Pipeline & Gas Journal articles from July 2006

Pipeline & Gas Journal archives from July 2006

LNG plant named in honor of Boone Pickens.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Clean Energy recently dedicated the Pickens Plant in Willis, TX and renamed it in honor of Boone Pickens, one of the company's founders and perhaps America's most outspoken advocate of natural gas as a transportation fuel. Although Pickens...

Summer natural gas markets can expect breather, but customers not out of woods, NGSA says.(Natural Gas Supply Association)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... After four summers of dramatically increasing costs, wholesale natural gas customers can expect a measure of relief this cooling season due to a relatively more stable market than a year ago, but multiple threats from the upcoming hurricane...

Record storage inventories pose downside gas price risk: CERA.(Cambridge Energy Research Associates)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The operational limits of some portions of North America's natural gas storage system may be reached by fall, producing "real potential for an abrupt decrease in gas prices" as some storage fields become unable to handle additional injections,...

Enbridge seeks shipper support for $920 million Southern Lights Diluent Pipeline.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Enbridge Inc. is holding an open season through June 30 to satisfy regulatory requirements and confirm shipper support for a 180,000-bpd pipeline to transport diluent from the U.S. Midwest to Western Canada. The Southern Lights Pipeline will...

Volatility of prices, declining reserves are growing concerns.(NEWSREEL)
July 1, 2006... Oil and gas executives are increasingly concerned over the volatility of oil and gas commodity prices and declining reserves and say their firms will significantly boost upstream capital spending in the year ahead, according to the results of a...

ONEOK Partners, L.P. new name for Northern Border Partners.(NEWSREEL)
July 1, 2006... Northern Border Partners, L.P. has changed its name to ONEOK Partners, L.P. and begun trading under the new symbol "OKS" on the New York Stock Exchange. ONEOK, Inc. owns the general partner of ONEOK Partners and 45.7% of the partnership. In...

Increasing market demand calls for expansion of transport network.(NEWSREEL)
July 1, 2006... The national transmission system operator Gas Transport Services B.V. (GTS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Gasunie, plans to expand the gas transport network in the Netherlands by 500 km of pipelines and four compressor stations. This is...

GE, Credit Suisse team up in $1 billion project.(General Electric)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... General Electric Co. and Credit Suisse Group have announced plans to spend $1 billion on infrastructure projects worldwide including gas storage and pipelines. The deal will be GE's first joint venture with Credit Suisse, the banking arm of...

Aquila completes sale of Missouri natural gas properties.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Aquila, Inc. has completed the sale of its Missouri natural gas utility division to The Empire District Gas Company for a base purchase price of $85 million. Total proceeds received were approximately $102 million. The transaction involves one...

Australian LNG arrives in Guangdong.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... China's first shipment of Australian LNG recently arrived at the Guangdong LNG terminal in the country's south. The 60,000-ton cargo came from the North West Shelf LNG facility at Karratha. The $US846 million terminal will import more than 3.7...

Cooperation between Russia, Algeria raises concerns.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Increased energy cooperation between Russia and Algeria, the two largest suppliers of natural gas to Europe, is causing some Europeans to fear that the two could form a gas cartel to control prices. Algeria granted Russian companies...

Editor's notebook.(Editorial)
July 1, 2006... When they write the history of Houston and the energy industry, Enron will ultimately be a footnote, albeit a significant reminder of the industry's greatest scandal. While Jeff Skilling and Ken Lay mark off the days on their cell walls, the...

FERC proposes coordinated pipeline approval regimen.(Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
July 1, 2006... FERC issued a proposal in May which lays out how the commission plans to implement the provision in the 2005 Energy Act giving FERC authority to coordinate--and, more importantly, expedite--federal approvals of new interstate pipeline and LNG...

EPA to regulate IC engines under 500 Hp.(Environmental Protection Agency)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Smaller internal combustion engines operating at pipeline compressor stations will have to be controlled for their emissions of carbon monoxide, non-methane hydrocarbons and air toxics once the EPA finalizes a rule the agency proposed in May....

Five LNG projects win FERC approval.(GOVERNMENT)
July 1, 2006... U.S. federal regulators recently approved applications for development and construction of five new or expanded LNG facilities on the Gulf Coast and Atlantic seaboard to receive LNG imports. The permits receiving the nod of the Federal...

KM Canada holds open season on TMX-2 West Coast pipeline expansion.(Kinder Morgan)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Kinder Morgan Canada started a binding open season in May for the second major stage of its West Coast expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline. Known as TMX-2, the project will add 100,000 bpd of incremental capacity to the Trans Mountain...

