed 590,000 bpd pipeline expansion to Canada's west coast, noting shipping fees would increase if the project costs mount.
Explainer: Black Sea Grain Deal Could Hinge on Ammonia Pipeline
The pipeline used by Russia to pump up to 2.5 million tonnes of ammonia annually for global export to Ukraine's Pivdennyi port on the Black Sea from Togliatti on the Volga River in western Russia has been shut down since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
US Had Intelligence of Ukrainian Plan to Attack Nord Stream Pipeline - Washington Post
The United States had intelligence of a detailed Ukrainian plan to attack the Nord Stream pipeline three months before it was bombed, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing leaked information posted online.
Debt Ceiling Bill Passage Clears Mountain Valley Pipeline to Proceed with Construction, Operation
(P&GJ) — The legislation requires the Secretary of the Army to issue all permits or verifications necessary to complete project construction and allow for MVP's operation and maintenance. The legislation also divests courts of jurisdiction to review agency actions on approvals necessary for MVP construction and initial operation.
Commonwealth LNG Expects First US Export Permit in June
Commonwealth LNG expects the U.S. Department of Energy to approve a license as early as next month that would allow it to export LNG, according to Executive Chairman Paul Varello.
Canada Commits to Backing $2.2 Billion in New Trans Mountain Oil Pipeline Loans
The Canadian government is backing up to $2.24 billion in loans for Trans Mountain Corp., the crown corporation building an over-budget, long-delayed oil pipeline expansion to Canada's Pacific Coast.
Analysis: US Debt Deal's Energy Permitting Reforms Leave Thorniest Issues for Later
The bipartisan U.S. debt deal's provisions to speed up energy infrastructure permitting will make it easier to build fossil fuel and clean energy projects but failed to tackle the mammoth issue of building transmission and pipelines needed to get their production to consumers.
Equitrans Midstream Shares Make Record Gains on US Debt Ceiling Deal
Shares of Equitrans Midstream Corp. jumped on Tuesday after the U.S. debt ceiling deal contained specific proposals that would allow the U.S. energy company to obtain permits for the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
Mexico Energy Regulator Gives Natural Gas 'Clean' Label, Drawing Criticism
A move by Mexico's energy regulator to declare some natural gas-fired power as "clean" drew criticism from environmental groups that say the change will not help the country reach its clean energy targets.
FERC Approves TC Energy's US-Mexico North Baja Natural Gas Pipeline Expansion
Canadian pipeline operator TC Energy Corp.'s North Baja Pipeline LLC unit has received permission from U.S. energy regulators to put the North Baja natural gas pipeline expansion in Arizona and California into service.
Biden, McCarthy Debt Deal Could Speed Up Mountain Valley Gas Pipeline Project
Streamlined federal approval for the 303-mile (488-km) project was placed into the text of the budget deal between U.S. President Joe Biden and House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy that may end the debt limit crisis.
US Court Questions Another Permit for Equitrans’ Mountain Valley Natural Gas Pipeline
U.S. energy company Equitrans Midstream Corp.'s long-delayed $6.6 billion Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline from West Virginia to Virginia received another negative court ruling on Friday.
U.S. State Department Warns China Could Hack Infrastructure, Including Pipelines
The U.S. State Department warned that China could launch cyber attacks against critical infrastructure, including oil and gas pipelines after researchers discovered a Chinese hacking group had been spying on such networks.
US Offers Oil, Gas Drilling Rights in First Auction Since Biden's IRA
Biden's Interior Department had attempted to suspend federal oil and gas leasing to study its environmental and climate impacts, but the Inflation Reduction Act that passed last year requires some oil and gas auctions if federal rights of way are offered for renewable energy projects.
Pipeline Operator Energy Transfer Slams US Denial of LNG Extension, Seeks Rehearing
Pipeline operator Energy Transfer slammed the U.S. Department of Energy's denial of an export-permit extension to its Louisiana LNG export project in a DOE filing, seeking a rehearing.
Biden Administration Supports Mountain Valley Pipeline for Second Time in Week
The Biden administration has supported for the second time in a week the Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline, a project a key Democratic senator has pushed in legislation to speed permitting of fossil fuel and power transmission projects.
US to Buy 3 Million Barrels to Refill Emergency Oil Reserve
The U.S. Department of Energy said on Monday it will purchase 3 million barrels of crude oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for delivery in August and asked that offers be submitted by May 31.
