Regulatory

President Biden is moving to reinstate the post-Macondo offshore safety rules enacted by the Obama administration, which were partly undone by the Trump administration. BP plc’s deepwater Macondo well explosion in 2010 killed 11 men, destroyed the Deep Horizon drilling rig and led to the largest oil spill in U.S. history. An extensive investigation by…

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) and a related promise for energy permitting reform may have improved the outlook for natural gas infrastructure, according to industry stakeholders. Speakers at LDC Forums’ Mid-Continent Forum in Chicago were under no illusions about the continued challenges facing newbuild projects, especially interstate pipelines. However, recent events have offered…

An environmental review of New Fortress Energy Inc.’s (NFE) LNG project proposed offshore of Louisiana could be delayed after the Maritime Administration (MARAD) paused the process while seeking more information from the firm, recently published documents show. In documents published for the first time publicly on Sept. 8, MARAD confirmed it had paused the review…

A manufacturing defect, a degraded coating and an ineffective corrosion prevention system contributed to a fatal explosion and fire on Enbridge Inc.’s Texas Eastern Transmission (Tetco) natural gas pipeline near Danville, KY, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday. The August 2019 Tetco Line 15 rupture and subsequent fire caused one death and sent…

Energy sector tensions between the United States and Mexico have quieted in recent days as both sides work to change the narrative towards cooperation.  U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Secretary of State Antony Blinken were in Mexico City on Monday to speak to top officials, including Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Orador, in what…

Mexico’s Hydrocarbon Companies Association (AMEXHI) has urged the country’s Senate to expedite the appointment of a new head at upstream regulator Comisión Nacional de Hidrocarburos (CNH). Former head Rogelio Hernández’s resignation was made public last week, meaning the CNH now has three active members. By law, the CNH requires four commissioners for duties to be…

Natural gas infrastructure considered “critical” by the state will be required to weatherize operations under rules approved Tuesday by the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC).  Objections by consumer and watchdog groups failed to sway the three-member commission, which enacted the rules unanimously.  Critics in comments sent to RRC and in person at the open meeting…

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court delivered a victory on Tuesday  for advocates of a transmission line that would connect renewable hydropower supply in Quebec with demand in New England. Fifty-nine percent of Maine voters had effectively voted down the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) project via a referendum dubbed Question 1 in November 2021.…

A rebound in Permian oil and gas permitting, along with a lift in the Haynesville and Marcellus shales, lifted the Lower 48 count in July to a three-year high, according to state and federal data. The “midsummer boost” compiled by Evercore ISI analysts, found that permitting overall rose by 707 month/month (m/m) and was 63%…