Regulation

Santos to Fight Lawsuit by Indigenous Group to Halt Barossa Pipeline Work

Australia's Santos said on Tuesday it would defend against the legal proceedings brought by the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) to halt the commencement of pipeline work at its Barossa gas project off northern Australia.

Clean Energy, TotalEnergies First Renewable Natural Gas Facility Begins to Sell Environmental Credits

(P&GJ) — Clean Energy Fuels Corp. and TotalEnergies SE have announced that renewable natural gas (RNG) from Del Rio Dairy in Friona, TX, began flowing in June to the transportation market and recently began generating D3 renewable identification numbers credits under the U.S. EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard.

WBI Energy's North Dakota Natural Gas Pipeline Expansion Gets FERC Approval

(P&GJ) — For the project, WBI Energy will construct approximately 60 miles of 12-inch natural gas pipeline and ancillary facilities to Wahpeton from an existing compressor station at Mapleton, North Dakota.

U.S. Picks 31 Regional Hubs to Spur Tech Innovation

The Biden administration on Monday named 31 U.S. regional technology hubs from 370 applicants, making the areas eligible for $500 million in federal funding to help spur innovation across various sectors.

Indigenous Group Files Emergency Application to Halt Santos Gas Pipeline Offshore Australia

Australia said on Tuesday it was reviewing an emergency application by an indigenous group seeking to block pipeline construction on Santos Ltd.'s $3.6-billion Barossa gas project off northern Australia.

Poll: 68% of Canadians Oppose Government's $20 Billion Writedown on Trans Mountain Pipeline

More than two-thirds of Canadians oppose the federal government taking a multibillion-dollar writedown on the Trans Mountain pipeline, a survey showed on Tuesday, a dilemma for Justin Trudeau's Liberals as they look to sell it ahead of an election expected by 2025.

U.S. Hydrogen Tax Credits Trigger Disputes Among Senate Democrats

Ten Senate Democrats will ask President Joe Biden's administration not to include strict rules guiding use of clean hydrogen tax credits that the Treasury Department is due to release by the end of the year, according to a draft of a letter seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

Embracing Sustainability Across Pipelines Requires Digital Transformation

(P&GJ) — The environment in which pipelines must operate is changing rapidly and dramatically, as constant shifts in the global marketplace have underscored a need for increasing flexibility.

Significance of API 1164 in Safeguarding Pipelines

(P&GJ) — Digital connectivity comes at a steep cost: security. Hardly a news cycle goes by without word of a cyberattack compromising sensitive data. Yet, the proverbial genie is already out of the bottle.

Mountain Valley Pipeline Completion Pushed to First-Quarter 2024, Costs Rise to $7.2 Billion

(P&GJ) — Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC has redefined its timeline for completing the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project, now aiming for a startup in the first quarter of 2024, the company announced in a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Oct. 18.

CER Commission Recommends Approval of NorthRiver Midstream Connection Project

(P&GJ) — The Commission of the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) recommended approval of NorthRiver Midstream's NEBC Connector Project on Oct. 18. The project involves constructing and operating two parallel, 215-km (134-mile) natural gas liquids pipelines from B.C. to Alberta.

A Tale of Setbacks as Venezuela's Citgo Heads to U.S. Auction

For the past four years, the United States protected oil refiner Citgo Petroleum from creditors seeking to seize Venezuela's foreign crown jewel for billions of dollars in claims. But on Monday, a U.S. judge will kick off an auction expected to place the Houston-based company in the hands of rivals or investors.

Maintaining a Focus on Physical Security in a Cyber-focused World

(P&GJ) — In today’s technology-driven world, where cyber-threats dominate headlines and organizations invest significant resources in safeguarding their OT and IT infrastructure from digital threat vectors, the importance of facility physical security can sometimes be overlooked. However, it remains an essential component of enterprise risk mitigation.

Canadian Regulator Approved Trans Mountain Pipeline Route Change Over Delay Concerns

The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) said on Friday that it approved a route change application for the expansion of the Trans Mountain oil pipeline because continuing to use micro-tunneling construction techniques could delay completion by at least 10 months.

