With industry, a U.S. senator and North Dakota state officials all focused on robust permitting applications for oil and natural gas development in the Bakken Shale, a new collaboration of federal agencies, the Bakken Federal Executives Group, is the latest attempt to streamline federal processes that are criticized for being too slow.
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued a permit to Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. LLC (TGP) for its Northeast Upgrade Project after determining that it is in the public interest and would not adversely affect the environment. An environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project is not necessary, in part because the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) gave its approval in May 2012 (see NGI, June 4, 2012). The Northeast Upgrade Project calls for expanding TGP’s existing 24-inch diameter 300 Line by building five, 30-inch diameter pipeline loops and modifying four existing compressor stations. The $400 million project would allow an additional 636,000 Dth/d of natural gas to be transported via the 300 Line to markets in the Northeast. An interconnection with the Algonquin Gas Transmission line also is to be built in Mahwah, NJ.
Tennessee’s Northeast Upgrade Receives Army Corps Permit
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has issued a permit to Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. LLC (TGP) for its Northeast Upgrade Project after determining that it is in the public interest and would not adversely affect the environment.
Environmental Group Wants DRBC to Control NatGas Pipelines
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network said more than 50 organizations have signed a petition asking the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) to take regulatory authority over natural gas pipelines in the watershed.
SRBC to Consider 35 Water Withdrawal Permits in December
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) will consider 35 applications for water withdrawals, most of them intended to support natural gas drilling, at its next meeting in mid-December.
Battelle Collaborates with Ohio on Drilling Water Issues
Independent researcher Battelle is deploying scientists and engineers to Ohio to collaborate with state regulators about solving water issues at Marcellus and Utica shale drilling sites with new technology.
Point Thomson Project Advances on Corps Approval
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last week issued a record of decision (ROD) and Section 404 wetlands permit that were needed for the Point Thomson liquid condensate project led by ExxonMobil Corp., to begin construction this winter on Alaska’s North Slope.
Researchers Looking at Ways to Maximize Natural Gas Development
A team of scientists, engineers and educators from the University of Colorado Boulder (CU-Boulder) has been charged by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to explore ways that maximize the benefits of natural gas development while minimizing potential negative effects.
36,000 Shale Wells and Counting
There are roughly 36,000 shale wells in the five major shale basins in the United States that have produced nearly 23 Tcf of natural gas and 682 million barrels of oil and condensate, according to a tally gleaned from state regulatory records by Powell Shale Digest, a weekly newsletter specializing in North American shale news and research.
Operators Unfazed As Drought Forces SRBC to Suspend Permits Again
In a move anticipated by oil and natural gas producers, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) said Monday it was suspending 64 water withdrawal permits due to ongoing drought conditions in the basin, the highest number of suspensions since it began issuing permits in 2008.