EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 4/22/24

PIPELINE NEWS

• Pipeline Fighters Hub: Updated: Exxon/Denbury CO2 Pipeline Leaks in Louisiana, Triggering Shelter in Place Order

• It’s Going Down: “We Can’t Just Stand By And Let Them Do This” — MVP Pipeline Protester Locks Herself To Excavator

• State Journal: MVP completion expected to help unlock potential of West Virginia oil and gas

• Allegheny Front: Attorney General Files Criminal Charges Against Shell on Whistleblower Reports Over Pipeline Spills

• Canadian Press: TC Energy reduces pressure on pipeline segment as rupture investigation continues

• Bloomberg: Heavy Oil From Trudeau’s New Pipeline Is Headed for California

• Midland Reporter-Telegram: Moss Lake Partners propose new pipeline in Permian Basin

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• E&E News: Biden’s fight against Juliana climate case is alienating young voters

• E&E News: Dems To Interior: No ‘Rubber-Stamping’ Offshore Oil Drilling 

• Associated Press: Biden Administration Moves To Make Conservation An Equal To Industry On US Lands 

• E&E News: House Republicans Vow To Fight BLM’s Public Lands Rule 

• Alaska Public Media: Murkowski And Sullivan Rail At Federal Moves To Block Ambler Road And Preserve Parts Of NPR-A 

• E&E News: Biden Arctic oil plan sparks pushback from Native leaders

• Floodlight: 23 states ask EPA to halt civil rights rules regulating pollution

• E&E News: Industry-backed analysis touts ‘climate advantage’ of LNG exports

• Bloomberg: US to Advance Carbon Offset Standards to Prevent Greenwashing

• E&E News: Typo derails probe of fatal LNG accident

• New York Times: R.F.K. Jr.’s Environmental Colleagues Urge Him to Drop Presidential Bid

STATE UPDATES

• E&E News: Interior Shields New Mexico Land From New Mining, Drilling 

• KDVR: Suncor sues Colorado water quality control, alleges inconsistent, arbitrary permit terms

• Rigzone: Galveston LNG Files for Construction Permit in Texas

• Carbon Herald: Alaska Paves Way For Carbon Capture And Storage

• Western Herald: Carbon capture in Michigan, how to reduce carbon footprint

• WTVT: Hillsborough commissioners approve ‘carbon capture’ pilot program, stirring debate

EXTRACTION

• Reuters: Goldman Sachs hikes Brent crude forecasts for 2024 and 2025

• Bloomberg: Berkshire Hathaway-owned utilities say more gas plants needed out West

• Bloomberg: Wildfire Near Canada’s Oil Sands City Prompts Evacuation Alert

• RBN Energy: Enbridge Expands Corpus Christi Assets To Bolster Crude Exports

OPINION

• Common Dreams: LNG Isn’t Helping My Community, No Matter What the GOP Says

• Wisconsin State Journal: Union pipeline welders are ready to get to work on Line 5

• Energy Intelligence: US LNG Moratorium Endangers Europe’s Security

• Anchorage Daily News: Carbon capture could expand Alaska power options

• OilPrice.com: Big Oil’s Carbon Capture Conundrum

• The Hill: We know how to prevent the next Deepwater Horizon spill: stop fast-tracking approval for drilling 
  

PIPELINE NEWS

Pipeline Fighters Hub: Updated: Exxon/Denbury CO2 Pipeline Leaks in Louisiana, Triggering Shelter in Place Order
Mark Hefflinger, 4/19/24

“The Guardian published the first substantial on-the-ground coverage from the April 3 incident, sixteen days later on April 19: “‘Wake-up call’: pipeline leak exposes carbon capture safety gaps, advocates say,” according to the Pipeline Fighters Hub. “The reporting by Nina Lakhani from Sulphur, Louisiana where the incident occurred revealed previously unknown key details, such as the CO2 leak was first discovered by neighbor Holly McGee, who told the Guardian “she reported the leak to the sheriff’s office around 6pm on 3 April – after calls to the company went unanswered.” McGee told the Guardian, “the leak sounded like a pressure cooker, and smelt like chemicals.” “This wasn’t like the usual gas release that we see from time to time, this went on for a long time. I knew we should leave,” McGee, who evacuated to her grandparents home two streets away where they could still hear the CO2 leaking, told the Guardian. “If it had not been so windy, it could have been worse. We know what happened in Mississippi … I am more vigilant now.” According to the Guardian’s reporting: “Interviews by the Guardian suggest that no pipeline operator was on site at the pump station where the leak occurred – and the camera monitoring the facility was not working. Exxon staff located 50 miles away in Beaumont, Texas, learned about the leak after it was reported to emergency services, the Guardian understands. It took more than two hours for an operator to arrive at the facility and fix the leak, according to the local fire department.” “Earlier this week, the Guardian observed contractors carrying out anti-corrosion maintenance work at the pump station, where a significant leak was previously reported in 2011.” Pipeline companies routinely — including Summit Carbon Solutions and the defunct Navigator CO2 Ventures — publicly tout their “24/7 control room” with “the latest in leak detection technologies” to monitor for pipeline ruptures. Summit Carbon Solutions claims it will build “an operations center in Ames that will monitor the system 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year including all holidays. This control center, which will include the latest in leak detection technologies, will automatically alert our operators of any change in pressures or flows and provide us with the ability to remotely shut the system down rapidly in the unlikely event of a loss of containment.” Evidence from the Exxon/Denbury CO2 pipeline rupture on April 3, and countless other historical ruptures on oil, gas and other pipelines, shows that “neighbors” — oftentimes farmers, or even children out exploring, discover these pipeline accidents before the companies’ “early warning systems” or even local first responders.”

