Regulatory

The GPA Midstream Association said it opposes efforts by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to collect a broad range of information from the oil and gas industry under the Clean Air Act (CAA), but that if the plan goes through the agency should streamline certain regulatory programs.

Magellan Petroleum Corp. and Tellurian Investments Inc., a recently formed private company focused on developing a mid-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility on the U.S. Gulf Coast, have agreed to merge. The boards of each company have approved the deal; shareholder and regulatory approvals are still required, with closing expected by the end of the year. Each share of Tellurian is to be converted into the right to receive 1.30 shares of Magellan. Magellan would issue 122 million shares of common stock to Tellurian shareholders, representing about 95% of pro forma outstanding common stock. Tellurian is developing Driftwood LNG, a 26-million tonne liquefaction project in Louisiana (see Daily GPI,May 13).

Texas has joined North Dakota in its lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over three new final rules governing methane emissions from oil and gas industry sources.

Millennium Pipeline Co. LLC has asked FERC to issue permits for its proposed Eastern System Upgrade (ESU) project, which would provide an additional 223,000 Dth/d of firm transportation service to local distribution companies (LDC) and municipalities in New York State.

Six years after launching an effort to modify how federal agencies conduct National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews with regard to climate change, the Obama administration unveiled final guidance it said is designed to quantify the impacts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The Transportation Department’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has proposed levying a $1.6 million fine against Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Co. (Transco) for an explosion and fire that killed four workers in Louisiana last October.

The Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has completed an upgrade to its online drilling permit processing system and will now handle all such applications electronically.

Pennsylvania’s former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell said this week that he made a “mistake” in putting the economic benefits of the shale gas boom before environmental protections.

The Canadian crusade to break into global liquefied natural gas (LNG) markets was extended Thursday when a project sponsored by Imperial Oil and 70% owner ExxonMobil obtained a 15-year extension to its overseas sales hunting permit.