Salt cavern gas storage facility readied for 2009 startup.(pipeline construction contracts)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... E3 Consulting LLC has finalized financing for a 24 Bcf salt cavern gas storage facility in Evangeline Parish in central Louisiana. When filled and fully operational in 2009, the inland facility (consisting of three storage caverns each...

Socothern wins coating contract, opens Mediterranean coating plant.(Socotherm contracts with ExxonMobil)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Socotherm has won a $16 million contract from ExxonMobil to provide a three-layer external polyolefin (PLASTYKOTE[R]) coating, an internal flow coating with epoxy paint, (INNERKOTE[R]), and thermal insulation, (WETISOKOTE[R]), on approximately...

Sempra LNG gets strong response from open season.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Sempra Energy unit Sempra LNG gained strong response from its recent non-binding open season to expand its Energia Costa Azul LNG receipt terminal in Baja California, Mexico, totaling 2.9 Bcfd--nearly double the proposed scope of the expansion...

Enterprise begins NGL expansion.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Enterprise Products Partners L.P. is scheduled to begin the Phase 2 expansion of its NGL import terminal from a maximum peak operating rate of 240,000 bpd to 480,000 bpd and its export terminal from a maximum rate of 140,000 bpd to 160,000 bpd....

Duke Energy holds open season for storage at three locations.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Duke Energy Gas Transmission (DEGT) announced that its Market Hub Partners (MHP) unit held an open season for customers seeking salt cavern storage services. The non-binding open season includes MHP's existing Egan storage facilities in Acadia...

Freebird Gas Storage expansion to be complete by year-end.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Multifuels, LP, developer of the Freebird Gas Storage project in Lamar County, AL has finalized financing for the project's 6.5-Bcf expansion that is scheduled to begin service before year-end. Owners say the Freebird Gas Storage is a...

Enbridge plans North Dakota crude oil expansion.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P. has approved a $70 million capital expenditure for a 30,000-bpd expansion of its North Dakota crude oil system. The expansion would be staged to provide incremental capacity by October 2006, with full capacity...

Canaport achieves milestones to move LNG project ahead.
July 1, 2006... Canaport[TM] LNG, the partnership between Repsol YPF and Irving Oil, has awarded the onshore and offshore EPC contracts to construct the first new LNG receiving terminal on the East Coast of North America in decades. At the same time,...

KMP and Sempra announce expansion to Rockies Express line.(Kinder Morgan Energy Partners)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Kinder Morgan Energy Partners and Sempra Pipelines & Storage have started a binding open season to solicit support to extend the Rockies Express Pipeline (REX) east from its currently proposed terminus at the Clarington Hub in Monroe County, OH...

Parallel Indonesian pipelines planned.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The East Kalimantan-East Java pipeline will be developed alongside the East Java-West Java pipeline project. Phase one includes construction of a pipeline between Central Kalimantan to South Kalimantan. This includes a 42-inch, 100-km pipeline...

Pipeline Engineering opens new corporate headquarters.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... William Hague, Member of Parliament for Richmond and UK Government Shadow Foreign Secretary officially opened Pipeline Engineering's new corporate headquarters and 40,000-square-foot manufacturing plant on May 19 at Gatherley Road Industrial...

Punj Lloyd wins Dahej-Uran pipeline contract.(INTERNATIONAL)
July 1, 2006... Punj Lloyd has won a major contract for construction of the first stage of the Dahej-Uran pipeline project. The contract, awarded by Gas Authority of India Limited (GALL), is valued at Rs 138.29 crore ($US30 million). Punj Lloyd's scope of work...

EU complains Gazprom's grip too strong.(European Union )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The European Union suggested that Russia break Gazprom's grip on that nation's gas pipelines, soon after Gazprom refused to open its network to competitors. Andris Piebalgs, EU energy commissioner, shrugged off the dispute. He said Russia...

Inpex starts gas delivery through subsea pipeline.(gas pipeline construction contracts)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Inpex began delivery to Indonesia's PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) from offshore Sumatra through a subsea pipeline. The Offshore Southeast Sumatra Production Sharing Contract (PSC) will supply gas until 2018. The sales will rise from 50...

India's Cabinet pushes forward on TAP.(Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... India's Cabinet has given in-principle approval to the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) pipeline by authorizing the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to submit a request to join the project to the governments of Afghanistan, Pakistan...

Russia may limit foreign stakes in Sakhalin projects.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Russia may slash foreign oil majors' stakes in the Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 energy consortiums and give Russian companies majority control. The news comes as Russia moves to restrict foreign access to its energy sector. The Russian Academy of...

