Regulation
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.
White House Backs Manchin on Expediting Energy Project Permits, Calls on Congress to Pass Bill
The White House on Wednesday called on Congress to pass permitting legislation that would help speed up clean energy and fossil fuel projects, betting that the bipartisan measure may help end a standoff on the debt ceiling. The bill also calls for the completion of the $6.6 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline.
DOE Selects Crescent Midstream-Supported Project to Advance Commercial-Scale CO2 Storage
(P&GJ) — The company plans to repurpose an existing 110-mile pipeline corridor it owns and operates, positioning Crescent to become one of the first full-service midstream solutions for CCS while also reducing the initiative’s carbon footprint.
Spain's Endesa Faces $411 Million Claim in LNG Contract Dispute
Spanish power utility Endesa faces a claim of $411 million as part of an arbitration process launched by a liquefied natural gas producer in March, it said on Tuesday.
PetroVietnam Gas Gets Country's First LNG Import-Export Approval
PetroVietnam Gas said on Monday it had received a certificate from local authorities to become the country's first company eligible to import and export LNG.
Australia Government to Change Petroleum Tax, LNG Projects to Pay More
Australia will change its Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT) to increase the tax paid by the offshore LNG industry, moves that should increase revenue by $1.6 billion over the next four fiscal years, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Saturday.
US Pipeline Regulator Sets New Rules for Reducing Methane Leaks
The Transportation Department's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued a proposed notice of rulemaking, laying out measures to clamp down on methane leaks from the country's vast network gas infrastructure.
Pipeline Operator Enbridge’s Board Rejects Resolution to Fully Report Indirect Emissions
Shareholders of North American pipeline operator Enbridge Inc. rejected on Wednesday a small investor's resolution to ask the company to annually report all the indirect greenhouse gas emissions of the oil and gas it handles.
New York State Bans Natural Gas in Some New Construction
New York has become the first U.S. state to pass legislation banning the use of natural gas for heating and cooking in some new buildings, a plan designed to reduce carbon emissions but opposed by industry groups as excessive and costly.
Biden to Support Manchin's Permitting Bill, Adviser Podesta Says
The White House will support Senator Joe Manchin's bill introduced on Tuesday to speed energy project permits, because it would help clean power companies use vast incentives in President Joe Biden's climate law, adviser John Podesta said.
INGAA Urges Action on Permitting Reform Citing Natural Gas Council Letter
(P&GJ) — Amy Andryszak, president & CEO of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) issued the following statement about the Natural Gas Council’s letter to Senate leadership on permitting reform.
Equitrans May Still Complete 303-Mile Mountain Valley Gas Pipeline by End-2023
U.S. energy company Equitrans Midstream Corp. said on Tuesday it expects federal agencies to issue the required authorizations for its $6.6 billion Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline from West Virginia to Virginia by the early summer.
Senator Manchin Introduces New Energy Permitting Bill, Urges Completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin introduced on Tuesday his latest measure to speed permitting of both fossil fuel and renewable energy projects, as he tries to win support from both major parties after similar bills failed several times last year. The bill also calls for the completion of Equitrans Midstream Corp.'s Mountain Valley Pipeline.
API, LEPA Report Shows Strengthened Pipeline Safety Performance
(P&GJ) — This year’s report found that the safety of liquids pipelines increased across several key indicators, even as pipeline mileage and barrels delivered have increased.
US Confiscates Iran Oil Cargo on Tanker Amid Tehran Tensions
The U.S. confiscated Iranian oil on a tanker at sea in recent days in a sanction’s enforcement operation, three sources said, and days later Iran seized another oil-laden tanker in retaliation, according to a maritime security firm.
Louisiana's Carbon Well Permitting Application Heads to Federal Register
Louisiana's application to obtain enforcement authority over carbon capture wells has gone to the Federal Register for public comment, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday, a key step in receiving "so-called" primacy and speeding up the permitting process.
Record Oil-Reserve Sales May Have Benefited US Storage Caverns
Last year's record drawdown of the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve oil stocks may boost the longevity of the underground storage caverns, according to the national laboratory that monitors the four sites.
PHMSA Update: Leak Detection Rules Point to Value of Regulation Compliance Service
(P&GJ) — To be able to operate within their regions, the onus is on pipeline operators to abide by leak detection and incident response rules. Federal regulators like the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) regularly implement new standards as part of their renewed focus on leak detection for natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines to ensure the people, public and environment are kept safe.
Control Rooms: Achieving SCADA Operational Readiness, Compliance
(P&GJ) — Implementing a comprehensive control room management (CRM) plan in today’s energy market can be a challenging task in that integrating it with modern supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems adds layers of complexity to the project’s implementation and compliance requirements.
Editor’s Notebook: California’s Pipeline, CCUS Quandary
(P&GJ) — California, in laying out a bold clean air initiative, has placed a great deal of emphasis on carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) in an effort to start removing the same amount of carbon from the air as what the state emits by 2045.
- Poland Detects Leak in Russia's Druzhba Oil Pipeline
- Magellan Midstream Approves $18.8 Billion Sale to ONEOK, Creating Major U.S. Pipeline Player
- Energy Transfer to Buy Crestwood in $7.1 Billion Pipeline Deal
- DT Midstream Successfully Completes Phase 1 LEAP Expansion Ahead of Schedule
- South Dakota Denies Permit for Summit Carbon Solutions' 495-Mile CO2 Pipeline Segment
- 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
- DT Midstream Successfully Completes Phase 1 LEAP Expansion Ahead of Schedule
