2014

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP) and BP North America have struck a long-term, fee-based agreement supporting an additional 50,000 b/d of throughput capacity at a condensate processing facility KMP is constructing on the Houston Ship Channel.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) independent Science Advisory Board (SAB) has formed a Hydraulic Fracturing Research Advisory panel of independent experts to peer review the EPA’s 2014 draft report of results for its national study on potential health and environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. EPA said the SAB panel will provide scientific feedback on EPA’s research in “an open and transparent manner.”

Houston-based Halcon Resources Corp., which became a public company about a year ago, has been building acreage positions in several unconventional oil and gas plays and last year grew proved reserves to 108.8 million boe, an increase of 417% from the end of 2011.

Newfield Exploration Co. is considering the sale of its international assets, which consist of offshore oil and natural gas developments in Malaysia and China, the company said.

Based on success to date in developing a midstream system in the Utica Shale, The Energy & Minerals Group (EMG) said it plans to spend an additional $450 million for its joint venture (JV) with MarkWest Energy Partners LP.

The U.S. natural gas market — and thus, long-term gas prices — won’t be upended because of the unconventional resource “revolution” because marginal costs ultimately determine gas prices, according to Morningstar.

An expansion of Seaway Crude Oil Pipeline is nearing completion and will increase capacity from about 150,000 b/d to about 400,000 b/d, said Seaway Crude Oil Pipeline LLC, a joint venture of Enterprise Products Partners and Enbridge Inc. Seaway suspended service on its 500-mile, 30-inch diameter pipeline to complete the remaining pump station connections. Service is expected to resume by Jan. 11. In addition to the pipeline that transports crude oil from Cushing, OK, to the Gulf Coast, the Seaway system is composed of a terminal and distribution network originating in Texas City, TX, which serves refineries locally and in the Houston area. The Seaway system also includes dock facilities at Freeport and Texas City. Further expansion of the system is planned to be completed in 2014 (see Shale Daily, March 28, 2012).

NuStar Energy LP is expanding its South Texas Crude Oil Pipeline System with the support of a long-term pipeline and terminal services agreement recently struck with ConocoPhillips, the partnership said Thursday.

DCP Midstream LLC and DCP Midstream Partners LP said they are constructing the Goliad cryogenic gas processing plant to serve liquids-rich production from the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas. The plant will have capacity of 200 MMcf/d and will become part of the DCP Eagle Ford system providing Eagle Ford producers one-stop service from the plant tailgate to Gulf Coast market centers, the partners said. The plant will be constructed and funded by the previously announced DCP Eagle Ford Joint Venture formed Nov. 1, which is owned two-thirds by DCP Midstream and one-third by DCP Midstream Partners. It is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2014. The plant will be the seventh in South Texas owned by the DCP enterprise.