Effort

In an effort to further improve price transparency in natural gas markets, FERC Thursday issued a new rule requiring intrastate gas pipelines involved in interstate services and Hinshaw pipelines to report more transportation and storage transaction data than they currently do and to do so four times annually. A pipeline is deemed a Hinshaw line if the interstate gas its transports is received and consumed within the boundary of the same state.

In an effort to encourage innovation and spur the use of systems that would allow vehicles to run on alternative fuels including natural gas and electricity, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed the streamlining of the fuel conversion system approval process.

The American Gas Association (AGA) partnered with the New York Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA) to host an “Outlook for the Natural Gas Industry” luncheon on Wednesday in an effort to extol the long-term virtues of natural gas, and to reveal the AGA’s agenda for the year. But if the questions asked by the attendees are any indication, then the investment community as a whole is quite concerned that the massive U.S. federal budget deficit may have dire taxation impacts on the U.S. energy industry.

The American Gas Association (AGA) partnered with the New York Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA) to host an “Outlook for the Natural Gas Industry” luncheon on Wednesday in an effort to extol the long-term virtues of natural gas, and to reveal the AGA’s agenda for the year. But if the questions asked by the attendees are any indication, then the investment community as a whole is quite concerned that the massive U.S. federal budget deficit may have dire taxation impacts on the U.S. energy industry.

In an effort to create jobs and incentives for investment in Alaska’s oil and gas development, Gov. Sean Parnell on Thursday said he will propose amendments to the state’s production tax and exploration incentive credit (EIC) programs when the state legislature reconvenes Tuesday (Jan. 19).

In an effort to create jobs and incentives for investment in Alaska’s oil and gas development, Gov. Sean Parnell on Thursday said he will propose amendments to the state’s production tax and exploration incentive credit (EIC) programs when the state legislature reconvenes Tuesday (Jan. 19).

In an effort to improve its access to major refining and petrochemical markets in southern Louisiana, Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPP) has purchased three intrastate natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline systems from Chevron Midstream Pipelines LLC for an undisclosed price. EPP said the move will expand and extend the partnership’s South Louisiana network of midstream infrastructure. Originating from a central point in Henry, LA, the 212 miles of intrastate pipelines extend westward to Lake Charles, northward to Breaux Bridge in St. Martin Parish and eastward to Napoleonville, where Enterprise’s Promix NGL fractionation and storage facilities are located. “Reflecting the efficiencies and flexibility of our integrated midstream network, this targeted acquisition enhances our NGL pipeline access to the sizeable refining and petrochemical complex in Lake Charles for a relatively modest capital investment,” said EPP CEO Michael A. Creel, president and CEO of Enterprise. He noted that the assets acquisition would “complement our ongoing expansion plans in South Louisiana.” EPP’s network of intrastate pipelines in Louisiana transports NGL products between key supply points, including the partnership’s storage and terminal facilities at Breaux Bridge and its fractionation facilities at Norco, Promix and Baton Rouge, as well as various markets at Napoleonville, Geismar and other points along the Mississippi River. In addition to improving the partnership’s Louisiana NGL pipeline system to Lake Charles, the acquisition will increase capacity between Breaux Bridge and Napoleonville, EPP said. This bidirectional pipeline will also provide additional capacity for delivering Louisiana propane production into the Enterprise-owned Dixie Pipeline system for transportation to end-use markets throughout the southeastern United States or to the partnership’s Mont Belvieu, TX, NGL fractionation complex.

California regulators Friday moved on an expedited basis to address two consumer concerns — one about the veracity of the multi-billion-dollar effort to install utility smart meters statewide, and the second, a high percentage of low-income energy consumers having their service cut off by the state’s major investor-owned energy utilities.

Giving energy market participants a more detailed snapshot of the types of market participants and their current positions in an effort to boost market transparency, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) last week rolled out more than three years of history of disaggregated data included in their weekly Commitments of Traders (COT) reports.