Kazakhstan-China pipeline makes first oil delivery.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... First deliveries are under way from a section of the Kazakhstan-China oil pipeline, marking China's first source of piped oil from beyond its borders. The first phase of the pipeline, which spans 962 km from Atasu in Kazakhstan to Xinjiang in...

New meter for real-time energy measurement.(usage of natural gas)
July 1, 2006... A new way to determine the energy content of natural gas uses a correlative method developed by the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Inputs required to determine gas energy content are speed of sound from an ultrasonic meter along...

Smart metering, AMI, and natural gas.(Advanced Metering Infrastructure )
July 1, 2006... Current interest in Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) rarely extends to possible relationships between AMI and natural gas. But--as electricity AMI discussions progress--gas distributors are spotting some interesting opportunities. ...

In-line viscosity monitoring cuts operating costs.(petroleum costs)
July 1, 2006... Lowering the viscosity of crude oil and refined products by introducing high molecular weight polymer drag reducers into the pipeline stream can significantly increase throughput by as much as 90% of the pipeline's mechanical capacity....

Preserving the natural gas option.
July 1, 2006... Natural gass' availability, low emissions, and until recently, its low cost have made it a preferred fuel for electric power generation. While natural gas-based power plants now account for 19% of the fuel used by all generation nationwide, 88%...

Rotterman to house world's largest calibration center.(production management)
July 1, 2006... A newly proposed HyCal facility in Rotterdam has drawn the interest of oil product measurement technicians from around the world. The project was initiated by Krohne Altometer, which is working on an innovative calibration system for flowmeters...

What they don't want to tell us.(prduction management)
July 1, 2006... The 2006 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) was held May 1-4 in Houston (annually for the 36th time) with record attendance, particularly from countries outside the U.S. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the oil industry is moving...

HDPE pipe aids methane recovery project.(Useful Energy Source)
July 1, 2006... Drive down any Idaho highway and you're sure to be amazed. With a landscape that ranges from subalpine to desert, lakes and waterfalls to canyons and fertile farms, Idaho is a study in geographic diversity. It is evident to the observer that...

PLCA of Canada returns to Edmonton for 52nd annual meeting.(Pipe Line Contractors Association)
July 1, 2006... Edmonton was the site of the Pipe Line Contractors Association of Canada's (PLCAC) organizational meeting in 1954, and their return this year with Alberta's booming oil and gas economy was timed perfectly. After years of mainline work decline,...

Emerson Process Management.(What's New In Measurement And Instrumentation And Signs And Markers)
July 1, 2006... Emerson Process Management has announced the Rosemount 753R with iTraX[R] web-based monitoring system for inventory management. First in the industry to integrate smart sensors, communications and self-contained power into a single packaged...

Deepwater Corrosion Services, Inc.(What's New In Measurement And Instrumentation And Signs And Markers)
July 1, 2006... Deepwater Corrosion Services offers a flyer describing its cathodic protection life extension RETROCLAMP[TM] system which can be installed by ROV or diver to quickly make an electromechanical tieback connection to a subsea protection system....

Pipeline Inspection Company, Ltd.(What's New In Measurement And Instrumentation And Signs And Markers)
July 1, 2006... Now you can monitor pipeline travelers from the convenience of your vehicle. The SPY[R] PHONE pipeline acoustic pig tracker is described as highly accurate. Not a geophone, this acoustic listening device covers frequencies from 1 Hz to 20 Khz,...

Gas Products, Inc.(What's New In Measurement And Instrumentation And Signs And Markers)
July 1, 2006... Gas Products, Inc. has announced an updated Security Cap with Universal Fit. The Security Cap for natural gas stopcocks Model A fits most 1-inch to 1 1/4-inch with the new "universal slot sizes" and Model B fits most 1 1/2-inch to 2-inch...

NuFlo Measurement Systems.(What's New In Measurement And Instrumentation And Signs And Markers)
July 1, 2006... The differential pressure-based NuFlo[TM] Cone Meter is described as a process control and multi-fluid meter that provides accurate, repeatable and cost-optimized measurement solutions. The device is designed to work in unprocessed and...

Emerson Process Management.(What's New In Measurement And Instrumentation And Signs And Markers)
July 1, 2006... Emerson Process Management brings added high-pressure capability to the Micro Motion[R] F-Series compact Coriolis meter line. Rated to 5,000 psi (345 bar), this new Micro Motion F-Series meter offers flow and density measurement in...

ROSEN Inspection Technologies.(What's New In Measurement And Instrumentation And Signs And Markers)
July 1, 2006... ROSOFT 6.60 provides a large amount of functionality for the presentation of in-line inspection results on which the Final Report is based, including various pre-configured charts and lists, feature rectangle display, stacked pipeline view,...