It’s Going Down: “We Can’t Just Stand By And Let Them Do This” — MVP Pipeline Protester Locks Herself To Excavator
Appalachians Against Pipelines, 4/21/24

“Early Saturday morning, a pipeline fighter using the name Vole locked herself to an excavator on the West Virginia side of Peters Mountain in the Jefferson National Forest, preventing Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) from finishing construction on both sides of the mountain, next to the Appalachian Trail,” according to It’s Going Down. “…After blockading pipeline work for 5 hours, Vole was extracted from her blockade and escorted off the mountain by law enforcement. She was charged with 3 misdemeanors, had bail set at $2,000, and has since been bailed out of jail. “What happens in this region and on this mountain matters,” explained Vole before taking action today. “It matters to the trees MVP has ripped from the earth, to the critters who took shelter here, and to topsoil destroyed for generations. It matters to the people near and far who have loved and fought for this place, and those who have watched MVP destroy it further with each passing day. It matters for the thousands of people who will walk along the Appalachian Trail with explosive gas running below their feet if this pipeline is finished. It matters to me enough to stop them up here for as long as I can.” The site of Vole’s action is the same site where two tree sits prevented MVP from clearing trees on the pipeline easement for 95 days in 2018… “The project has a long record of environmental violations, and MVP’s permits (particularly those to cross the National Forest and waterways) have been revoked numerous times.”

State Journal: MVP completion expected to help unlock potential of West Virginia oil and gas
Charles Young, 4/22/24

“Stakeholders of the oil and gas industry say it’s only a matter of weeks before the long-delayed Mountain Valley Pipeline will be in service,” the State Journal reports. “…The pipeline is expected to come online “maybe in the next two months,” said Eric Vir, chief financial officer of Pillar Energy, during a recent meeting of the West Virginia Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Energy and Manufacturing… “Appalachia initially pulled ahead of other gas-producing regions at the start of the shale gas boom more than a decade ago, but the region’s growth has faltered due to lack of pipeline infrastructure, Vir said. “We haven’t been able to prove any pipelines to take gas outside of the region, so we’ve been hovering around 35 bcf probably for the past three or four years,” he said… “Without additional [liquid natural gas] infrastructure, it makes it virtually impossible for us to grow in Appalachia,” he said… “The Atlantic Coast Pipeline … was canceled by Dominion,” he said. “They took on so much debt that they eventually sold their company to Berkshire Hathaway. I think they wrote down about $5.5 billion, and they didn’t have much more than about 30 miles of pipe in the ground. They never made it.” The MVP’s total price tag has more than doubled since it was first announced in 2014, Crews said. “I think they started at $3 billion or $3 billion and change,” he said. “They’re up to $7.6 billion to get that pipeline in service.” Building a pipeline is an incredibly expensive and arduous process. The projects are subject to federal approvals and regulation and often face opposition from activists, Crews said. “You simply cannot build federally regulated infrastructure between Maine and the Savannah River, on the Georgia-South Carolina border,” he said. “It’s constantly held up in court. Time means money and eventually pipeline and electric transmission infrastructure goes out of business.” “…No one in their right mind would try to permit a pipeline to the Eastern Seaboard right now,” he said. “It’s a losing proposition, unless you’re looking to go into bankruptcy.” Various developers have collectively spent around $12 billion on pipeline projects that have “never carried one dekatherm of natural gas,” Crews said.

Allegheny Front: Attorney General Files Criminal Charges Against Shell on Whistleblower Reports Over Pipeline Spills
REID FRAZIER, 4/19/24

“Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry charged Shell Pipeline Friday with chronically underreporting spills of industrial waste during construction of a pipeline feeding the company’s Beaver County ethane cracker,” the Allegheny Front reports. “ The charges were made based on testimony from whistleblowers who worked on the Falcon Pipeline during its construction from 2019 to 2020. Several former pipeline employees told state investigators that the company was underreporting or failing to report spills of drilling mud so as to avoid costly shut-downs. One told investigators Shell had “a strategy” of underreporting spill amounts so as not to invite time-consuming inspections by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). In addition, Shell allegedly failed to install real-time data logging devices on its drilling equipment, in violation of its state permit. Henry filed 13 misdemeanor charges against Shell Pipeline at a magistrate’s court in Washington County.  In a statement, Henry said Shell “chose to ignore” laws designed to protect the environment. “Pennsylvania’s environmental laws are in place to keep families and communities safe from harm caused by major construction projects, such as pipelines,” Henry said. “This company chose to ignore those laws and kept quiet issues that should have been disclosed to prevent potential impacts.” “…The Falcon pipeline is a 97-mile pipeline that sends ethane, a component of natural gas, to Shell’s Beaver County ethane cracker, which opened in 2022. About 45 miles of the pipeline were built in Pennsylvania, including Washington, Allegheny, and Beaver County. The ethane cracker itself received over $1 billion in state tax credits, the largest in state history. “

Canadian Press: TC Energy reduces pressure on pipeline segment as rupture investigation continues
4/19/24

“TC Energy Corp. says it has reduced the pressure on a segment of its NGTL pipeline system in Alberta while an investigation continues into the cause of a rupture that occurred earlier this week.” the Canadian Press reports. “The Calgary-based pipeline company says it made the decision to reduce pressure on the segment out of an “abundance of caution,” and in consultation with the Canada Energy Regulator. The rupture that occurred on a section of the NGTL natural gas pipeline system on Tuesday sparked a wildfire northwest of Edson, Alta. The fire, which government officials say was never a threat to surrounding communities, has since been extinguished… “TC Energy says it is communicating with its customers about any impacts to service while the pipeline segment is operating with reduced pressure. The company says it is developing a repair plan for the affected segment and is evaluating timelines for the pipeline’s full return to service.”

