Cove

FERC is expected to take up the construction application for the Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC project at its open meeting Thursday. The facility already has export authorization from the Department of Energy and customers lined up for most of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) capacity.

The Sierra Club filed a formal objection at the Department of Energy (DOE), challenging the export of Marcellus Shale gas from Cove Point’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facilities in Maryland. The environmental group argued that LNG exports would raise natural gas and electricity prices nationwide and would expand the practice of hydraulic fracturing (fracking). Sierra Club called for the department to hold the first-ever full environmental impact statement assessing the effects of increased Marcellus Shale fracking. This is the third LNG export facility that the Sierra Club has opposed, with the other two being facilities in Coos Bay, OR, and Sabine Pass, LA. Sierra Club’s protest comes a week after the group attacked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s environmental review of the proposed Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC facilities (see Daily GPI, Feb. 1).

Dominion Resources Inc. said last week interest is growing in the company’s proposal to turn the Cove Point liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in Lusby, MD, into an export terminal (see NGI, Oct. 17, 2011).

The Marcellus Shale is the eastern United States’ new natural gas supply source of choice, and Williams is in the process of developing a new pipeline to connect supply with market via Williams’ existing Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line (Transco).

As part of a federal district court lawsuit, backers of the FERC-approved Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal project and related 234-mile natural gas transmission pipeline have accused Oregon state officials of stacking the regulatory deck against the LNG terminal developers because of widespread opposition to their project by the state’s attorney general as well as the heads of two state departments specifically named in the legal action.

FERC has given Dominion Cove Point LNG LP the green light to begin commercial operation of a new fifth storage tank at its liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal on the eastern shore of Maryland. With the new tank, the facility’s LNG storage capacity will be expanded to 7.8 Bcf from its current capacity of 5 Bcf. The company plans to add two or three more tanks later to accommodate volumes for Statoil, bringing total storage capacity to 14.6 Bcf. It also plans to expand current vaporization of 1 Bcf/d to 1.8 Bcf/d.

FERC has given Dominion Cove Point LNG LP the green light to begin commercial operation of a new fifth storage tank at its liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal on the eastern shore of Maryland. With the new tank, the facility’s LNG storage capacity will be expanded to 7.8 Bcf from its current capacity of 5 Bcf. The company plans to add two or three more tanks later to accommodate volumes for Statoil, bringing total storage capacity to 14.6 Bcf. It also plans to expand current vaporization of 1 Bcf/d to 1.8 Bcf/d.

Mirant Corp. reported last Wednesday that an explosion occurred at its 447 MW Lovett power station in Tompkins Cove, NY. The blast injured one employee and shut down the entire generating facility, according to spokeswoman Jamie Stephenson.

Less than one month after announcing the sale of its Cove PointLNG facilities to Williams for $150 million, Columbia already isputting more assets on the block. It has decided to sell ColumbiaPropane Corp. and Columbia Petroleum.