Marine

A Texas lawmaker wants to charge a 25 cent/boe fee for the transfer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil and petroleum products to or from marine terminals in order to support a $20 million fund that would pay for measures to combat coastal erosion. However, it is in doubt whether the fee would be in compliance with the U.S. Constitution.

The Center for Liquefied Natural Gas (CLNG) said Tuesday new data shows the actual impact of offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects on marine life in the Gulf of Mexico will be “substantially less” than originally identified by environmental analyses. CLNG arrived at its findings following an independent ecological review of the analyses.

Richard Clarke, former anti-terrorism czar for both the Bush and Clinton administrations, is preparing a threat analysis of the proposed marine transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG) through Narragansett Bay, said Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch. The U.S. Coast Guard has requested a copy of the analysis, which is due to be completed by mid-April.

Richard Clarke, former anti-terrorism czar for both the Bush and Clinton administrations, is preparing a threat analysis of the proposed marine transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG) through Narragansett Bay, said Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch. The U.S. Coast Guard has requested a copy of the analysis, which is due to be completed by mid-April.

El Paso Corp. has closed on the sale of its Aruba refinery and related marine, bunkering, and marketing affiliates to Valero Energy Corp. for $465 million plus $162 million for working capital. In connection with closing, El Paso retired a $366 million lease financing associated with the refinery. The sale supports El Paso’s long-range plan to reduce the company’s total debt, net of cash, to approximately $15 billion by year-end 2005. So far, the company has announced or closed $2.9 billion of the $3.3 billion to $3.9 billion of asset sales targeted under the plan.

Despite extensive negotiations and concessions by project planners, the U. S. Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) has protested the construction of an underwater Bahamas to Florida LNG pipeline proposed by AES Ocean Express LLC. According to the center, the proposed line would run through the Navy’s south Florida test range compromising “the mission, operations, maintenance, safety and security at the [testing facility]; thereby adversely impacting unique surface and submarine warfare testing which are essential to the Navy and the security of the Nation and the Fleet.”

BC Gas selected Marine Pipeline Construction, a division of MurphyPipeline Inc., as its contractor for the 188-mile, 24-inch diameterSouthern Crossing gas pipeline. The contractor will begin movingequipment immediately to locations along the pipeline route, whichstretches from Oliver to Yahk, BC. Construction is expected to beginbefore June 1 and be completed by November. The C$377 million projectwill be designed to initially transport 250 MMcf/d with room forexpansion to 600 MMcf/d. Addition details are available in a pdffile on BC Gas’web site.