Inspection
Leak Shuts Down CDU and Coker at TotalEnergies Texas Refinery, Sources Say
The coker and small crude distillation unit (CDU) were shut by a leak on the gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracker (FCC) at TotalEnergies' 238,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery, people familiar with plant operations said on Monday.
Keystone Oil Pipeline Resumes Operations After Temporary Shutdown
TC Energy's Keystone oil pipeline resumed service on Thursday after going offline and temporarily restricting a major conduit of Canadian oil to the United States, which sent oil prices higher.
Denmark Ends Probe Into 'Deliberate' Nord Stream Pipeline Blasts
Denmark has dropped its investigation into the explosions in 2022 on the Nord Stream pipelines carrying Russian gas to Germany, police said on Monday, becoming the second nation to do so after Sweden closed its own inquiry.
Scotland's Finnart Pipeline Repairs Projected to Continue Through April
Repair work on the Finnart pipeline that supplies Scotland's only refinery will take longer than expected to complete, five industry sources told Reuters, in the latest in a series of setbacks this year.
TotalEnergies Texas Refinery Operating at Minimal Rates Amid Upsets
TotalEnergies' 238,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, is operating at minimal production as it contends with multiple upsets, sources said on Wednesday.
Gasgrid Confirms On-Track Progress for Balticconnector Pipeline Repair, Targeting April Completion
Finland's Gasgrid on Thursday said preparations for the repair of the Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia were on schedule and estimated that commissioning could take place in April.
Pemex Platform in Mexico Leaked Clouds of Methane Even After UN Alert, Data Shows
State energy company Pemex released large volumes of methane from an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico last year, with leaks recurring even after a United Nations agency flagged problems there to the Mexican government, according to a Reuters analysis of previously unreported U.N. data.
Case Study: Identification, Sizing Accuracy for UTCD In-Line Inspection
One of the most pressing concerns for operators of liquid buried pipelines is the management of stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Detecting and sizing SCC in liquid pipelines is usually accomplished through ultrasonic crack detection (UTCD) in-line inspection tools.
Canada Regulator Clears Latest Trans Mountain Pipeline Delay of Environmental or Safety Concerns
The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) said on Wednesday that it has not noted any environmental or safety concerns with the latest construction challenges to plague the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
Remote Alarm Notification Helps Fuel Increased Gas Production
Accurate, real-time data is essential to succeeding in the oil and gas industry. Engineers need operational data from the field to calibrate equipment, schedule maintenance activities and coordinate with third-party logistics, to keep the flow of product moving.
Marathon Petroleum Beats Profit Estimates, Plans Maintenance Slowdown in Q1 2024
Marathon Petroleum beat quarterly profit estimates on Tuesday, supported by strong refined product margins and high refinery utilization rates, but expects to cut back plant activity sharply at the start of this year for maintenance.
Freeport LNG Faces Month-Long Unit Outage Due to Winter Storm
Freeport LNG expects one of the three gas liquefaction units at its Texas plant to be out of service for a month after it faced a technical issue during Winter Storm Heather, the company said on Friday.
Getting a Grip on Fugitive Emissions
Better tracking is needed to tackle fugitive emissions, but this is only one part of the puzzle. Fortunately, new packing sets are beginning to address a long-overlooked problem for heavy industry.
Shell Pipeline Leak Sparks Investigation by Nigeria's Oil Spills Agency
A pipeline owned by Shell's subsidiary in Nigeria has spilled crude oil in the Niger Delta following a leak, the country's spills agency and an environmental group said on Saturday.
Solving Sulfide Stress Cracking in Sour Service
Nearly every oil country tubular goods (OCTG) manufacturer and producer is looking for solutions to sour service. It’s a perpetual issue that’s been hampering the oil and gas industry for as long as pipes have been underground.
New Alternatives for Noise Reduction in Gas Pipelines
Natural gas pipeline pressure reduction applications pose significant design challenges for engineers. Since flow varies considerably through these stations, control valves are required to throttle over a wide range, with large pressure drops at times, which create the potential for high noise.
Optimizing Emergency Response Through Alarm Management
With the implementation of the PHMSA Control Room Management (CRM) Rule in 2012, pipeline operators and control room managers have become familiar with the fundamentals of alarm management.
Motiva Enterprises Initiates 45-Day Overhaul, Temporarily Shuts CDU, Coker at Largest U.S. Refinery
Motiva Enterprises is scheduled to shut the large crude distillation unit (CDU) and large coker at its 626,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery by Monday, people familiar with the company’s plans said on Friday.
