Freeport Gets US OK to Begin Steps to Restart LNG Plant
Freeport LNG, the second-biggest U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter, got approval from federal regulators on Thursday to take early steps to restart its fire-idled LNG export plant in Texas.Freeport, however, has not yet sought permission to restart the liquefaction trains that turn natural gas into LNG for export. That resumption of LNG production will have to come in a later request with federal regulators.Energy analysts have said they still expect most of the plant's…
Freeport LNG May Extend Texas Plant Restart to February
Top U.S. gas exporter, Freeport LNG, is expected to further extend the seven-month-long outage of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plant in Texas to February, as it awaits regulatory approvals, three sources told Reuters on Wednesday.Accounting for 20% of U.S. LNG exports, resumption of the facility is important to ease the squeeze of global LNG supplies, especially as Europe is rebuilding its gas storage after Russia cut gas exports following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine."There has been no official messaging…
Freeport Pushes Texas LNG Export Plant Restart to Year End
Freeport LNG on Friday again delayed the restart of the second-biggest U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility, pushing start-up plans for its Texas plant to the end of the year, pending regulatory approval.In November, the company said it was on track to restart the plant in mid December and get most LNG production back in January with a return to full service in March.Freeport shut the plant on June 8 after an explosion that energy consultants said was the result of human error…
Freeport LNG Restart Delay Causes Vessels to Seek Other Ports
A few liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels have turned away from the Freeport LNG export plant in Texas over the past few days on expectations the plant's restart will be delayed until December or later, according to ship tracking data from Refinitiv.Federal pipeline safety regulators on Tuesday released a heavily redacted consultant's report that blamed inadequate operating and testing procedures, human error and fatigue for the June 8 explosion that shut the Freeport plant.Freeport had not yet submitted a request to resume service to the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) as of earlier this week.
Eagle LNG Receives Draft EIS
Eagle LNG, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ferus Natural Gas Fuels, informed that the United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) granted the company their draft environmental impact statement (DEIS).The draft EIS puts Eagle LNG on a clear path to FID on the Jacksonville Export Project and continues Eagle LNG’s success in using small-scale LNG to supply bunkering to the marine industry and to provide small scale LNG cargoes to markets in the Caribbean.“Our customers, and potential clients, join us in being encouraged that FERC has released the DEIS ahead of schedule. It moves us considerably closer to meeting our goal of expanding clean burning, domestic, and affordable LNG supply for marine bunkering and for small-scale LNG projects in the Caribbean.
US Orders Owner to Clean Up Ruptured Pipeline
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard issued a joint federal Clean Water Act order to ensure the cleanup of heavy crude oil leaked from a pipeline near Refugio State Beach, Santa Barbara County, Calif. The order requires Plains Pipeline, L.P. (a.k.a. Plains All American Pipeline), the pipeline owner and operator, to continue its cleanup work inland, beachside, and in the ocean, to contain the oil and prevent further shoreline contamination. Today’s…
Saipem: A Fleet Grows in Brazil
As some pre-salt plays begin production, a wide range of subsea infrastructure is being built, with O&G transportation pipeline grids being one of the vital downstream systems. Saipem has been recipient of the first major contracts to install deepwater pre-salt pipelines by national operator Petrobras. Claudio Paschoa, Maritime Reporter’s correspondent in Brazil brings us an in-depth look at Saipem’s vessels and projects in Brazil. Saipem’s pipelaying segment is part of a unified Business Unit Engineering & Construction, an entity with more than 30,000 employees from more than 100 nationalities, with more than 60 permanent establishments and numerous project execution centers worldwide, which has maintained yearly revenues exceeding $13 billion.
IES Maritime Fire-Fighting Services Now Serves US East Coast
Industrial Emergency Services LLC (IES) says that as part of its ongoing nationwide expansion of land-based and maritime emergency response and related safety services, it has added capabilities on the East Coast to supplement its existing Gulf Coast and West Coast infrastructure. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, LA, IES informs that the East Coast locations include Linwood, PA and Fort Lauderdale, FL. The bases add to IES’s capability to respond not only for marine firefighting incidents as part of the alliance with SVITZER Salvage…
A Regulatory Seascape
Regulation shapes the workboat industry perhaps more than any other single factor. This regulatory seascape includes a myriad of onerous and ever-changing rules. A ‘SITREP’ on those choppy waters is therefore in order. Last December, the Coast Guard closed the public comment period following its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) requiring nearly all towing vessels to obtain Certificates of Inspection under Subchapter M of CFR 46. The Coast Guard’s Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise (NCE) estimates that there are 5,800 U.S.
Stolt Offshore Announces $80M Contract
Stolt Offshore S.A. announced today the award of a contract, valued at approximately $80 million, from BG International Limited for the installation of about 90km of 24-in. diameter gas transportation pipeline and an associated 12-in. diameter infield flowline and well control umbilical. The gas transportation pipeline will take gas from the Dolphin Platform off the East coast of Trinidad to the Beachfield onshore facility. Offshore installation will be in the second half of this year. Quinn Hébert, President, Stolt Offshore North Americas Region, said, "We welcome this contract award for pipelay work in Trinidad, an increasingly important market for us and one in which we are committed to maximise the local content of our projects wherever possible.
Stolt Offshore Awarded $50M Contract in Norway
Stolt Offshore S.A. announced that it had been awarded a contract valued at approximately $50 million by Hydro Oil and Energy for the installation of an export pipeline from the Njord FPU to the Asgard transportation pipeline. The contract is for the installation of 40 kilometers of twelve inch diameter pipe together with the design, fabrication and installation of associated structures, trenching, rock dumping and the tie-in of the pipeline. Engineering work for this project has now started. The installation work will take place in 2006 and 2007. Øeyvind Mikaelsen, Vice President for the Northern Europe and Canada region, said "This award, following the Langeled and Ormen Lange pipeline contracts, demonstrates that we are successfully focusing on meeting our customers' requirements.