Alaska LNG Project Clears Legal Challenge, Advances 800-Mile Gas Pipeline
A U.S. appeals court has rejected a lawsuit filed by environmental groups that challenged the federal approvals required for a $39 billion project aimed at transporting natural gas across Alaska, starting from the North Slope. According to a spokesperson, construction on the 800-mile pipeline and related infrastructure has not yet commenced.
Biden Administration Clears Mountain Valley Pipeline for Progress Through Jefferson National Forest
(P&GJ) — The Department of Agriculture's Forest Service issued a record of decision Monday afternoon, allowing the Mountain Valley Pipeline project to cut through a 3.5-mile stretch of the Jefferson National Forest along the West Virginia-Virginia border. The determination clears the way for the project — which is 94% complete but has been mired in a lengthy permitting process for years — to finish construction.
Factbox: Carbon Capture, Hydrogen Are the Main Tools in Biden’s Power Plan
The Biden administration on Thursday unveiled its plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions from the U.S. power sector, part of its broader effort to decarbonize the economy to fight climate change.
Congress Gets Unusually Active on Pipeline Issues
(P&GJ) — This could be one of the most significant congressional years for the pipeline industry in decades. Besides the start of work on the next pipeline safety bill, the House passed a big energy bill (H.R. 1) by a vote of 225-204 with four Democrats joining Republicans in the affirmative.
Analysts: US Permit Crackdown Poses New Hurdles for Proposed LNG Projects
The U.S. Department of Energy's refusal to grant export permit extensions to LNG developers that fail to meet a construction deadline poses a new hurdle for greenfield plants, analysts said on Thursday.
AGA Chair Sees Future Shaped by Education, Innovation
(P&GJ) — Suzanne Sitherwood sat down with Pipeline & Gas Journal in March – the same week she announced her upcoming retirement from Spire – to discuss her career, her outlook for the natural gas industry and her objectives as the 2023 chair of the American Gas Association (AGA).
US Could Start Buying Oil for Reserve After June Sale, Energy Secretary Says
"That congressionally mandated sale of 26 million barrels will be completed by June, and it's at that point where we will flip the switch and then seek to purchase," Granholm told lawmakers in a hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Democratic US Senator Manchin Says He Will Oppose All EPA Nominees
Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Manchin said on Wednesday he would oppose all nominees for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) posts until President Joe Biden's administration halts what he described as its "radical climate agenda."
Academics Come Together to Pool Hydrogen Hub Ideas
(P&GJ) — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstration encouraged a Texas consortium spearheading the development of a regional clean hydrogen hub on the U.S. Gulf Coast to submit a full application in response to a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) designated in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Republicans Ask Watchdog to Assess US Oil Reserve Management
Two Republicans on Monday asked a congressional watchdog to assess the Biden administration's management of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and audit its modernization program, saying sales from the SPR have undermined U.S. energy security.
INGAA Responds to Biden Administration Outline of Permitting Reform Priorities
(P&GJ) — "While President Biden and Secretary Granholm have both, at times, acknowledged the prolonged need for natural gas as part of the energy mix to support reliability and affordability while contributing to emissions reductions, we were disappointed to see almost no mention of natural gas or its related infrastructure in the Administration’s new Permitting Reform Priorities Fact Sheet," said Amy Andryszak, president and CEO of INGAA.
Biden's EPA Proposes Crackdown on Power Plant Carbon Emissions
The Biden administration on Thursday unveiled a sweeping plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions from the U.S. power industry, one of the biggest steps so far in its effort to decarbonize the economy to fight climate change.
- Supreme Court Approves Completion of 303-Mile Mountain Valley Gas Pipeline
- Poland Detects Leak in Russia's Druzhba Oil Pipeline
- Energy Transfer to Buy Crestwood in $7.1 Billion Pipeline Deal
- DT Midstream Successfully Completes Phase 1 LEAP Expansion Ahead of Schedule
- Magellan Midstream Approves $18.8 Billion Sale to ONEOK, Creating Major U.S. Pipeline Player
- Supreme Court Approves Completion of 303-Mile Mountain Valley Gas Pipeline
- Canada Looking to Sell Trans Mountain Pipeline Stake to Indigenous Groups
- Energy Transfer to Buy Crestwood in $7.1 Billion Pipeline Deal
- Criteria to Consider in Selecting Water Transfer Flow Meters
- US Energy Firm Payouts to Oil Investors Top Exploration Spending for First Time