Bloomberg: Heavy Oil From Trudeau’s New Pipeline Is Headed for California
Robert Tuttle and Lucia Kassai, 4/19/24

“Valero Energy Corp. and Chevron Corp. are buying oil shipped through Canada’s newly expanded Trans Mountain Pipeline system for their California refineries, according to people familiar with the shipments, a sign that US West Coast may become a significant market for oil-sands crude,” Bloomberg reports. “The cargoes of Cold Lake crude, a heavy grade produced in the oil sands, will be loaded on Aframax tankers in June out of the Westridge Terminal near Vancouver, people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private, told Bloomberg… “While the new pipeline was built to help break Canada’s near-total dependence on sales to US refiners by providing an outlet to Asia, some analysts argue that US West Coast refineries may become the preferred market. That’s because they’re closer and Trans Mountain can only load relatively small Aframax tankers that are able to access Vancouver.”

Midland Reporter-Telegram: Moss Lake Partners propose new pipeline in Permian Basin
Mella McEwen, 4/20/24

“With the Matterhorn Express Pipeline set to enter service in the third quarter, attention turned to the next big gas pipeline project to carry natural gas out of the Permian Basin,” according to the Midland Reporter-Telegram. “According to East Daley Analytics, that question has been answered. The company reported Moss Lake Partners has started the pre-filing review process with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for its DeLa Express pipeline. The proposed 42-inch, 690-mile pipeline would move up to 2 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas from the Permian Basin to Port Arthur, Texas and Cameron Parish, Louisiana. Rob Wilson, vice president, product at East Daley, told the Reporter-Telegram by email that there is a need for a new pipeline. “Effective capacity, even after Matterhorn, gets tight again — 95% utilization — at the end of 2025,” he wrote. “Part of the issue when you run this tight is that any pipeline maintenance really throws the Permian egress market off and has a huge impact on Waha (prices), as we’ve seen recently.” Permian producer growth will be uneven, depending on the ability of gas, crude and natural gas liquid egress to provide a logistical path to the Gulf Coast all at the same time, he continued. He predicted producers will grow into Matterhorn capacity, likely faster than the market expects. This will create another bottleneck until the Saguaro Connector pipeline comes into service in 2029. Moss Lake has plans for an open house for interested shippers in May or June, according to East Daley… “Wilson wrote that unlike two other proposed pipelines — the Apex from Targa Resources and the Warrior from Energy Transfer — DeLa would transport Permian natural gas across state lines to new liquefied natural gas export projects in Louisiana… “In the proposed project schedule, Moss Lake requests FERC certify the pipeline by April 2026. Moss Lake is targeting an in-service date of July 2028 for the pipeline.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

E&E News: Biden’s fight against Juliana climate case is alienating young voters
Lesley Clark, 4/22/24

“President Joe Biden is struggling to regain his popularity with young voters who helped put him in the White House in 2020,” E&E News reports. “A group of youth climate activists say they have an answer to the president’s dilemma: Biden’s Department of Justice needs to drop its opposition to a long-running lawsuit that seeks to curb the U.S. government’s reliance on fossil fuels. “It’s a mistake for the Department of Justice to take this position in an election year, especially when young voters continue to be more and more disenchanted with the current administration and the permitting of big fossil fuel projects,” Mat dos Santos, co-executive director and general counsel of Our Children’s Trust, the Oregon-based law firm that represents young climate activists in Juliana v. United States, told E&E. “This is an opportunity for the administration to do right by young people.” Allowing Juliana to get to trial after nearly a decade of procedural delays, dos Santos added, “would allow climate action to be front and center while elevating youth voices.”

E&E News: Dems To Interior: No ‘Rubber-Stamping’ Offshore Oil Drilling 
Heather Richards, 4/18/24

“Leading Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee inked a letter to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Thursday calling for an immediate end to ‘rubber-stamping’ approvals for offshore oil drilling,” E&E News reports. “The letter, signed by ranking member Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and three others, refers to “categorical exclusions,” which allow oil and gas companies to avoid a lengthy process of environmental review to approve their development plans offshore. Critics have long said the exclusions can shortcut robust environmental review. The letter falls two days before the 14-year anniversary of the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history: the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 workers and caused an oil leak that lasted for 87 days. The lawmakers note in their letter that using categorical exclusions in permitting the Deepwater Horizon project was flagged in 2011 as a contributing factor in a flawed environmental review process, after an investigation by the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling.” 

Associated Press: Biden Administration Moves To Make Conservation An Equal To Industry On US Lands 
Matthew Brown, 4/19/24

“The Biden administration on Thursday finalized a new rule for public land management that’s meant to put conservation on more equal footing with oil drilling, grazing and other extractive industries on vast government-owned properties,” the Associated Press reports. “Officials pushed past strong opposition from private industry and Republican governors to adopt the proposal. The rule from the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management — which oversees more than 380,000 square miles (990,000 square kilometers) of land, primarily in the U.S. West — will allow public property to be leased for restoration in the same way that oil companies lease land for drilling. The rule also promotes the designation of more ‘areas of critical environmental concern’ — a special status that can restrict development. It’s given to land with historic or cultural significance or that’s important for wildlife conservation.”

E&E News: House Republicans Vow To Fight BLM’s Public Lands Rule 
Scott Streater, 4/18/24

“House Republicans vowed Thursday to double-down on efforts to force the Bureau of Land Management to rescind its newly finalized rule to elevate conservation on public lands, giving it the same priority as grazing, energy development and recreation,” E&E News reports. “Even as Biden administration officials emphasized that their public lands rule would only give conservation efforts the same standing as other uses, industry groups lined up with objections. The oil and gas industry has already signaled that it is likely to challenge the new rule in federal court. “The conservation rule violates basic public lands laws” and “is a classic example of overreach by the Biden administration, which has no problem ignoring basic law,”  Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Denver-based Western Energy Alliance, told E&E. ‘We have no choice but to litigate.’”

