2014

John Hanger, the former secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), said he plans to challenge Gov. Tom Corbett in 2014. Hanger, 55, would be the first of several Democrats who are expected to challenge the Republican governor. The attorney, who is special counsel at Eckert Seamans, served as DEP secretary under Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell and was a commissioner on the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission for five years. He also was president of advocacy group Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future. Hanger in early 2011 defended the state’s regulation of the natural gas industry, calling a story on drilling by a New York Times reporter “deliberately misleading” (see Daily GPI, March 1, 2011).

Oneok Partners LP is holding an open season through Dec. 17 for its 600-mile Bakken Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Pipeline, which would transport unfractionated NGLs from the Bakken Shale in the Williston Basin to an interconnection with the partnership’s 50%-owned Overland Pass Pipeline in northern Colorado. The Bakken NGL Pipeline is under construction and is expected to be in service during the first quarter. In July Oneok said it would expand the project with additional pump stations in a project to be completed during the third quarter of 2014. For open season information, contact Lisa Nishimuta at (918) 588-7730, lisa.nishimuta@oneok.com.

Atlas Pipeline Partners LP, which serves producers in West Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, surpassed a record for processed natural gas volumes in 3Q2012, which were up 36% from a year ago, executives said Wednesday.

Tennessee Gas Pipeline has filed an application at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission seeking to boost the compression capacity along its 300 Line to meet the growing demand for interstate natural gas transportation service in the northeastern United States and Canada.

Denver-based Forest Oil Corp. Wednesday said it would make interim CEO Patrick R. McDonald the company’s permanent chief, prompting speculation by one analyst that “all strategic options remain on the table for the company.”

Kinder Morgan Interstate Gas Transmission LLC’s (KMIGT) proposal to sell a 432-mile segment of its Pony Express natural gas pipeline to an affiliate (Kinder Morgan Pony Express Pipeline LLC) for the purpose of converting it to transport crude oil from the Bakken and Denver-Julesburg/Niobrara shales has received a mixed reaction at FERC.

Enbridge Inc. has committed up to $600 million to expand Enbridge Gas Distribution’s (EGD) system in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) during 2014 and 2015, pending approval of the Ontario Energy Board. “Over the last 20 years, Enbridge Gas Distribution has almost doubled its total number of customers across Ontario from 1.1 million in 1992 to 2 million in 2012,” said President Guy Jarvis. “We’re well positioned to benefit from continued strong population growth in the GTA…” The proposed project would consist of two segments of pipeline and related facilities to upgrade the distribution system that delivers gas to Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga, Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Markham.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP) and Phillips 66 on Thursday announced an agreement for Kinder Morgan to transport Eagle Ford crude and condensate to Phillips 66’s Sweeny Refinery in Brazoria County, TX, which will necessitate the construction of a $90 million, 27-mile, 12-inch diameter lateral pipeline to extend its Kinder Morgan Crude Condensate (KMCC) pipeline, along with related infrastructure.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP) and BP North America struck agreements for KMP to provide BP with condensate processing services and storage at Kinder Morgan’s terminals on the Houston Ship Channel.