Proposed

FERC on Thursday issued an environmental assessment (EA) on the Cove Point Liquefaction Project on the Chesapeake Bay in Calvert County, MD, and issued a final environmental impact statement (FEIS) on the Downeast LNG import project to be located in Washington County, ME. In both cases, the projects were found by Commission staff to pose little harm if recommended mitigation measures are followed.

Interstate pipelines would have to rise and shine a lot earlier to serve an industry segment that is growing significantly in gas-demand importance — electric power generators — under a FERC proposal released Thursday intended to better coordinate the nation's interstate pipelines and gas-fired power plants.

The city council in Carson, CA, a Los Angeles suburb located in the oil-producing area surrounding the Long Beach-LA Harbor, on Wednesday night set a 45-day ban on oil/natural gas drilling as it considers plans by Occidental Petroleum Corp. (Oxy) to step up directional drilling from a 6.5-acre site in the city. The ban could be extended up to two years.

The three-member North Dakota Industrial Commission, including Gov. Jack Dalrymple, which oversees oil and natural gas operations in the state, on Wednesday directed commission staff to come up with mitigation plans to protect vulnerable areas from exploration and production (E&P) impacts.

North Dakota officials on Thursday approved more extensive proposed pipeline regulations and reporting requirements for the oil and natural gas industry, including provisions aimed at cutting the amount of wellhead gas flaring.

FERC staff Friday issued a favorable draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line’s (Transco) proposal to build a $182 million expansion of its system to meet growing natural gas demand in New York City and the Rockaways with Marcellus Shale gas supplies.

Wyoming state regulators are pursuing expanded rules related to emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and methane, both primary components of natural gas. They are seeking tougher mandates for leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs and drawing kudos from environmentalists.

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is proposing a permitting program for liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities and LNG transport within the state in light of increasing interest in the development of LNG facilities. Such a move could lift a 40-year ban on new LNG storage in the state.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday issued long-awaitedproposed rulesfor greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for new power plants, leaving gas-fired plants mostly unaffected but making construction of new coal-fired plants problematic.