Alaska Public Media: Murkowski And Sullivan Rail At Federal Moves To Block Ambler Road And Preserve Parts Of NPR-A 
Liz Ruskin, 4/18/24

“The Biden administration is making two big decisions this week that block resource extraction in Alaska and the state’s U.S. senators are fuming,” Alaska Public Media reports. “They, along with a flock of other Republican senators, said President Biden is boosting the mineral-rich countries like Russia and Venezuela while driving down American industry. “He is destabilizing our security as a nation in a way that most didn’t think possible in such a short time period,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski told reporters at a press conference Thursday. The decisions are expected to be announced Friday, but the New York Times and Bloomberg have already spilled the beans: The administration intends not to allow a road in Northwest Alaska that’s crucial to the development of mining in the Ambler area. And it will adopt a rule that will add environmental protections to sensitive areas of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, to the west of Prudhoe Bay. Both Ambler and the NPR-A have massive tracts of undeveloped land that are important to migrating birds, wildlife and subsistence harvests. Environmental groups and indigenous opponents of drilling and mining are preparing their responses to celebrate the expected news. But the GOP senators aren’t waiting for the official announcements.” 

E&E News: Biden Arctic oil plan sparks pushback from Native leaders
Heather Richards, 4/19/24

“Alaska Native leaders are slamming President Joe Biden’s plan to restrict oil development across 13 million acres of the western Arctic, saying the administration ignored Indigenous protest,” E&E News reports. “The Interior Department said its final rule, announced Friday, will protect the wildlife and ecosystem in the oil-rich National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), the largest swath of public land in the country. Its mandate that the Bureau of Land Management mitigate the damages of drilling could be used to thwart oil and gas proposals in the reserve’s most protected areas. The rule follows a rush of conservation announcements from the White House in recent days as it woos environmental voters ahead of the November presidential election. But the oil plan has sparked anger and frustration from Alaskans who say they were “stonewalled” when they attempted to meet with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland about the proposed rule last year. “The Department of the Interior seems to believe that they care about this land more than we do,” said North Slope Borough Mayor Josiah Patkotak in a statement Friday. “The elected leaders of the North Slope spoke in unison in opposition to this rule and the rulemaking process. To refuse to listen to our voices is to say that you know better.”

Floodlight: 23 states ask EPA to halt civil rights rules regulating pollution
Mario Alejandro Ariza, 4/17/24

“Echoing arguments similar to those used by the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court striking down affirmative action, Republican attorneys general from 23 states petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week to stop taking race into account when regulating pollution,” Floodlight reports. “The petition, authored by the office of Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, was filed Tuesday with the EPA. It is only a request, but it highlights stiff opposition from conservative states to the Biden Administration’s signature environmental justice policies, which include hundreds of millions of dollars for environmental justice projects. The push could lead to a change in EPA policy if Donald Trump — whose administration was poised to gut the civil-rights law in the final days of his presidency — retakes power in January… “In the United States, deadly pollution is disproportionately concentrated in poor and minority neighborhoods. The petition asks the agency to stop taking the “disparate impact” of this pollution into account when regulating it, altering how the agency enforces Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI bars recipients of federal funds from engaging in discrimination. After the act was passed, the EPA wrote rules that allowed it to take into account the “disparate impact” that pollution might have on a minority group… “Andre Segura, vice president of litigation at Earthjustice, called the petition “outrageous” and called on the EPA to “swifty reject” it… “But EPA Administrator Michael Regan told attendees of the Society of Environmental Journalists national conference on April 5 that the agency would push to ensure that the civil-rights law can be applied in environmental cases.”

E&E News: Industry-backed analysis touts ‘climate advantage’ of LNG exports
Carlos Anchondo, 4/17/24

“U.S. liquefied natural gas is better for the climate than coal or Russian gas when used for power generation in Europe and Asia, according to a new industry-backed report,” E&E News reports. “The analysis, released Tuesday by consulting firm Berkeley Research Group (BRG), assessed the life-cycle emissions of U.S. LNG and competing fuels in 13 countries: eight in Europe and five in Asia. LNG Allies and the American Exploration & Production Council (AXPC) commissioned the report, which comes amid the Department of Energy’s pause in LNG export approvals as it updates climate and economic analyses. Many researchers say natural gas likely contributes more to planetary warming than previously thought, partly because of leaks from pipelines and other infrastructure. Environmental groups immediately criticized the report on Tuesday, highlighting its connection to the gas industry.”

Bloomberg: US to Advance Carbon Offset Standards to Prevent Greenwashing
Jennifer A. Dlouhy, 4/19/24

“The US soon will unveil tougher standards meant to drive greater integrity for carbon markets — a bid to ensure the trading regimes drive real emission reductions and not just greenwashing,” Bloomberg reports. “Climate adviser John Podesta told Bloomberg Friday the US will be calling for carbon credits to represent real, additional and permanent emission reductions that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. The US also will make clear the regimes must avoid carbon leakage, where reductions in one area are simply replaced by increased pollution elsewhere. The standards will also make clear companies should not use carbon credits to substitute for or delay in investments in reducing their own emissions, Podesta told Bloomberg. The initiative marks a high-level endorsement of carbon credits amid increasing interest in using offsets to drive private sector finance toward renewable power and emission-cutting projects in developing nations. Critics warn it’s difficult to assess the real-world impact of carbon offsets and worry companies will use the tools to avoid cutting their own pollution. The guidance being developed by the US State Department dovetails with similar efforts by the UK and EU… “Separately Friday. a carbon offset initiative championed by Kerry, the Energy Transition Accelerator, took a step toward full operations with an announcement the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions will serve as its secretariat. The program will be guided by a newly announced consultative group, including Kerry as honorary chair and other members, such as International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol.”

