Commission

Tellurian Inc. has received a final environmental impact statement (EIS) from FERC for the proposed Driftwood liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project, which would be sited in Lake Charles, LA. The facility, with an associated 96-mile pipeline, as proposed could export about 27.6 million metric tons/year. CEO Meg Gentle said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission had done a “thorough review” on the EIS, keeping the project on schedule. FERC’s authorization still is required to site, construct and operate the project. “Tellurian will then stand ready to make a final investment decision and begin construction in the first half of 2019, with the first LNG expected in 2023,” Gentle said.

Ken Hendricksand Erin Campbell have been appointed to the four-member Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission by Gov. Matt Mead. Hendricks, a petroleum engineer, recently retired from Anadarko Petroleum Corp. and would replace Tom Fitzsimmons, who has resigned. Campbell, who becomes state geologist on Nov. 21, would join the commission in mid-December, replacing Tom Drean, who is retiring as state geologist.

FERC Chairman Neil Chatterjee said he wants to see the Commission significantly reduce its review process for natural gas pipelines, and described the Department of Energy (DOE) proposal to provide reliability and resiliency compensation to coal and nuclear baseload generators as “a conversation we need to have.”

Eagle LNG Partners Jacksonville LLC has received approval from the Department of Energy to export up to 1 million metric tons/year of liquefied natural gas (LNG) worldwide. The small-scale Eagle Maxville LNG facility plans to export to markets in the Caribbean Basin and elsewhere in the region from Jacksonville, FL, in Duval County. With the Eagle Maxville approval, DOE said as of Friday (Sept. 15) it has authorized a total of 21.35 Bcf/d in LNG exports to anywhere in the world not prohibited by U.S. law or policy from existing and planned facilities in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia and Maryland.

Connecticut regulator John Betkoski III is the new president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), filling a slot vacated by Robert Powelson, who was sworn in at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week. Betkoski formerly served as NARUC’s first vice president and is the vice chairman of the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. NARUC second vice president Ellen Nowak, who is chair of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, will become first vice president, NARUC said.

FERC announced Tuesday that it will complete its environmental assessment (EA) of the Eastern Market Access Project by mid-June. It set a late September deadline for other agencies to issue any applicable federal authorizations for the project.

Colette Honorable, who has served at FERC since late 2014, announced late Friday that she will leave the Commission when her term expires at the end of next month, a move that would leave the already quorumless panel with a single member — Acting Chairman Cheryl LaFleur.

FERC has asked Dominion Cove Point LNG LP (DCP) to provide additional information ahead of a technical review and site inspection scheduled in June by Commission staff of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian to serve as the official representative of Texas to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC). Christian was elected to the Railroad Commission of Texas last year. Christian’s responsibilities as representative to IOGCC include serving as spokesman for the group in Texas, meeting with the governor to discuss current issues, authoring/sponsoring IOGCC resolutions, voting during business session, participating in committees and regularly attending meetings. The appointment is for an indefinite period.