U.S. Approves $189 Million Loan for Real-Time Methane Monitoring in Key Oil-Producing Basins
Houston-based Long Path Technologies will use the loan to deploy its Emissions Overwatch System across 24,000 square miles (62,160 square km) in several states. The technology uses lasers - placed on 50-foot (15-meter) towers - to monitor areas for methane leaks.
U.S. DOT Invests Nearly $15 Million to Improve Pipeline Safety
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is awarding $14.8 million in grants to fund projects and activities to improve pipeline safety.
Crucial Role of Testing Labs in Pipeline Emergency Response
(P&GJ) — Emergency situations, like explosions due to pipeline ruptures, often happen instantly and without warning. Pipeline managers know about the risks that come with the job, but the aftereffects of pipeline ruptures and leaks are often secondary to protecting human life.
Oxygen Corrosion Control for Multiphase, Gas Phase Pipelines
(P&GJ) — The oil and gas industry is committed to driving greater production and transportation from existing infrastructure, and ensuring effective asset integrity and flow assurance is essential to this objective.
Smart Tech Takes Aim at U.S. Methane Emissions
(P&GJ) — It’s hardly surprising that major gas leaks hit international headlines. Known as super-emitter events, these leaks cause plumes of methane to escape into our atmosphere — sometimes for days on end. However, these leaks are often spotted by satellites orbiting our planet before they are even known about on Earth.
Canada Regulator Denies Trans Mountain Variance Due to Pipeline Integrity, Environmental Concerns
The Canada Energy Regulator said on Wednesday it denied a variance request from the Trans Mountain expansion project because the application did not adequately address concerns about pipeline integrity and environmental protection impacts.
Mexico Shows Elevated Methane Emissions from Gas Pipeline, Scientists Report
Mexico emitted "extreme" amounts of methane from a natural gas pipeline running through its northern border state, Durango, in 2019, a research paper published on Tuesday showed, citing data collected from satellites.
Creating Efficiencies with Turn-Key Integrity Solutions
(P&GJ) — As countries around the globe work to reduce emissions, the transition from coal to natural gas is an important step that many pipeline operators are pursuing, as part of their strategy to meet emission targets and move to lower carbon energy sources.
BP's Olympic Pipeline Leaks Over 25,000 Gallons of Gas in Washington State
(P&GJ) — Emergency teams worked to address a gasoline spill in northwest Washington State on Dec. 12 after a pipeline segment failed over the weekend that released approximately 25,660 gallons (97,100 liters) of gasoline due to a small tube malfunction.
U.S. Coast Guard Finds Sheen Near Oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico
The U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday it found a light sheen west of an area in the Gulf of Mexico where it was leading the clean-up of a million-gallon (liters) oil spill for nearly three weeks but could not confirm if the sheen was from that spill.
Drones Used to Improve Safety of Pipelines
(P&GJ) — There’s no way around it — infrastructure inspection is as risky and dangerous as it is vital. For the past few years, companies have begun experimenting with unmanned aerial systems (known as UAS, or drones) to help improve worker safety, among other benefits.
DIMP-Related Replacement Work Continues in U.S.
(P&GJ) — While the amount of work to replace cast-iron and bare-steel pipe has declined in volume – following the implementation of the Gas Distribution Integrity Management Program (DIMP) in 2009 – there is still plenty of construction left to be done.

- Trump Puts Keystone XL Pipeline Back in Discussion, Though Revival Faces Developer Resistance
- Energy Transfer Wins New York Court Ruling in $150 Million Pipeline Fraud Case
- $3 Billion Natural Gas Pipeline Expansion to Add 1.3 Bcf Capacity in Southeast Region
- ONEOK, MPLX to Build $1.4 Billion LPG Export Terminal, Pipeline in Texas
- Kinder Morgan Approves $1.4 Billion Mississippi Crossing Project to Boost Southeast Gas Supply
- Enbridge Should Rethink Old, Troubled Line 5 Pipeline, IEEFA Says
- Kinder Morgan Approves $1.4 Billion Mississippi Crossing Project to Boost Southeast Gas Supply
- India’s GAIL Eyes U.S. LNG Deals Following Trump’s Policy Shift
- Saudi Arabia May Cut December Oil Prices for Asia, Sources Say
- NDT, Aramco to Launch 56-Inch Inspection Tool