E&E News: Typo derails probe of fatal LNG accident
Mike Soraghan, 4/22/24

“An apparent typographical error is holding up an investigation into a natural gas explosion last year that left a man dead in Washington state and led to calls for stricter regulation of liquefied natural gas,” E&E News reports. “An employee of a company providing the cryogenically condensed methane in tanker trucks was killed in the September incident near Toppenish, Washington, and a truck driver was injured. The driver’s truck rolled forward while it was still transferring its load, ripping hoses from the tank and spewing methane. That created a vapor cloud that ignited. It’s not clear why the truck moved. It was supposed to be immobilized by “chocks” — wedges shoved under truck tires to keep trucks in place — but it wasn’t. The most recent standard issued by the National Fire Protection Association, or NFPA, for natural gas operations says truck tires must be “chocked” during such operations. But the 23-year-old standard embedded in federal safety regulations instead says the tires must be “checked.” “Is it a typo or does it mean what it says?” Scott Rukke, director of the Pipeline Safety Division for the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, told E&E. “It makes a huge difference.” Rukke sought clarification from NFPA in December, but he hasn’t gotten an answer. Neither could E&E News. NFPA spokesperson Susan McKelvey declined to comment because of the active investigation… “To safety advocates, Rukke’s quandary is a sign that regulation of the small but dangerous mobile LNG business has fallen through the cracks. Mobile LNG operations are exempt from federal LNG safety laws so long as they comply with the NFPA standard — number 59A.”

New York Times: R.F.K. Jr.’s Environmental Colleagues Urge Him to Drop Presidential Bid
Lisa Friedman, 4/19/24

“As an independent candidate for the White House, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., claims he would be the “best environment president in American history,” drawing on his past as a crusading lawyer who went after polluters in New York. But dozens of Mr. Kennedy’s former colleagues at the Natural Resources Defense Council are calling on him to withdraw from the race, in full-page advertisements sponsored by the group’s political arm that are expected to appear in newspapers in six swing states on Sunday,” the New York Times reports. “Separately, a dozen other national environmental organizations have issued an open letter calling Mr. Kennedy “ a “dangerous conspiracy theorist and a science denier” who promotes “toxic beliefs” on vaccines and on climate change. People involved in both efforts maintain that Mr. Kennedy cannot win the presidency but could siphon votes away from President Biden and help elect former President Donald J. Trump, who has called climate change a hoax and promised to unravel environmental laws and policies. “A vote for RFK Jr. is a vote to destroy that progress and put Trump back in the White House,” says the newspaper ad that will run in Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Signatories include John Hamilton Adams, who co-founded the Natural Resources Defense Council and hired Mr. Kennedy in the 1980s, as well as past presidents and the group’s current president. They implore Mr. Kennedy to “Honor our planet, drop out.” Mr. Kennedy was a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council for about 28 years, stepping down in 2014.”

STATE UPDATES

E&E News: Interior Shields New Mexico Land From New Mining, Drilling 
Hannah Northey, 4/18/24

“Interior Secretary Deb Haaland withdrew more than 4,000 acres of federal land in New Mexico on Thursday from new mining and oil and gas drilling,” E&E News reports. “Following through on a proposal announced last year — and an effort that Haaland supported during her time in Congress — the agency is removing a large swath of land within the Placitas area in Sandoval County for a period of 50 years as part of a mineral withdrawal that would still recognize valid and existing rights. “Indigenous communities have called the Placitas area home since time immemorial, with evidence of their presence found from nearly every settlement period of the past 10,000 years,” Haaland said in a statement released after she signed the order. “The site contains significant cultural ties to neighboring Pueblos and provides outdoor recreation opportunities to the local community.”

KDVR: Suncor sues Colorado water quality control, alleges inconsistent, arbitrary permit terms
Heather Willard, 4/18/24

“Suncor is suing the state of Colorado’s Water Quality Control Division, alleging that the division has been inconsistent in how it issues Colorado Discharge Permit System permits,” KDVR reports. “These permits regulate “point source discharges” into the state’s surface bodies of water — in this case, the Sand Creek tributary into the South Platte River. Soon, Suncor will be operating on a permit issued by the division and described in the lawsuit as a “final renewal permit” for the refinery. The permit has an effective date of May 1. Suncor is alleging that the renewal permit “contains numerous terms and conditions that are arbitrary, capricious, unlawful, unsupported by the record, and unnecessary to protect water quality, including permit conditions that were not in the Draft Permit and had not been addressed in public comments,” according to the lawsuit… “The Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment, of which the water quality control division is part, offered FOX31 a statement on the lawsuit. “We are aware of the lawsuit. We drafted the most stringent water permit in Suncor’s history and are committed to protecting our waterways. Our permitting process included substantial stakeholder outreach, and we worked with numerous community organizations as we crafted the permit,” the agency said.

Rigzone: Galveston LNG Files for Construction Permit in Texas
Rocky Teodoro, 4/17/24

“Galveston LNG Bunker Port, LLC (GLBP), a joint-venture between Pilot LNG and Seapath Group, is advancing its natural gas liquefaction facility in the heart of the Galveston Bay/Greater Houston port complex,” Rigzone reports. “GLBP has filed applications with regulators seeking authorization to site, construct and operate the proposed facility at Shoal Point in Texas City, Texas. The GLBP project will be the region’s first dedicated liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker terminal to provide clean LNG as marine fuel, the company said in a news release. GLBP said it has filed key regulatory applications with relevant government agencies, including the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for the Clean Water Act and Rivers & Harbors Act, Texas Railroad Commission for the Texas Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification, and the United States Coast Guard for Waterway Suitability Assessment. According to the release, the USACE application for the proposed project includes two natural gas liquefaction trains capable of producing approximately 600,000 gallons per day of LNG, two 3-million-gallon full containment LNG storage tanks, natural gas liquids and refrigerant storage, feed gas pre-treatment facilities, a bunker vessel loading berth, and associated marine and loading facilities… “GLBP reiterated that the final investment decision to proceed with construction is contingent upon completing required commercial agreements, acquiring all necessary permits and approvals, and securing financing commitments.”

