Infrastructure

With FERC steaming ahead with a potential approval later this month, Kinder Morgan’s proposed Sierrita Pipeline project for delivering natural gas to southwestern markets in the United States and high-growth power generation markets in northern Mexico appears to be stuck in local political mud in Pima County, AZ.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Friday ruled that FERC “impermissibly segmented the environmental review” of Tennessee Gas Pipeline’s (TGP) Northeast Upgrade Project and remanded the case to the Commission “for further consideration of segmentation and cumulative impacts.”

There is more variety on the horizon for natural gas vehicles (NGV) based on recent announcements by Westport Innovations and Volvo in providing compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) products.

Southern Company, the nation’s fourth-largest electric utility, is urging FERC to reject a proposed merger between Gulf South Storage Pipeline Co. LP and Petal Gas Storage LLC, arguing that such a merger would be detrimental to its more than 4.4 million retail customers.

TransCanada Corp. today announced its fourth pipeline entry to serve the stack of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects on the northern Pacific coast of British Columbia. The latest proposal — named Merrick Mainline — calls for addition of a 260-kilometer (161-mile) extension to the Prince Rupert region of TransCanada’s BC and Alberta gathering network, Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. (NGTL), from Dawson Creek, BC.

Dominion has asked federal regulators to OK two natural gas pipeline projects — one to serve Upstate New York, the other for West Virginia — that would rely on home-based supply from the Appalachian Basin.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) said on Tuesday it is making $3.6 million in grants available to help nurture 12 additional fueling stations for compressed natural gas (CNG). Grant proposals are due by July 9.

A bill to kill a mega-lawsuit against the oil and gas industry for damage to Louisiana’s coastal wetlands passed the state’s legislature on Friday and was on its way to Gov. Bobby Jindal for his signature.

Repairs were completed Wednesday and local natural gas utility service began to be restored in the far northwest corner of Minnesota, following a rupture and explosion Monday on a portion of Oneok Partners LP’s 24-inch diameter Viking Gas Transmission Pipeline (see Daily GPI, May 27).