Trinidad Signs Pact with BP, Shell
The government of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) has entered into an agreement with energy giantsShell and BP over gas pricing and LNG activities.According to local media reports, the agreement involves new pricing arrangements, the extension of the Atlantic LNG Train 1 by a further five years, and the ability of the National Gas Company (NGC) to export liquified natural gas (LNG) on behalf of T&T.The government sources quoted minister in…
Oil Spilled After U.S. Train Derailment
Canadian National Railway Co said about 20,000 gallons of oil was released following a freight train derailment at Plainfield, the U.S. state of Illinois on Friday, according to a filing with state pollution regulators. The cause of the derailment was unknown, a filing with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency said on Saturday. Local media reports estimated the spill to be 45,000 gallons. The incident occurred when 20 cars of a Canadian National Railway Co freight train…
Ineos Confirms 'Incident' at its Grangemouth Refinery
Energy firm Ineos said an incident had occurred at its Grangemouth refinery on Tuesday, with emergency services heading to the scene and a local lawmaker advising members of the public to stay indoors. "INEOS can confirm that an incident has occurred at its Grangemouth site," INEOS Grangemouth said in a tweet. Scottish parliament lawmaker Angus MacDonald said that members of the public should stay indoors. Scotland's Fire and Rescue Service said eight fire engines had been sent to the scene but it had no information regarding the cause of the incident…
PG&E California Natgas storage Facility Shut due to Leaks
Northern California power and gas company Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) said on Friday its McDonald Island gas storage facility in San Joaquin County remained out of service after the company detected small methane leaks from some of its wells in June. PG&E discovered the small leaks during an inspection the state required of gas storage operators after the massive leak discovered in October from Southern California Gas' (SoCalGas) Aliso Canyon storage facility in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.
Traders Scramble for Caribbean Crude Storage
Demand for crude storage in the Caribbean, one of the world's most important oil hubs, is rising as producers and traders try to ride out the worst price crash in six years by holding onto more barrels or making blends that can be sold for premiums. The last time tanks in the logistically-important islands were this full, during the price collapse of 2009, companies started leasing vessels to use as floating storage. That is not yet happening now, but the only way to get tank space at the moment is to sublease it, said one tank broker with decades of experience.
Oil Train Derails in North Dakota, Small Town Evacuated
A train carrying crude oil derailed and caught fire in Wells County, North Dakota on Wednesday, according to local media reports. Five tank cars came off the rails, and the nearby town of Heimdal has been evacuated, local media said. The local fire department said there were no injuries in the accident. (Reporting By New York Energy desk)
Africa to Roll out Three Floating LNG Projects
Africa has planned three floating LNG export projects - Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Mozambique. According to local media reports, the African nations are launching LNG projects - three such planned projects in Nigeria; two planned LNG projects in Equatorial Guinea; two in Mozambique and one in Tanzania, none of which is sanctioned. Cameroon is the latest African country to signal a planned LNG project. Of the planned LNG projects one is a Floating LNG each in Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique and Cameroon.
Cyprus: No Talks While Turkish Ships Mount a Challenge On Gas
Cyprus's president vowed on Monday to stay away from peace talks with Turkey as long as Turkish ships remained off the island, threatening its right to explore for natural gas offshore. Turkey, which supports a breakaway state in northern Cyprus, dispatched a research vessel to the south of the island late last year while companies commissioned by the internationally recognized government explored offshore. "My participation in a dialogue for a solution…
Texas Town Bans Fracking
Voters approved a ban on hydraulic fracturing in the North Texas town of Denton on Tuesday, making it the first city in the Lone Star State to outlaw the oil and gas extraction technique behind the U.S. energy boom. The vote in the city of 123,000 was highly symbolic because hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, is widely used in Texas, the top crude producer in the United States. Green groups said the result, which is sure to face legal challenges, served as a wake-up call to the industry.
Fire at CVR Energy Refinery Injures Four
A fire which lasted about an hour injured four people early Tuesday at CVR Energy Inc's Coffeyville, Kansas refinery, according to local media reports. The fire, which began just after midnight forced all monitored units to shut down at the refinery, energy industry intelligence service Genscape reported. "The victims have varying degrees of burns and were taken to a hospital," NewsChannel 8 (ktul.com) said in a report. The cause of the fire was not known, the report said.
Beijing: New Industry Limits will cut Smog
China's overgrown and smog-hit capital Beijing has passed new rules banning the expansion of polluting and resource-intensive industries, the local government said on Friday. In a list of restrictions published on its website (www.beijing.gov.cn), the municipal government said it would ban the further expansion of a wide range of industries, including food processing, textiles, construction materials, papermaking, chemicals and oil refining. It said in…
MarkWest Shuts Penn. Natgas Plant After Lightning Strike
A MarkWest Energy Partners LP natural gas processing plant in southwest Pennsylvania was shut on Wednesday after an apparent lightning strike, according to local media reports. MarkWest Energy Partners spokesman Robert McHale said, "At approximately 6:00 p.m., during severe weather conditions, MarkWest's Houston facility was struck by lightning," according to a report on the WPXI News website. "All employees and contractors are accounted for and there are no reported injuries.
Marathon Petroleum Garyville Refinery's Partial Shutdown
Marathon Petroleum's Garyville, Louisiana, refinery experienced a power outage after a storm that knocked out electricity for more than 1,000 residents, according to a local official. The area was issued a tornado warning at 5:30 a.m. and experienced heavy winds, said Paige Falgoust, communications director at the St. James Parish Emergency Preparedness Office. The refinery was partially shut, according to local media reports earlier. The company said it is evaluating the impact of the storm on the 490,000 barrel-a-day refinery.
Troubled Past Haunts Mexico Oil Company at Center of Citi Scandal
The company at the center of an alleged fraud that forced Citigroup Inc to cut its 2013 profit won billions of dollars in contracts from Mexico's state oil monopoly over the past decade, even after Mexican officials and private lawsuits raised red flags about the contractor's activities. From 2003 to last year, Oceanografia SA, a provider of engineering and maintenance services on offshore oil platforms and pipelines, signed more than 100 contracts worth nearly $3 billion with state-owned Pemex, according to a Reuters review of Mexican government contracts.
