Integrity

Equinor's Hammerfest LNG Plant Shuts Until Friday After Gas Leak

Equinor's Hammerfest LNG plant in Arctic northern Norway was evacuated on Tuesday because of a gas leak during maintenance and will remain offline until Friday at least, the company said.

AI Boom to Fuel Natural Gas Demand in Coming Years, Report Says

A spike in power usage from artificial intelligence (AI) data centers could significantly boost natural gas demand in the second half of the decade, analysts at investment banker Tudor Pickering Holt & Co. said in a report on Tuesday.

Selection of Material for Hydrogen Services

(P&GJ) — The use of the existing natural gas transportation pipelines for hydrogen gas is an essential strategy to reduce the investment required for hydrogen distribution. However, the existing gas transmission pipelines are generally comprised of steels that are susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement.

TC Energy's NGTL Pipeline Resumes Normal Operations After Fire in Alberta

TC Energy's NGTL gas pipeline system in the western Canadian province of Alberta has resumed normal operations after a rupture last week prompted the company to reduce pressure on a segment of the line, TC said in a statement on Monday.

Balticconnector Gas Pipeline Resumes Operations Following Damage

A Baltic Sea gas pipeline that was torn apart last year in an incident still under police investigation has resumed commercial operation as planned after months of repair, operator Gasgrid Finland said on Monday.

FBI Warns of Chinese Hackers Targeting U.S. Infrastructure, Including 23 Pipeline Operators

Chinese government-linked hackers have burrowed into U.S. critical infrastructure and are waiting "for just the right moment to deal a devastating blow," FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Thursday.

TC Energy Expects No Service Disruptions After Alberta Pipeline Rupture

TC Energy said on Wednesday it does not anticipate any service interruptions from the rupture of its NGTL gas pipeline in Alberta, Canada, which caused a wildfire on Tuesday.

Balticconnector Gas Pipeline Set to Resume Commercial Operations on April 22

The Balticconnector subsea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, which was damaged in Oct. 2023, will resume commercial operations on April 22. The damage had previously affected energy security and raised concerns in the wider region.

Motiva Restarts Two CDUs at Port Arthur Refinery After Power Outage

Motiva Enterprises restarted two crude distillation units (CDUs) overnight at its 626,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas refinery, the nation's largest, after a power outage on Wednesday, people familiar with plant operations said on Thursday.

Mexican Pemex Crude Output Reduced After Platform Fire, Source Says

Mexican Pemex crude oil production is down some 20,000 barrels per day following a fire at an offshore platform on Saturday that left several injured and at least one dead, a source at the state energy company said.

U.S. Coast Guard Clears Louisiana Waters After Main Pass Oil Gathering Pipeline Integrity Test

The Unified Command completed a line integrity test on the Main Pass Oil Gathering (MPOG) company's pipeline system near Plaquemines Parish, southeast of New Orleans, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Monday.

Pipeline Integrity Specialist PipeSense Opens Advanced Testing Facilities

PipeSense, a leading provider of advanced continuous pipeline monitoring technology, has unveiled its latest investment with the opening of two cutting-edge testing facilities in Houston, Texas, and Clearbrook, Minnesota.

AMPP Unveils New Guide to Enhance Pipeline Safety Through Corrosion Control

AMPP unveils a comprehensive guide to enhance pipeline safety through corrosion control, aligning with the latest PHMSA regulations. Developed by industry experts, the guide offers practical strategies for U.S. gas transmission operators and valuable insights for international counterparts, all aimed at safeguarding pipeline integrity.

Trans Mountain's Expanded Pipeline System to Begin Operations on May 1

Trans Mountain's expanded oil pipeline system will start commercial operations on May 1, the Canadian company said on Wednesday.

Pipeline Movement, Landslides Navigated with Technology

Bearing the responsibility of ensuring the continuous flow of energy resources through vast networks of pipelines, the custodians of pipeline integrity face an ever-present challenge: geohazards.

Common Challenges with Field-Applied Liquid Epoxy Pipeline Coatings

Coatings are an incredibly important part of maintaining safe pipeline operations and asset integrity, including being a first line of defense against corrosion and corrosion-induced failures.

Editor’s Notebook: Nord Stream’s $20 Billion Question

It has been more than two years since the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines and still nobody knows for sure who were the perpetrators – or if they do, they are not saying so publicly.

Using Integrated Approach Toward Geohazard Threat Management

In a recent advisory bulletin (ADB-2022-01, Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Earth Movement and Other Geological Hazards), PHMSA highlighted the importance of proactive integrity management, to reduce the potential for damage to pipeline facilities caused by earth movement or other geological hazards, collectively referred to as “geohazards.”

SONATRACH and Huawei Launch Smart Fiber Sensing Solution for Oil, Gas Pipelines

This innovative solution integrates advanced fiber optic sensing technology to enhance pipeline security, intelligence, and operational efficiency.

Nord Stream Sues Insurers in London Over 2022 Pipeline Explosions

Nord Stream is seeking more than $436 million from its insurers over explosions in 2022 which ruptured pipelines designed to transport Russian gas to Germany, court filings show.

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.

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.

Iran's Main Gas Pipeline Hit by Sabotage, Oil Minister Says

Two explosions along Iran's main south-north gas pipeline network on Wednesday were caused by sabotage, the Iranian oil minister told state TV, without naming any suspects.

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.

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.

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.