August 2022, Vol. 249, No. 8
Editor's Notebook
(P&GJ) — Oddly enough, the very source of the boom that put some wind behind the sails of the energy industry over the past decade and a half – the Shale Revolution – has become, to a large extent, a snag for production growth.
Government
(P&GJ) — The Biden Administration is at it again with its latest regulatory effort to stymie pipeline development. Three months ago, the Army Corps of Engineers suggested new restrictions on general pipeline repair Nationwide Permit (NWP) 12, in which there is minimal dredge and fill near Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS).
(P&GJ) — The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) appears likely to approve the first application from a pipeline company to sell “responsibly sourced natural gas” (RSG) at a premium price.
Features
(P&GJ) — Mexican’s Corporación CH4 S.A. will carry out the construction of the Camino Real de Tequila Gas Distribution System to distribute high- pressure natural gas to the industrial zone in Tequila.
(P&GJ) — Six months into Russia’s war on Ukraine, a global oil and gas supply squeeze has been further tightened by sanctions on the world’s largest energy exporter, sending power and fuel prices soaring.
This spring, Lynn Helms, who has been North Dakota’s chief oil and natural gas regulator for nearly three decades, abandoned his usual bullish outlook toward the state’s more than 1 MMbpd of oil and 3 Bcf/d (85 MMcm/d) of gas production while speaking at a monthly webinar he holds for news media.
(P&GJ) — EnLink Midstream Chairman and CEO Barry E. Davis is stepping away from EnLink, the company he founded and led for more than 25 years. In this exclusive interview with Pipeline & Gas Journal, Davis discusses what it takes to get a pipeline built today, the importance of carbon capture efforts in the coming years, and he also picks a couple of his favorite pipeline projects from his career.
(P&GJ) — The world needs more natural gas, and the Permian Basin is gearing up to deliver it with a flurry of midstream projects that will expand gathering and processing infrastructure and add an expected 6 Bcf/d of pipeline takeaway capacity within the next two years.
(P&GJ) — The level of work to replace cast iron and bare steel pipe has decreased in volume since 2009, when it was introduced. However, the Gas Distribution Integrity Management Program (DIMP) still requires a significant amount of construction work.
(P&GJ) — CenterPoint operates a natural gas transmission pipeline (NE4018) in Indiana that feeds the town of Huntington and the surrounding area. After internal discussions, CenterPoint decided to perform a baseline inspection on the sections of the pipeline upstream and downstream of the connection point to determine if the introduction of RNG has a detrimental effect on the pipeline.
Various inline inspection (ILI) tools exist for different line operating conditions and defect morphologies. To address these varying conditions and morphologies, operators often need to run multiple ILI tools receiving results in separate or combined reports.
(P&GJ) — The 105 Bcf/year (3 Bcm/year) Interconnector Greece Bulgaria (IGB) pipeline is expected, after long delays, to become operational this autumn, allowing Bulgaria to access more LNG via Greece. The timing could not have been better; Gazprom recently cut off all supplies to Bulgaria following Sofia’s refusal to pay for Russian gas in rubles.
One element of PHMSA regulation that cooperators are sometimes falling short of during PHMSA inspections is the content and application of their required drug and alcohol testing plans. For businesses eager to avoid monetary fines and other difficulties that come with noncompliance, a practical consideration of the most common mistakes is worthwhile.
Success in the pipeline industry is predicated on a blend of safety, engineering excellence and innovation. These critical success factors rest in the hands of the workforce and depend on decisions made and actions taken.
In the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA’s) Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), liquid fuels production in Brazil, Canada and China is forecast to increase this year and next, contributing to growth in overall non-OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) petroleum production.
The European Union and United Kingdom’s level of liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports set a record high in April 2022, averaging 16.5 Bcf/d (467 MMcm/d) monthly and exceeding 19 Bcf/d (538 MMcm/d) on some days in April.
Projects
Finland Plans to Build Hydrogen Pipeline Network, CenterPoint Launches Green Hydrogen Project in Minnesota, Ukraine to Tap Gas Capacity to Offset Loss of Nord Stream 1 Flows, Algeria, Niger, Nigeria Take Steps to Build Trans-Saharan Pipeline and more.
Guest Commentary
(P&GJ) — Former Enbridge and Spectra Energy executive and long-time midstream advocate Susan Waller has taken on the role of executive director of the Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future.
Tech Notes
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- Energy Transfer Subsidiary Selects KTJV for Lake Charles LNG Export Project
- Phillips 66 to Shut LA Oil Refinery, Ending Major Gasoline Output Amid Supply Concerns
- FERC Sides with Williams in Texas-Louisiana Pipeline Dispute with Energy Transfer
- U.S. Appeals Court Blocks Kinder Morgan’s Tennessee Pipeline Permits
- ConocoPhillips Eyes Sale of $1 Billion Permian Assets Amid Marathon Acquisition
- U.S. LNG Export Growth Faces Uncertainty as Trump’s Tariff Proposal Looms, Analysts Say
- Malaysia’s Oil Exports to China Surge Amid Broader Import Decline
- Four Petroleum Liquids Pipelines Completed in U.S. Since 2023
- Lighter U.S. Permian Crude Risks Losing Favor with Refiners Due to Processing Challenges
- Marathon Oil to Lay Off Over 500 Texas Workers Ahead of ConocoPhillips Merger