Carbon Herald: Alaska Paves Way For Carbon Capture And Storage
Vasil Velev, 4/20/24

“Earlier this week the Alaska House of Representatives passed a bill that provides a framework for companies to capture carbon and develop infrastructure for its storage in underground formations,” the Carbon Herald reports. “House Bill 50 won with a 32-8 vote and will now move on to the state Senate for a review. The bill was introduced in January 2023 by Governor Dunleavy and aimed at taking advantage of the state’s 50 gigatons of reported storage capacity… “But according to a report in the Alaska Beacon, the minimum revenue requirements were removed from the draft, leaving some to question its positive impact for the bottom line of the state. An amendment that required 4% royalty for injecting CO2 – and providing a quantifiable level of revenue – was voted down… “An additional source of revenue from carbon capture could be the utilization of the gas. CO2 can be an ingredient in aviation fuel.” 

Western Herald: Carbon capture in Michigan, how to reduce carbon footprint
Grace Teachout, 4/21/24

“…As the impacts of climate change escalate, what can people do to help reduce their carbon emissions, and how are scientists working to reverse the damage that has already been done?,” the Western Herald reports. “Autumn Haagsma, director of the Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education, is a part of a research team that helped receive a $2.25 million dollar grant for Project CleanMI. This joint research program between the Engineering department at Michigan Geological Survey (MGS), led by Dr. Mert Atilhan, aims to use direct air capture technology which involves the use of chemical or physical processes to collect CO2 from the air and place it in long term storage, resulting in a negative emissions process. “Dr. Atilhan is developing direct air capture technology (DAC), which can be deployed anywhere and not necessarily linked to a specific CO2 emitter, such as a power plant,” Haagsma told the Herald. “MGS will help identify prime locations to place the DAC technology to maximize storage opportunities. This project will lay the groundwork for deploying DAC in Michigan which could reduce our carbon emissions.” By storing carbon dioxide underground in geological formations in Michigan, it provides a safe way for CO2 to be stored, effectively reducing its harm to the environment. “Michigan has the right geologic conditions to store all of the CO2 emitted from industrial processes for hundreds to thousands of years,” Haagsma told the Herald.  

WTVT: Hillsborough commissioners approve ‘carbon capture’ pilot program, stirring debate
Evyn Moon, 4/19/24

“Hillsborough County Commissioners approved a project that would reduce carbon dioxide emissions. If they move forward with the project, it could cost as much as $25 million, but for now this project will only test carbon capturing in Hillsborough County,” WTVT reports. “…Although it was approved by County Commissioners on Wednesday, some environmental groups are saying it’s a waste of time. “We see this project as being a sideshow and a distraction from truly addressing the issues that we need to in Hillsborough County,” Brooke Ward with Florida Food and Water Watch told WTVT. “Our concerns are that the carbon capture plant that’s proposed would only capture one ton of 600 tons of carbon that are being created daily.” This approval will authorize the low carbon company that has support from Governor Ron DeSantis to build a facility that captures carbon dioxide emissions from the county’s waste-to-energy plant in Brandon. This pilot project will start by tackling one ton a day at no cost to taxpayers. The pilot will last 60 days, then the Hillsborough County Commission could decide to move forward with the $25 million plan that would potentially capture 40 tons of the 600 tons emitted daily.”

EXTRACTION

Reuters: Goldman Sachs hikes Brent crude forecasts for 2024 and 2025
4/18/24

“Goldman Sachs on Thursday raised its Brent crude oil price forecasts, projecting $86 a barrel for the second half of 2024, up from $85 previously, and $82 for 2025, up from $80,” Reuters reports. “It said prices were likely to stay at the higher end of its forecast range, citing disappointing U.S. supply and a likely sticky geopolitical risk premium. Brent crude futures are up 13% to about $87 a barrel so far in 2024, while U.S. oil futures are up about 15% to more than $82 a barrel in the same period. “We still see a $90/bbl ceiling on Brent in our base case of no geopolitical supply hits,” Goldman Sachs added.

Bloomberg: Berkshire Hathaway-owned utilities say more gas plants needed out West
4/18/24

“Executives of U.S. Western utilities owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate said more natural gas power plants will be needed to supply unprecedented demand growth on their systems,” Bloomberg reports. “NV Energy sees natural gas generators playing a critical role in meeting the Nevada utility’s rapidly growing electricity demand, which is expected to more than double this decade, CEO Doug Cannon said Tuesday at the S&P Global Power Markets Conference in Las Vegas. “For the time being, natural gas will still continue to play an important role for powering the future of energy,” Cannon said, according to Bloomberg, adding the utility remains committed to adding renewable power. PacifiCorp, a Berkshire utility that serves six Western states, also is looking to add natural gas generators to its grids, said CEO Cindy Crane.”

Bloomberg: Wildfire Near Canada’s Oil Sands City Prompts Evacuation Alert
Robert Tuttle, 4/21/24

“A 74-acre (30—hectare) wildfire in the Canadian oil sands prompted an evacuation alert for a community near Fort McMurray, the biggest city in the region,” Bloomberg reports. “Residents of Saprae Creek, located about 25 kilometers (16 miles) by car southeast of the oil sands capital, were told to prepare for possible evacuation if wildfire spreads toward the community, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo said in an alert. The fire is one of two out-of-control blazes in Alberta, home to the Canadian oil sands, the world’s third-largest crude oil reserves… “The warning was issued eight years after massive forest fires burned down whole swathes of Fort McMurray, forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate for more than a month.”

