Examining

U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) investigators examining the April 2010 Macondo well blowout and Deepwater Horizon platform explosion in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) have concluded in a preliminary report that BP plc, Transocean Ltd. and other operators, along with trade associations and U.S. regulators, “largely judged the safety of offshore facilities by focusing on personal injury and fatality data (such as dropped objects and slips, trips and falls), that overshadowed the use of leading indicators more focused on managing the potential for catastrophic accidents.”

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s recent distribution of $30 million aimed at advancing the natural gas vehicles (NGV), two separate projects are examining breakthroughs in fueling to make the vehicle operator more independent of public refueling stations.

Oregon officials and news media were examining the viability of two remaining liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal projects following the bankruptcy of NorthernStar Natural Gas Corp. and its abandonment of the Bradwood Landing LNG project along the Columbia River (see NGI, May 10).

Oregon officials and news media were examining the viability of two remaining (liquefied natural gas) LNG receiving terminal projects last weekend following the bankruptcy of NorthernStar Natural Gas Corp. and its abandonment of the Bradwood Landing LNG project along the Columbia River. Based on news media reports, NorthernStar spent $100 million during the past six years of permitting for the Bradwood site, but company officials were unavailable to verify that estimate.

The supply and distribution segments of the natural gas industry butted heads last Tuesday during a California Energy Commission (CEC) workshop examining how gas is bought by utilities and large noncore purchasers. From the utilities’ point of view, the state-sanctioned incentive mechanism and month-to-month purchases are resulting in generally low prices for retail consumers.

The supply and distribution segments of the natural gas industry butted heads Tuesday during a California Energy Commission (CEC) workshop examining how gas is bought by utilities and large noncore purchasers. From the utilities’ point of view, the state-sanctioned incentive mechanism and month-to-month purchases are resulting in generally low prices for retail consumers.

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) last Thursday directed private-sector energy utilities in the state to participate in a series of workshops examining ways to make energy more affordable for consumers. The regulators encouraged individual utility customers and consumer groups to participate.

A new study examining the potential of oil and gas production from the Arctic contains disappointing news for anyone who was counting on the region to become the next oil breadbasket for the United States.

A recently completed FERC staff investigation examining allegations by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) that certain importers submitted bids for the purpose of collecting “uplift” payments without delivering any net energy to CAISO, concludes that British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority subsidiary Powerex did not violate FERC and CAISO rules against market manipulation.