Processes

BP plc last week launched a Gulf Claims Fraud Hotline “to help protect the integrity of the claims processes” related to the 2010 Macondo well blowout and Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

New rules to encourage the state’s oil and natural gas operators to conserve water used in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) processes were adopted Tuesday by the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC).

Dominion said Friday it will proceed with engineering, marketing and regulatory review processes for proposed natural gas liquefaction and export facilities at its Dominion Cove Point liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal on the Chesapeake Bay in Lusby, MD, following a favorable court ruling on the project.

Dominion said Friday it will proceed with engineering, marketing and regulatory review processes for proposed natural gas liquefaction and export facilities at its Dominion Cove Point liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal on the Chesapeake Bay in Lusby, MD, following a favorable court ruling on the project.

Summit Midstream Partners LLC and Energy Transfer Partners LP unit La Grange Acquisition LP have agreed for Summit to acquire ETC Canyon Pipeline LLC for $207 million. Canyon gathers and processes gas in the Piceance and Uinta basins in Colorado and Utah. The gathering and processing system consists of more than 1,600 miles of pipeline, 44,000 hp of compression, processing assets with capacity of 97 MMcf/d, and two natural gas liquids injection stations. The deal is expected to close during the fourth quarter subject to regulatory approvals and conditions.

Both the regulatory and commercial processes are on track for the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline linking western Canadian and U.S. Upper Midwest supply sources to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) region, TransCanada CEO Russ Girling told financial analysts Tuesday on a conference call. Under questioning, however, he admitted delays could sour current support the line enjoys from major shippers and refiners on both sides of the international border.

Having been part of the shale natural gas supply revolution, Chesapeake Energy Corp. wants to “kick-start the demand revolution,” CEO Aubrey McClendon said Monday when the company announced a $1 billion venture capital fund — Chesapeake NG Ventures Corp. (CNGV) — to invest in companies and technologies to enable replacement of gasoline and diesel fuel with natural gas and gas-to-liquids (GTL) fuels.

Despite what he sees as excessive federal government regulation and unnecessarily lengthy permitting processes, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell still believes his state will become “the energy capital of the East Coast” and an offshore energy leader.

California regulators on Thursday waived normal hiring processes to form a review panel to address concerns about Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s (PG&E) ability to meet peak demand in the event of a severe cold snap in the San Francisco Bay Area.