RBN Energy: Enbridge Expands Corpus Christi Assets To Bolster Crude Exports
Sheela Tobben, 4/22/24

“Enbridge’s recent $200 million deal to buy two marine docks and land in Ingleside, TX, from Flint Hills Resources (FHR) may not be much of a surprise, as expanding its role in U.S. crude exports has been part of Enbridge’s strategy since it bought Moda Midstream’s big marine terminal next door nearly three years ago,” RBN Energy reports. “The former Moda terminal, now known as the Enbridge Ingleside Energy Center (EIEC), can receive and partially load Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) — a key reason why the facility is #1 in crude exports in the nation. In today’s RBN blog, we will take a closer look at Enbridge’s deal with FHR and how it might help grow its crude export volumes… “From the Midwest, Enbridge owns pipelines that transport crude to Eastern Canada and the Gulf Coast — these include Spearhead and Flanagan South from the Flanagan terminal in central Illinois to Cushing, OK, and a half interest in the Seaway system from Cushing to the Texas coast. The midstream giant also holds partial ownership interests in two crude oil pipelines out of the Permian: Gray Oak (68.5%) and Cactus II (30%). It also has partial ownership (27.6%) in the Bakken Pipeline System, which comprises the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and the Energy Transfer Crude Oil Pipeline (ETCOP)… “EIEC really stands out, though, not just because it exports more crude than any other U.S. terminal — more than 900 Mb/d in Q1 2024 — but also because it is one of only three Gulf Coast terminals that regularly handle VLCCs… “Enbridge’s other VLCC-capable asset is the Seaway Texas City complex, a joint venture with Enterprise Products Partners near Houston.”

OPINION

Common Dreams: LNG Isn’t Helping My Community, No Matter What the GOP Says
John Beard is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of the Port Arthur Community Action Network in Port Arthur, Texas, 4/18/24

“Last Monday, April 8, Washington Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Republican South Carolina Rep. Jeff Duncan—two of the oil and gas industry’s biggest cronies—traveled to my home of Port Arthur, Texas, to push for the expansion of liquefied natural gas export facility buildouts in my community,” John Beard writes for Common Dreams. “Their stunt comes as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) prepares to tie Ukraine aid to a reversal of President Joe Biden’s pause on the buildout of LNG facilities—until it’s determined whether or not they are truly in the best interest of communities like mine. My only question is: Who are you going to believe? Instead of believing the lies of executives with no skin in the game and no connection to the neighborhoods ravaged by climate change, we need to believe in ourselves—in our ability to organize and stand up for the health and prosperity of our communities. For over 60 years, I’ve called Port Arthur my home. I lived on the “fence line”—the dividing line between residential neighborhoods and LNG facilities—most of my life. I’m a retired, second-generation refinery worker and union member; a former three-term city council member and mayor pro-tem, who has witnessed Big Oil operate with impunity for a long time. I know oil executives’ push to build out these toxic LNG facilities is not to strengthen the local economy—as they will often argue. Rather, building harmful refineries in “sacrifice zones” like my neighborhood are what they deem “the path of least resistance” toward notching bigger corporate profits at a time when most Americans are struggling to make ends meet… “ We, the folks who have endured cancer diagnoses and the unnecessary loss of family, friends, and neighbors, must stand firm in the face of corporate greed and Big Oil deception. The fight we are waging in Port Arthur is more than the isolated tale of a small town; it’s a playbook for working class communities actively resisting the “profits over people” ethos destroying American communities. Unfortunately for Reps. McMorris Rodgers and Duncan, you can’t be a mouthpiece for citizens AND Big Oil at the same time.”

Wisconsin State Journal: Union pipeline welders are ready to get to work on Line 5
Douglas Edwards, 4/21/24

“As the new business manager of the Steamfitters Local 601, I’m proud that our members are vital to the function of just about every business in this state,” Douglas Edwards writes for the Wisconsin State Journal. “…Our members also include the highly-trained welders that make our region’s energy pipeline system function. Our pipeline welders, who receive more than a college education’s worth of training, have patiently been waiting for their work to start on the Line 5 relocation project in northern Wisconsin for over four years. This project, which is needed to keep the Line 5 energy pipeline operating and providing the raw product needed for gas, diesel and propane in our region, is now under state and federal review. Waiting on these permits are the 700 union workers needed to construct the Line 5 reroute to the highest standards on earth. Line 5 is a vital part of our regional energy infrastructure, and the men and women of the 601 look forward to being a part of keeping it running for years to come.”

Energy Intelligence: US LNG Moratorium Endangers Europe’s Security
Juergen Grossmann is a shareholder of German steel heavyweight Georgsmarienhuette, former CEO of German energy giant RWE, 4/19/24

“The European Union moved quickly to cut imports of oil and gas from Russia after the latter’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, turning to US LNG instead, with Germany rapidly developing new import infrastructure. However, US President Joe Biden’s recent LNG pause raises grave concerns — highlighting Europe’s energy security vulnerability,” Juergen Grossmann writes for Energy Intelligence. “It also underscores the need for reliable sources of supply from trusted allies to safeguard European and German security amidst geopolitical uncertainties… “As a result of EU sanctions, its member states massively reduced their dependence on Russia — cutting its share of Europe’s energy mix from 41% in 2022 to just 8% in 2023… “To close this gap, Europe turned to the US. In the first half of 2023, the US exported more LNG than any other country at 11.6 billion cubic feet per day… “For the US, they constitute an excellent source of foreign exchange, investments and jobs. Even if currently planned construction projects will be allowed to proceed until 2026, the Biden administration’s pause in issuing new LNG export terminal permits has the potential to put all this into question for the years thereafter… “When it comes to stability and reliability along supply chains, trade is best done among close friends and trusted partners. According to political and trade experts, energy security needs reliable, long-term supply at consistent prices and is best provided by geopolitical allies. If the US pause on LNG permits persists, Europe could face the choice of either accepting cascading future energy crises or re-signing gas deals with Russia… “In concert with all of Europe’s LNG infrastructure, Germany’s nine terminals will pave the way for a new era of energy security. For this era to come to fruition, Europe needs reliable LNG deliveries along safe supply lines from trusted partners — partners like the US.

