A Great Lakes Pipeline Stirs New Protest
The growing protest movement against U.S. oil and gas pipelines has so far focused on stopping or delaying new construction, with some high-profile successes. Now, in Michigan, a broad coalition of opponents is entering a new frontier: Pushing to rip out and reroute an existing pipeline - Enbridge Inc.'s aging Line 5, which crosses the Straits of Mackinac. They fear the pipeline will leak into the Great Lakes…
LNG Market Needs More Vessels than Currently on Order - Drewry
Despite the current weakness in LNG shipping rates, Drewry maintains its bullish long-term outlook for LNG shipping and believes that the market will require more vessels than listed on the current orderbook, according to the latest edition of the LNG Forecaster report published by global shipping consultancy Drewry. Spot rates for dual fuel diesel electric LNG vessels have been hovering around $30,000 per day since the second quarter of last year…
Sinopec: Long Wait for $100 Oil to Return
Asia's largest refiner, Sinopec Corp, said on Monday it expects prolonged weakness in global oil prices, forcing it to cut spending and turn more cautious about acquisitions. "This year's oil prices won't be high. It will take a very, very long time for international crude prices to rise back to $100 a barrel," its chairman Fu Chengyu told reporters at the company's results briefing. "Oil companies need to get used to operating and developing in a low oil price environment," Fu said.
NOAA: No Relief in Sight for Western US Drought
Drought pressures will increase in California and western areas of the United States this spring even as the dry season begins, the government's Climate Prediction Center said on Thursday. "Periods of record warmth in the West and not enough precipitation during the rainy season cut short drought relief in California this winter and prospects for above-average temperatures this spring may make the situation worse…
EU Should Buy Gus as One: Sefcovic
Single buyer idea criticised by some as anti-competitive; EU spends around 400 billion euros/yr on imported fuel. The European Union as the world's biggest energy consumer should explore ways to buy gas as a group, the European Commission's new Energy Union boss said on Monday. The idea was put forward earlier this year by Poland's then prime minister Donald Tusk, as one option for standing up to Russia and its state gas company Gazprom.
USCG, Enbridge to Conduct Oil Spill Response Exercise
The Coast Guard 9th District, partner agencies, and Enbridge Energy Limited Partnership will conduct a full-scale oil spill response exercise in Indian River, Michigan, Wednesday. More than 200 participants from the Coast Guard; Enbridge; the Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet County Office of Emergency Management; Michigan Department of Environmental Quality; and the Environmental Protection Agency, will participate in the exercise…
BP Whiting Refinery Cleanup Winds Down
An assessment team, comprised of representatives from the Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency and BP, stated Friday that no further cleanup actions were recommended following a scheduled return visit to the BP Whiting Refinery to conduct a Determination of Clean survey. The visit was originally scheduled to take place Thursday but was postponed due to heavy rains and high water levels. After an inspection of the rocky shoreline on the southeast wall of the cove near the refinery…
Lake Michigan Refinery Oil Discharge: Latest Update
The Coast Guard informs that their representatives together with those from the Environmental Protection Agency were back on scene Wednesday to oversee cleanup operations after a crude oil discharge Monday evening at the BP Whiting Refinery in Whiting. Eight members of a shoreline cleanup assessment team, consisting of members of both agencies and BP, inspected the shoreline to verify presence of crude oil and to recommend cleanup techniques as required.
Great Lakes Coal Trade Up in August
Shipments of coal on the Great Lakes totaled 3.2 million tons in August, an increase of 9.9% over July, and an increase of 11.1% compared to a year ago. Shipments from Lake Superior ports totaled 2.1 million tons, an increase of 31.4% compared to a year ago. Included in that total were 313,000 tons loaded in Superior, Wisconsin, and transshipped to Québec City for loading into oceangoing colliers. Exports to Europe from Superior total 1,157,000 tons through August.
Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Down 9% in August
Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 5.8 million tons in August, a decrease of 10% compared to July, and a drop of 9% compared to a year ago. Loadings also trailed the month’s long-term average by 10%. Shipments from U.S. ports totaled 5.1 million tons, a decrease of 6% compared to a year ago. The August total included 447,000 tons shipped to Québec City for loading into oceangoing vessels and delivery overseas. Year-to-date overseas exports from U.S. Great Lakes ports total 1,994,000 tons.
Lakes Limestone Trade Up Nearly 13% in August
Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.6 million tons in August, an increase of 3.7% compared to July, and 12.8% better than a year ago. Shipments from U.S. ports totaled 3.15 million tons, an increase of 18.1% compared to a year ago. Loadings at Canadian quarries slipped by nearly 13%, falling to 485,000 tons. Year-to-date the Lakes limestone trade stands at 16.5 million tons, a decrease of 4.6% compared to a year ago, and 7% below the long-term average for the January-August timeframe. U.S.
Great Lakes Dredging hinges on Federal Legislation
House and Senate Bills Offer Hope for Lakes Dredging Crisis. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have taken up legislation that could end the dredging crisis on the Great Lakes. H.R. 335 and S. 218 would require the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (“HMTF”) to spend what it takes in each year for dredging on dredging. Currently, the HMTF spends only one of every two tax dollars it collects for dredging on dredging.
August Seaway Cargo Shipments Up
August Seaway cargo shipments up nearly 7 percent. The St. Lawrence Seaway reported a 6.78 percent increase for total cargo shipments in August – 4.3 million metric tons – compared to August 2011. For the period March 22 to August 31, year-to-date total cargo shipments were 21.3 million metric tons, up 1.50 percent over the same period in 2011. “With four months remaining in the 2012 Navigation Season for the Great Lakes-St.
Great Lakes Coal Trade Down 3 Percent in August
Shipments of coal on the Great Lakes totaled 2.9 million tons in August, an increase of 6 percent compared to July, but a drop of 3 percent compared to a year ago. Compared to the month’s 5-year average, loadings were down 25 percent. Overseas shipments continued in August. Coal shipped to Québec City for reloading into oceangoing vessels totaled 196,000 tons. For the season, the overseas trade totals 980,000 tons. Water levels and the dredging crisis impacted the coal trade in August.
