Natural Gas Industry News

Qatar's planned expansion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) production could see it control nearly 25% share of the global market by 2030 and squeeze out rival projects including in the United States where President Biden paused new export approvals, market experts say.Qatar, one of the world's top LNG exporters, plans an 85% expansion in LNG output from its North Field's current 77 million metric tons per year (mtpa) to 142 mtpa by 2030, from previously expected 126 mtpa.Some market experts said that the move will have an impact on global projects in the United States…

Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, introduced Canada’s draft framework to cap pollution from the oil and gas sector on December 7. The aim is to reduce emissions and remain competitive in a shifting global market. “No sector of the economy should be allowed to emit unlimited pollution, not when we are all driving toward the same goal of net zero by 2050 to ward off the worst impacts of the climate crisis,” said the ministers in a statement.

A federal judge in Louisiana has ordered an expansion of next week's sale of oil leases in the Gulf of Mexico, saying the Biden administration must include additional acreage, according to a court ruling issued late on Thursday.The oil and gas industry, which had sued the administration,  welcomed the decision to restore 6 million acres to the auction after the Interior Department's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management earlier reduced the area available for lease in an effort to protect an endangered whale.U.S.

After what has seemed like the longest year ever, the offshore energy sector is emerging from a position of strength, from the standpoint of both economics and sustainability. Between the lockdowns implemented to reduce COVID-19, which reduced energy demand, to the oil price war between state-backed producers, 2020 was an unprecedented storm that hit the American offshore energy market. Now, there are unmistakable signs of a recovery, and policy makers in Washington, D.C. should embrace the opportunity before us to for sustained economic…

Offshore support vessel (OSV) owner Tidewater Inc. announced Wednesday the appointment of Darron M. Anderson to its Board of Directors, effective immediately.Anderson has served as President and Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the board of directors of Ranger Energy Services since March 2017. He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Express Energy Services from 2008 to August 2015. Anderson began his career in the oil and natural gas industry…

Oilfield products company Forum Energy Technologies said it has sealed a contract to supply a Mojave remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for the Norwegian firm ESEA Marine.Sub-Atlantic Mojave will also be used by ESEA Submarine’s sister company, ESEA Marine AS, which has customers that include fish farms, port authorities and insurance companies, said the international oilfield products company, serving the subsea, drilling, completion and  production sectors of the oil and natural gas industry.In addition, the Mojave will play a training role in helping ROV pilots to develop their skills.Georg Stranden, general manager at ESEA Submarine…

ENTREC Corporation, a heavy haul transportation and crane solutions provider, is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of Capstan Hauling .Based in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Capstan is a leading provider of heavy haul transportation services to the oil and natural gas industry in north-west Alberta and north-east B.C. Capstan has approximately 45 employees and lease operators and operates an extensive equipment fleet valued in excess of $9.0 million.Capstan’s fleet consists of mobile cranes, picker trucks, winch trucks and a wide variety of multi-wheeled trailers.“With our outlook improving for the oil and natural gas industry in western Canada, this acquisition is very timely for ENTREC,” said John M.

Rising exports have thrown a lifeline to U.S. shale producers and refiners, giving them an additional outlet at a time when the domestic market has been at risk of becoming saturated. The United States exported record quantities of natural gas, propane, gasoline, distillate fuel oil and light crude last year while continuing to import the heavy oils needed by its refineries. Gas exports increased by almost 30 percent in 2016 and have more than tripled in the last decade, limiting the build up of unused gas and supporting prices in recent months despite the warmest winter on record.

National Ocean Industries Association President Randall Luthi today issued the following statement on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s denial of seismic survey permits for the Atlantic OCS. “In yet another ‘black Friday’ announcement targeting the offshore oil and natural gas industry, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) blanket denial of seismic survey permits is an unsurprising attempt to put another nail in the coffin of sensible energy exploration in the Atlantic. Not only does this decision conflict with BOEM’s own scientific conclusion that seismic surveys are environmentally safe, it is self-fulfilling rhetoric, basing its reasoning on President Obama’s recent withdrawal of 3.8 million acres in the north and mid-Atlantic Ocean.

Last month, a large cruise ship completed its inaugural cruise through the Northwest Passage. The historic journey brought nearly 1,700 passengers from Seward, Alaska, past the rugged wilderness and isolated villages of the Arctic, to the concrete jungle of New York City. Along the way, passengers and crew were treated to a stunning contrast of climates, geography and culture. While understandable, concerns over passenger safety, wildlife disruptions and water pollution went unrealized during the historic cruise through the passage.

Petronet LNG Ltd has annouced that the part facilities of the expansion of Dahej LNG Terminal from 10 tlko 15 MMTPA i.e. regasification facility has been commissioned and under stabilization.    As such the additional gas send-out from Dahej LNG terminal  in the north-west state of Gujarat has commenced. The balance part of the expansion i.e. two LNG storage tanks are likely to be completed by October, 2016.   Petronet LNG is one of the leading players in oil and natural gas industry space. It has India’s first and largest LNG supply terminal located at Dahej.

