An expansion of Seaway Crude Oil Pipeline is nearing completion and will increase capacity from about 150,000 b/d to about 400,000 b/d, said Seaway Crude Oil Pipeline LLC, a joint venture of Enterprise Products Partners and Enbridge Inc. Seaway suspended service on its 500-mile, 30-inch diameter pipeline to complete the remaining pump station connections. Service is expected to resume by Jan. 11. In addition to the pipeline that transports crude oil from Cushing, OK, to the Gulf Coast, the Seaway system is composed of a terminal and distribution network originating in Texas City, TX, which serves refineries locally and in the Houston area. The Seaway system also includes dock facilities at Freeport and Texas City. Further expansion of the system is planned to be completed in 2014 (see Shale Daily, March 28, 2012).
Nearing
Articles from Nearing
New York Landowners Start Legal Fund to Target Frack Bans
A landowners group in central New York that supports natural gas development has established a legal fund to fight local bans and moratoriums on hydraulic fracturing (fracking).
Lenape Sues New York Town and DEC Over Drilling Ban
Lenape Resources Inc., an oil and natural gas producer based in New York, has filed a lawsuit against a town in Livingston County for enacting a local drilling ban, and against the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for failing to rein in the town over the ban.
Exploratory Drilling Stalled in Part of Colorado
Leases for oil and gas development along the southern fringe of the Piceance Basin in western Colorado are nearing their expiration as a citizens’ action and the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are blocking five exploration/production (E&P) companies, including a unit of Encana Corp.’s U.S. operations, spread over a five-county area.
New York GOP Wants Fracking to Advance; York Rejects Moratorium
Two Republican state senators, key supporters of Marcellus and Utica shale gas drilling in New York, are anxious to see Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration move forward with the process to establish rules for drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF).
PG&E Foresees San Bruno Settlements by Year-End
Nearing the second anniversary of the 2010 natural gas transmission pipeline rupture and explosion in the San Francisco suburb of San Bruno (see Daily GPI, Sept. 13, 2010), Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) is hoping to reach a global settlement on four ongoing state regulatory proceedings that are plaguing the multi-billion-dollar combination utility, according to PG&E Corp. CEO Anthony Earley.
Industry Brief
Southcross Energy is expanding the capacity of its Bonnie View Fractionator, which is nearing completion in Refugio County in South Texas. Initial capacity was intended to be 11,500 b/d of natural gas liquids (NGL), but that has been increased to 22,500 b/d. The facility is expected to operate at the higher capacity beginning in January. The fractionator is connected to the Seadrift ethane and propane products pipelines and will have truck-loading facilities to ship and receive NGL products. Completion of this project will bring Dallas-based Southcross Energy’s fractionation capacity in the Corpus Christi, TX, area to 27,300 b/d. About a year ago Southcross acquired about 58 miles of 6-, 8-, 10- and 12-inch diameter natural gas pipelines in San Patricio and Refugio counties (see Shale Daily, July 6, 2011).
U.S. Shale Liquids to Triple, Report Says
U.S. shale liquids production could triple during the next few years, nearing 1.5 million b/d, according to an “Energy Insight” report from a Massachusetts-based energy consulting firm, Energy Security Analysis Inc. (ESAI). The eventual impact on U.S. imports and exports of energy could be significant, but there are still uncertainties and challenges.
Onshore Drilling Activity Nears 20-Year High
Driven by the rise in oil prices and new technology, U.S. onshore drilling has returned to pre-recession levels, with the rig count nearing a 20-year high, according to researcher Headwaters Economics.
Onshore Drilling Activity Nears 20-Year High
Driven by the rise in oil prices and new technology, U.S. onshore drilling has returned to pre-recession levels, with the rig count nearing a 20-year high, according to researcher Headwaters Economics.
