Support

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP has signed a long-term contract to support the expansion of its Sweeny Lateral pipeline, which it is building from the Kinder Morgan Crude Condensate pipeline to Phillip 66’s Sweeny Refinery in Brazoria County, TX. The expansion will increase the capacity on the 27-mile, 12-inch diameter lateral from an initial 30,000 b/d to 100,000 b/d. Kinder Morgan will add new pumps and an additional 120,000 bbl storage tank at its Wharton Pump Station in Wharton County, TX, and increase the truck offload capabilities at its DeWitt Station in DeWitt, County, TX. “We are pleased to provide Phillips 66 with a flexible option to move more crude and condensate out of the Eagle Ford Shale to their refinery in Sweeny,” said KMP Products Pipelines President Ron McClain. Kinder Morgan’s crude/condensate pipeline, which went into service last June, transports crude/condensate from the Eagle Ford to the Houston Ship Channel.

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, who is in her second week on the job, signaled Monday that new rules governing federal regulation of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) are imminent.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) gained more political support for a far-reaching plan to abandon its historic reliance on out-of-state coal-fired power generation and to rely more on natural gas.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) gained more political support for a far-reaching plan to abandon its historic reliance on out-of-state coal-fired power generation, and part of the plan includes a switch of coal units to burn natural gas.

Dover, OH-based Dennison Disposal LLC has applied for a permit to drill a Class II wastewater injection well in Union Township in Tuscarawas County, OH, to support oil and natural gas drilling in the Utica Shale. The well would be drilled to a depth of 7,900-9,000 feet, according to the permit application with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) The well, classified as a saltwater injection well, would have an average disposal capacity of 5,000 barrels a day of wastewater, and a maximum disposal capacity of 8,000 barrels a day. An ODNR spokesman said a public comment period on the proposed well is to end April 24. Last July, Gov. John Kasich signed an executive order temporarily giving the ODNR power to regulate injection wells (see Shale Daily, July 13, 2012). Specifically, the chief of the Division of Oil Gas Resources Management, currently Rick Simmers, has the authority to enact rules for injection wells, including requiring additional testing before drilling and possibly setting a maximum allowable injection pressure. The ODNR currently has an inventory of 151,000 Class II injection wells, including saltwater injection, enhanced oil recovery and annular disposal wells.

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy on Tuesday inked an agreement at the LNG 17 conference in Houston to work together — and with potential investors — to dig down and study unconventional energy resources in Alaska’s Arctic.

The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) has called on the House Ways and Means Committee’s Energy Tax Reform Working Group to to support the continuation of the tax breaks for oil and natural gas for fiscal year (FY) 2014.

Warm-ups are under way for a swarm of environmental protests if TransCanada Corp. gains industry support to advance its Energy East Pipeline proposal to convert part of its natural gas Mainline to oil service.

Portland Natural Gas Transmission System (PNGTS) indicated last week as it launched an open season that it is seeking market support of its plan to increase capacity on a pipeline to potentially benefit more of New England and Atlantic Canada customers.