Kontron America.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Expanding the power of ruggedized computing, Kontron America has unveiled the Triton Panel Mount (Triton PM[TM]) workstation display featuring technological and safety advancements specifically for the oil and gas industry. The display is said...

Halliburton.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Halliburton's Digital and Consulting Solutions (DCS) Division recently opened the industry's first completely integrated and fully digital Real Time Decision Center (RTDC). This facility breaks down the silos between traditional visualization...

Opvantek, Inc.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Opvantek, Inc. has released the Optimain DS Service Pipe Integrity Program (SPIP) software module for gas utilities to help them manage risk and support decision-making. Operators must monitor threats and assess risks on all types of main and...

Quorum Business Solutions, Inc.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Quorum Business Solutions, Inc., says Crosstex Energy, L.P. has deployed Quorum TIPS and Quorum Query Module to manage newly acquired processing and liquids assets. Quorum TIPS is described as the de facto industry standard in gas plant...

Racine Federated Inc.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Racine vortex flow meters use ultrasonic technology to measure tiny vortices that form when media in the pipe move across a strut. The number of vortices shed is directly proportional to flow rate, and the resulting product is Racine's RWG and...

FreeWave Technologies.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... FreeWave Technologies, designer and manufacturer of spread spectrum radios, announces the 900-MHz FGR-HTplus, described as an industry breakthrough in high throughput, long-range wireless communication. To meet the growing demand for robust...

M2M Data Corporation.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... M2M Data Corp., in Internet-based SCADA functions, recently said it was providing maintenance scheduling service for more than 4,000 assets only 10 weeks after release of its iPM[TM] Maintenance Scheduler Service product. M2M said this...

Foxboro Automation.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Foxboro Automation, a unit of Invensys Process Systems, says it has extended its Foxboro A2 distributed control system (DCS) with a compact new product that combines control and I/O technology into an expandable baseplate or chassis. Like a...

Unique approach solves pipeline exposure, river erosion.(environmental aspects)
July 1, 2006... Williams recently took a different approach to solving a pipeline exposure problem caused by river erosion in the Guadalupe River, near Victoria, TX. Instead of relocating the pipe and letting the river meander naturally, a decision was made to...

Egypt seeks ways to use more of its own natural gas.
July 1, 2006... Over the last decade, Egypt has confirmed significant reserves of natural gas (1,870 Bcm of proven reserves as of 2004 and an additional 3,400 Bcm of probable and possible reserves) and over the last few years has become an increasingly...

A growing need for oil flow measurement.(oil prices)
July 1, 2006... With the price of oil today in the range of $70 a barrel, it's no wonder there is a renewed interest in oil flow measurement. As the value of a commodity increases, so does the willingness of companies to pay to have it measured. At the same...

Verification and testing protocol for differential flow meters.(Measurement & Instrumentation)
July 1, 2006... In 2003, a standard defining a testing and reporting protocol for flow meters that produce a change in velocity by creating a differential pressure was developed by the American Petroleum Institute (API) Manual of Petroleum Measurement...

Texas mill gears up to supply high-pressure pipe for gas transmission industry.(interview )(Interview)
July 1, 2006... With a 12-month back log of orders at Jindal Texas Works, CFO Kevin Bartol is feeling good about the future. The recent addition of a new double jointing and coating plant at the company's Baytown, Texas pipe mill makes it one of only three in...

New caterpillar T-Series pipelayers introduced.
July 1, 2006... Houston, TX-based PipeLine Machinery International, LP (PLM) recently co-hosted, with Caterpillar Global Pipeline division, the new product introduction of the Caterpillar 583T and 587T pipelayers at the Tinaja Hills Training Center near...

Growing U.S. gas demand continues to drive new pipeline construction.(CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission, in partnership with Duke Energy Gas Transmission )
July 1, 2006... With domestic natural gas demand projected to increase by 3.4% in 2007, pipeline companies are showing renewed interest in the construction of high pressure natural gas pipelines throughout the U.S. As a result, the pipeline construction market...

MMS issues safety warning regarding Gulf of Mexico pipelines.(Minerals Management Service)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Minerals Management Service (MMS) has issued a safety warning indicating that pipelines have shifted from their original as-built location as a result of the 2005 hurricane activity in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the Agency, prior to...

Celebration marks Dominion E&P's return to New Orleans.(Dominion Exploration and Production)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... For the last six months, Dominion Exploration & Production employees displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have had a difficult time going back and forth between Houston and New Orleans every weekend to assess their situation or begin...

Furmanite wins Caspian contract.(Azerbaijan International Operating Company contracts )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Furmanite International, a UK-based specialist technical services company, has been awarded a second contract by the Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC) and BP Exploration (Shah Deniz) Ltd., both operated by BP, to supply subsea...

