Memorandum

U.S. Forest Service officials terminated a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Stanley Energy Inc. after questions surfaced about the Denver-based company’s influence over a plan to drill in the Wyoming Range.

Following up on its previously announced plan, Shell Ship Management Ltd. said Wednesday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the American Maritime Officers (AMO) union formalizing the addition of U.S. seafarers to Shell’s officer cadre. In February, Shell announced it would begin a U.S.-focused recruitment drive to help meet the company’s need for highly qualified liquefied natural gas (LNG) ship’s officers to fill positions on its fleet of international LNG carriers (see Daily GPI, Feb. 11). “We have worked to create an attractive and competitive package for qualified U.S. officers interested in international LNG assignments,” said Bob Salmon, general manager of shipping for Shell Trading (US) Co. “We are pleased that MARAD [Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration] has focused on LNG training, as the highly trained U.S. officers will enhance our existing skill pool, and that AMO has been proactive in working with Shell to develop international U.S. marine officers. It is a win-win situation for everyone involved.” The MOU between Shell and AMO begins immediately. According to Salmon, U.S. mariners will benefit from Shell’s long experience in LNG shipping. Shell said its various companies have equity, management or chartering positions in around a quarter of the world’s LNG carriers, either directly or through joint ventures and currently manage 31 LNG carriers. Shell also employs more than 700 fleet marine officers with LNG experience and a further 200 officers are also enrolled in Shell’s LNG onboarding program. The number of LNG carriers Shell manages will grow rapidly over the next two years as it has also been selected by Nakilat Shipping (Qatar) Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd., to provide a full range of shipping and marine services including the management and manning of a further 25 LNG carriers.

Alliance Pipeline Inc. and Questar Overthrust Pipeline entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) last week to develop the Rockies Alliance Pipeline (RAP), a jointly owned interstate natural gas pipeline that would extend from Wamsutter, WY, to the Minnesota/Canadian border at the Emerson trading hub.

Alliance Pipeline Inc. and Questar Overthrust Pipeline have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop the Rockies Alliance Pipeline (RAP), a jointly owned interstate natural gas pipeline that would extend from Wamsutter, WY, to the Minnesota/Canadian border at the Emerson trading hub.

American Electric Power (AEP) and Allegheny Energy last Wednesday said they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to form a joint venture to build and own significant new electric transmission assets within the PJM Interconnection. The agreement calls for the two utilities to build the first half of a 550-mile, $3 billion 755-kV transmission superhighway that was proposed by AEP in January 2006.

A consortium composed of South Korea’s national oil company KOGAS, Korean-based LG International and Houston-based EMS Group have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to operate the liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility being developed near Port Lavaca, TX, in Point Comfort.

A consortium composed of South Korea’s national oil company KOGAS, Korean-based LG International and Houston-based EMS Group have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to operate the liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility being developed near Port Lavaca, TX, in Point Comfort.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) that would give Sound Energy Solutions (SES) exclusive development rights for its Long Beach, CA, liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal is set to expire the end of this week, and the oversight board of the Port of Long Beach is considering whether to extend the agreement. Both sides told NGI that regardless of what the Harbor Commission does, permitting and environmental review work by both sides will continue on the project.

Duke Energy Gas Transmission (DEGT) and CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission (CEGT) signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday to develop a massive natural gas pipeline system that would stretch from the supply basins in West Texas to the metropolitan Pittsburgh, PA, area, providing western producers greater access to midwestern and eastern markets.