Anchorage Daily News: Carbon capture could expand Alaska power options
Tim Bradner is publisher of the Alaska Legislative Digest and Alaska Economic Report, 4/21/24

“Alaska may have a potential clean energy source hiding in plain sight: It’s “clean coal” — or, more correctly, cleaned-up coal with 95% of its carbon dioxide, or CO2, removed in emissions from power plant combustion,” Tim Bradner writes for the Anchorage Daily News. “…For a lot of people, coal is a dirty word. It shouldn’t be. We should always be open-minded… “New research by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, working with U.S. Department of Energy support, now shows that an Alaska coal-burning power plant with a carbon capture system removing C02 from its emissions, and with the C02 permanently stored underground, can approach “net-zero” in carbon release… “Federal clean-energy tax credits paid per ton for the CO2 stored underground are important in this calculation, and critics will argue that the tax credits may be temporary, which could undermine the long-term economics. But many wind and solar projects are helped by the federal tax credits, too, so the same argument applies…. “UAF is now waiting on whether the Legislature can fund the $2 million needed this year to match a $9 million federal grant for more work on coal carbon capture and storage. Meanwhile, here’s some data from the university’s study on coal carbon capture, in metric tons of CO2 emissions per gigawatt hour of electricity (a metric ton is 2,200 pounds compared with a U.S. ton of 2,000 pounds): Coal without carbon capture: 1,100 metric tons; natural gas, current: 550 metric tons; wind power with natural gas backup (wind or solar must have backup for reliability): 250 metric tons; Coal with carbon capture: 100 metric tons. To me, this sounds promising. We should not ignore it.”

OilPrice.com: Big Oil’s Carbon Capture Conundrum
Felicity Bradstock, 4/20/24

“Hard-to-abate industries, particularly oil and gas, are racing to increase their carbon capture capacity as they strive to decarbonise operations,” Felicity Bradstock writes for OilPrice.com. “Despite being some of the biggest carbon emitters, many oil and gas majors are optimistic they can dramatically reduce their emissions by using carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. This is, realistically, one of the few ways that oil and gas companies can reduce while keeping their fossil fuel output high. However, energy experts and environmentalists are now worried that Big Oil is becoming overly reliant on CCS tech instead of striving for meaningful change towards a green transition… “Companies and governments worldwide have pumped huge quantities of funding into CCS in recent years in a bid to develop the technology required to effectively capture and store huge amounts of CO2 from industrial and oil and gas operations. However, scientists are still uncertain about whether today’s technology can capture the massive quantity of carbon emissions that many oil majors are promising… “The IEA also warned that it is not sustainable for oil and gas companies to mitigate major new fossil fuel projects simply by incorporating CCS tech into operations… “Despite big promises, many companies are falling short of their carbon capture targets. To date, only five percent of announced CCS projects have reached a final investment decision, according to the IEA. There is still little evidence to suggest that CCS tech can be rolled out economically on a commercial scale… “Many energy experts and environmentalists worry that the huge rush to fund CCS tech is a dangerous distraction… “Without a proven track record, this could be a dangerous approach to decarbonising as, if CCS tech does not live up to expectations, it could have dire repercussions. CCS technology is still extremely expensive, and it has a poor track record of working as effectively as anticipated… “Nevertheless, oil and gas companies worldwide continue to make bold claims about the potential for CCS tech, without sufficient evidence to back it up. The failure of CCS technologies in oil and gas operations could be catastrophic, leading to much higher-than-anticipated carbon emissions and contributing to a delay in the global green transition.” 

The Hill: We know how to prevent the next Deepwater Horizon spill: stop fast-tracking approval for drilling 
Donald Boesch, a professor of marine science, served as president of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and vice chancellor for Environmental Sustainability, 4/20/24

“Fourteen years ago, the British Petroleum (BP) Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig suffered a blowout in water a mile deep. The Gulf of Mexico explosion took the lives of 11 people, released 134 million gallons of oil into the Gulf over 87 straight days, wreaked widespread ecological harm, displaced communities, and devastated local economies. Ultimately, the worst oil spill in U.S. history cost $17.2 billion in damage. President Obama appointed me to the national commission to investigate the causes of this disaster,” Donald Boesch writes for The Hill. “Through the course of our investigation, my colleagues and I discovered that (in addition to multiple direct errors) the Interior Department had performed no meaningful analysis of the potentially significant environmental consequences when it considered BP’s applications for Deepwater Horizon. Instead, the government had essentially rubber-stamped BP’s exploration plans and drilling permits using a decades-old policy to exempt them from the typically mandatory environmental review. Known as a “categorical exclusion,” this became a routine practice — one that the Interior Department continues to regularly employ… “This allowed the government to fast-track approval of oil companies’ offshore drilling permits, declaring them not subject to the rigorous oversight normally required under NEPA. Our commission’s investigation also uncovered troubling evidence that government personnel responsible for reviewing offshore oil drilling permits were made to understand that flagging environmental concerns would “increase the burden” on oil companies by “creating unnecessary delays.” And it was also evident that staffers were simply too under-resourced to meet the extraordinary expansion of oil development in the Gulf… “Fast forward to today, and the categorical exclusion still hasn’t been retired, while many other things have greatly changed concerning energy and the Gulf of Mexico… “Over the past five years, the Interior Department has fast-tracked approvals for more than 90 percent of proposed offshore oil projects, yet additional oil spills from risky wells have continued, including this year. It’s long past time to discontinue the routine use of categorical exclusions for offshore oil and gas development. This simple policy change could be the difference between setting the stage for the next Deepwater Horizon disaster and steering clear of another catastrophe — before it’s too late.”