BP's Hawthorn loads first oil via BTC pipeline.(BakuTblisi-Ceyhan )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... In early June, BP, operator of the BakuTblisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, reported the first cargo of oil transported through the pipeline from Azerbaijan was being exported from the Ceyhan marine terminal on the Turkish Mediterranean coast. A...

ABS classes first jackups built in UAE.(United Arab Emirates)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Offshore classification leader ABS has been awarded the contracts for the first jackup drilling rigs to be built in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Four units will be built to ABS standards: two units for Thule Drilling ASA and two for Mosvold...

Roxar opens hyperbaric test center in Stavanger.(new facilities)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Roxar, a provider of software, consulting services, and downhole monitoring and flow measurement equipment for the upstream oil and gas industry, has opened a muitimillion-dollar high-pressure hyperbaric test facility in Stavanger, Norway.. ...

EIA analysis on hurricanes and their impact on production in Gulf.(Energy Information Administration)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... A special analysis on hurricanes and their effects on oil and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico is available from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The report, The Impact of Tropical Cyclones on Gulf of Mexico Crude...

MMS hosts meeting on offshore wind project.(Minerals Management Service)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Interior's Minerals Management Service held two public scoping meetings on Long Island, NY earlier this month to obtain comments from the public on the proposed Long Island Offshore Wind Project (LIOWP). The meetings are in accordance with the...

NASA-based technology keeps moisture out of gas pipelines.(usage of natural gas)
July 1, 2006... Reliable NASA-based gas analyzer W technology is keeping producers aware of moisture content in their natural gas before it enters the El Paso Natural Gas Company (EPNG) pipeline, blocking formation of problematic carbolic acid and helping the...

Software provides 3D CAD from ordinary photos.
July 1, 2006... When Shan Pehlman consults with oil refineries on replacing aging piping systems, he might get as-built drawings of the old infrastructure. Then again, he might not. Even if he does, he generally considers them poor counterfeits for the...

Shelter works.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... Shelter Works says its clamshell enclosure for natural gas facilities is engineered in fiberglass to be maintenance-free and to reduce installation costs while facilitating access to equipment. The design is described as ideal for natural gas...

Valvit-LineLox, L.L.C.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... The Valvit/LineLox Locking Device is described as a simple solution to all valve protection problems. The patented locking system can be designed to lock any valve and is adaptable to most valve types. Installation and access are described as...

The Lincoln Electric Company.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... The Lincoln Electric Company has introduced a two-year extended warranty program. The program extends Lincoln's factory three-year warranty to five full years for its welding machines, wire feeders and plasma cutters. The company says this...

Advanced Valve Technologies, LLC.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... Advanced Valve Technologies, LLC. (AVT) has introduced the Model 5120TL, 4 inches to 20 inches Line Stopping Machine. Through what it calls new concept design and rigorous testing, AVT says it has developed the most versatile and rugged line...

Buckling Pin Technology, Inc.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... Buckling pin says its pilot-actuated ball valve turns a ball valve into a full port, inline relief valve or emergency shutdown valve without reaction force concerns. A precise Buckling Pin Pilot Valve, at set point, puts system pressure on the...

Emerson Process Management.
July 1, 2006... Emerson Process Management announced that its Copeland Scroll[TM] modular compression technology has been launched for offshore oil and gas applications. The compression technology's compact footprint, lightweight, modular design and...

Flowserve Corp.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... Flowserve Corp., provider of fluid motion and control products and services, has launched new Learning Resource Center (LRC) instructional labs, which offer hands-on technical facilities for pump, valve and seal system optimization and...

Ditch Witch.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... Responding to requests by compact utility equipment customers for greater power and productivity, the Ditch Witch[R] organization has released the SK350 mini skid steer. Combining the compact size of the company's SK300 with the outstanding...

Dresser-Rand Company.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... After more than 30 years of training operation and maintenance personnel worldwide, Dresser-Rand Company continues to provide high-quality product training to help clients reduce equipment maintenance costs and ensure reliability. Product...

Weiler Corporation.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... Weiler Corp-oration, a leading manufacturer of power brushes and specialty abrasives for cleaning, finishing and deburring applications, announces the release of its Tiger[R] Disc Grinding and Finishing Solutions guide, detailing the company's...

ECA HYTEC.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... ECA HYTEC, a manufacturer of remote controlled intervention systems, is launching a new remotely operated work vehicle (ROV), the H1000. With a maximum operating depth of 1,000 m and multifunctional hydraulic manipulating arms, this ROV has a...