Oil on Track for Second Week of Gains on Gaza Contagion Fears

Oil prices extended gains on Friday and were on track for a second week of increases on heightened fears that the Israel-Gaza conflict may spread in the Middle East and disrupt supplies from one of the world's top-producing regions.

U.S. Senators Ready Bill to Fund Office Helping Iran Oil Seizures

U.S. senators from both parties are readying legislation to help the federal government enforce oil sanctions on Iran, the office of Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican, told Reuters on Thursday.

U.S. Broadly Eases Venezuela Oil Sanctions After Election Deal

The Biden administration on Wednesday broadly eased sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector in response to a deal reached between the government and opposition parties for the 2024 election - the most extensive rollback of Trump-era restrictions on Caracas.

Canada Court Ruling on Key Environmental Law Risks Deterring Investments

The ruling comes as Canada seeks billions of dollars of fresh investments to unearth minerals that play key role in the transition to a greener economy. More than $20 billion in foreign capital has fled the oil patch since 2017, partly because of delays in building new pipelines.

Venezuela May Redirect Oil Exports Away from China as U.S. Eases Sanctions

Exemptions to sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports that the U.S. is mulling should not result in a large crude production surge in the OPEC country, instead taking barrels away from its current main destination China, experts said.

Repsol CEO Vows Legal Action to Secure LNG Cargoes in Dispute with Venture Global

Spanish energy giant Repsol SA will take action against US gas exporter Venture Global LNG to obtain LNG cargoes under a long-term contract, the company's chief executive said on Wednesday.

Shell Urges DOE to Approve Energy Transfer’s LNG Export License Application

Shell PLC has submitted a letter to the U.S. Energy Department in support of Energy Transfer's request for a new license to export LNG to countries without free trade agreements with the U.S., saying the pipeline operator is a reliable gas supplier.

Williams Selected by DOE to Participate in Two Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs

(P&GJ) — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has chosen Williams to join two hydrogen hubs, one in the Pacific Northwest and another in Appalachia.

Suncor CEO Highlights the Challenge of Uncertainty in Canadian Energy Policy for Investors

Unpredictability in Canadian energy policy is scaring away capital investment in the sector, the CEO of one of Canada's largest oil producers, Suncor Energy, told a parliamentary committee on Monday.

Williams' Gas Pipeline in Idaho Ruptures, Company Challenges Explosion Allegations

The rupture occurred when an excavator operator accidentally damaged a 22-inch gas pipeline near Middleton. However, Williams contested the local authorities' account of the incident, asserting no ignition, fire, or explosion was connected to the occurrence.

Canadian Regulator Set to Decide on Trans Mountain Expansion Tolls

The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) said on Thursday it will make a preliminary decision on Trans Mountain Corp.'s proposed shipping tolls for its oil pipeline expansion project this autumn before holding a hearing on the tolls next year.

FERC Grants Venture Global Approval for Steam Generator Modifications at Louisiana LNG Plant

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Thursday granted Venture Global LNG permission to proceed with the heat recovery steam generator modifications at the Calcasieu Pass LNG export plant in Louisiana.

Seismologists Detected Blast-Like Waves Near Broken Baltic Sea Pipeline

Nordic and Baltic seismologists said that they had detected blast-like waves on Sunday when a Baltic Sea gas pipeline ruptured but that the data was not strong enough to determine whether explosives were involved.

Chevron Australia, Unions Make Progress in LNG Talks, Deal Remains Elusive

Negotiations over a stalled pay and conditions deal between Chevron and unions at its LNG facilities in Australia made progress on Friday but fell short of sealing an agreement to end months of labor disputes at the major export sites.

Finland to Restrict Access to LNG Port After Gas Pipeline Damage

Finland on Friday was tightening access to key parts of the country's Inkoo port, where a vessel to import LNG was installed last year, as part of efforts in the wider region to intensify security at energy installations.

U.S. Supports Finland, Estonia as It Probes Baltic Gas Pipeline Burst

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday the United States would support Finland and Estonia as they probe damage to a gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable under the Baltic Sea.