“NOIA applauds members of the House of Representatives for passing the first Interior and Environment Appropriations bill since 2009. Not only does the passage of the bill bring back regular order, the Fiscal Year 2017 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill includes smart policy provisions to limit the harmful impact of many short-sighted regulations targeting offshore oil and natural gas exploration and development and includes protections from other potential politically-driven regulations the Obama administration could levy on its way out of office. “Some of the common-sense provisions included in the bill directly target new rules released during this year’s onslaught of job-killing federal regulations.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) says prospects for British Columbia’s nascent LNG sector export projects have ‘darkened’ and deferrals are likely. British Columbia faces intense competition from the rest of the world in developing its liquefied natural gas industry in part because projects will not be viable at today's low gas prices, IEA says. In a five-year outlook on global demand for natural gas, the Paris-based agency throws cold water on the B.C. government’s hopes of being home to three liquefied natural gas projects by 2020. Procuring the required skilled labour is more difficult and costlier in this environment. The IEA points to the decline in Asian demand as consumers there found alternatives to pricey LNG…

B.C. Premier Christy Clark has announced an agreement in principle with Pacific NorthWest LNG, owned in majority by Malaysia's Petronas, for a liquefied natural gas development on the province's northwest coast. Hailed as “the largest capital investment in B.C. history,” Clark said the LNG framework will result in stable, long-term revenue for B.C. and $36 billion in investment, including a proposal for an LNG facility near Prince Rupert. Both are intended to provide certainty to the Petronas-led Pacific Northwest LNG project and encourage them to make a final investment decision to build a project in British Columbia. Although there are 19 proposed LNG projects in B.C.…

The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) Board of Directors has elected Cindy B. Taylor as Chair and Kevin McEvoy as Vice Chairman for the upcoming 2015-2016 term. Taylor and McEvoy assumed their positions at the NOIA Annual Meeting today in Washington, DC. Since 2007, Cindy has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Oil States International, Inc., a publicly traded diversified oilfield services company headquartered in Houston. She also serves on the company’s board of directors, and has been NOIA’s Vice Chair for the 2014 -2015 term. “The oil and natural gas industry is tough and resilient. Since I first joined NOIA…

National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Randall Luthi issued a statement on the 2017-2022 Draft Proposed OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program, stating the U.S. Department of the Interior’s draft offshore oil and gas leasing program adds Atlantic opportunities, but misses others. “The National Ocean Industries Association is pleased that the Department of the Interior has released the 2017-2022 draft proposed offshore oil and natural gas leasing program but expresses concern over its unnecessary and counterproductive limits that may jeopardize America’s long term energy security. Our members are encouraged by the decision to further analyze the mid and south Atlantic areas, which have not been included in a leasing program for over two generations.

The South Australian Liberal Party risks damaging investor and public confidence in the natural gas industry by moving to establish a Parliamentary inquiry into hydraulic fracturing – an industry practice that has been used safely in the State for many decades. APPEA’s Chief Operating Officer Western Region, Stedman Ellis, said the inquiry proposed by the Member for Mt Gambier had little basis in science. Mr Ellis said the South Australian Parliament needed to be wary that it did not provide a megaphone for people who want to undermine the industry and the investment and jobs it provided. “South Australia has consistently been ranked in international surveys as the most attractive Australian state for oil and gas investment,” Mr Ellis said.

Commissioner David Porter of the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) Tuesday visited several south Texas border oil and gas facilities and pipeline rights-of-way to meet with field staff, operators, law enforcement and security officials to examine the vulnerability of Texas’ critical industry infrastructure. "While oil and gas operators take every precaution to limit any threat to their equipment and product, the unfettered flow of illegal aliens complicates their efforts,” said Porter. Commissioner Porter recently sent a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske, questioning the agency’s commitment to border security and the protection of vital U.S. interests and infrastructure.

Foster Wheeler AG (Nasdaq:FWLT) announced today that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group, in joint venture with affiliates of Chiyoda Corporation, Saipem S.p.A. and WorleyParsons Limited (“CFSW JV”), has been awarded a contract by LNG Canada Development Inc. (“LNG Canada”) for the provision of front-end engineering design (“FEED”) and project execution services for a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project, known as the LNG Canada Project, in Kitimat, British Columbia. The contract value was not disclosed. Foster Wheeler’s portion of the FEED phase will be included in the company’s second-quarter 2014 bookings.

LNG America announces the selection of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) as the classification society for North America’s first LNG bunker barges, currently being designed by Jensen Maritime. ABS will assist LNG America in working with shipbuilders and regulators in developing these first-of-their-kind barges that meet or exceed all technical and regulatory requirements. “We are pleased to be working with ABS on this important domestic initiative. ABS has watched ship propulsion move from wind to coal, from coal to oil, and now from oil to natural gas.

Cal Dive International says it has sold its U.S. Gulf of Mexico shallow water surface diving fleet to a privately held company for cash of US$18.5-million and a 19.9% minority interest in the entity acquiring the assets. Cal Dive explains that the assets sold are comprised of eight surface diving vessels and miscellaneous inventory and equipment and it anticipates recording a gain during the second quarter as a result of the transaction. Net proceeds from the sale were used to repay a portion of the Cal Dive’s revolving credit facility. The Company also entered into a multi-year alliance agreement with the buyer under which the buyer will have the exclusive right to provide any surface diving services required by Cal Dive in the U.S.

LNG America has selected Taylor-Wharton to commence the front-end engineering and design work for the cryogenic topside of the company’s 3,000 cubic meter Gemini Class LNG bunker barge scheduled for delivery at the end of 2015. “Taylor-Wharton has been actively engaged in the development process and instrumental in helping to develop the critical path time line for a late 2015 in-service date,” said Keith Meyer, CEO of LNG America. The LNG bunker vessels will provide a critical building block in the bridge between the natural gas industry and the global marine industry…

Baker Hughes Incorporated announced that the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Martin Craighead, will be making a presentation at the Barclays CEO Energy-Power Conference on Wednesday, September 3, 2014, at 9:45 a.m. Eastern time. Those interested can listen to the presentation and view the presentation materials during the conference, by logging onto the "Events & Presentations" page on our website at: www.bakerhughes.com/investor. They could also listen to a replay, it will be available within 24 hours of the live presentation and will remain available through September 17, 2014. One may use the same website address above to access the replay.