Top — Bangor Daily News, Bangor, ME
U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said Wednesday in a statement that it was “vital that the United States and Canada maintain a mutual respect for each other’s actions and decisions in regard to energy policy and be cognizant that our energy polices must be built on mutual respect and collaboration. The Washington County commissioners have the right to provide input into an issue that may have an impact on the county and I appreciate their comments on this issue. Clearly, by maintaining an open line of communication and continuing to work with our neighbors, we can achieve compromises that yield results to the benefit of both countries.”
[Washington County Commissioners Chairman Chris Gardner] noted that the province was not shy when it raised safety issues concerning the siting of a liquefied natural gas terminal in Washington County. Three companies have proposed building LNG facilities in eastern Washington County — Downeast LNG in Robbinston, Calais LNG and Quoddy Bay LNG at Pleasant Point.
“We are hopeful that New Brunswick is as mindful of the hazards their projects may pose to the people of Maine so much as they demand we are mindful of the people in New Brunswick,” Gardner wrote. “A nuclear incident approximately 30 miles away from Washington County would be catastrophic and for any of us to not have a current and immediate response plan would be reprehensible.”
[Video] (2008 Jul 15) — YouTube.com
A rally against [Liquefied Natural Gas] (L.N.G.) tankers that want to use the waters offf St. Andrews N.B. as a passageway. (5:06; streaming video)
— EastBayRI.com, Bristol, RI
Would endanger residents, disrupt commerce and tourism industries, measure says
The state House of Representatives passed a resolution this week opposing the development of a storage facility for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Fall River and an offshore berth for LNG tankers in Mount Hope Bay.
“The Mount Hope and Narragansett bays are no place for LNG tankers or tanks. It doesn’t matter whether they’re offloading on shore or off, the channels they would have to use are too narrow and the shores are too densely populated to run the risk of a tanker explosion,” said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Raymond Gallison (D-Dist. 69, Bristol, Portsmouth.
— Examiner, Freehold, NJ
If three proposals on the drawing board win approval, there will be port storage and regasification (conversion of liquid back to gas) facilities for imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) offshore from the New Jersey coastline.
The frontrunner is the Atlantic Sea Island Group (ASIG) proposal that envisions building the world's first man-made opensea island, located 19.5 miles from Sea Bright and 13 miles from Long Beach, N.Y. A group of investors proposes to build a 116-acre LNG terminal and industrial complex for a project known as Safe Harbor Energy. Critics point out that this group has no prior offshore construction or LNG operations experience.
Next is ExxonMobil's BlueOcean Energy project, which proposes a LNG floating terminal with storage and regasification facilities. It is slated for 20 miles off Manasquan.
Finally, Excalibur Energy, a new conglomerate of Canadian Superior Energy and Global LNG, a Delaware company, is promoting the Liberty Natural Gas project, which would consist of four submerged turret buoys and 50 miles of new pipeline to be built 15 miles off Asbury Park.
Calypso LNG withdraws deepwater port application — LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
Yesterday Calypso LNG, LLC notified the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) that it will suspend work on its previously filed application to construct an LNG deepwater port planned for offshore Florida. Calypso LNG's announcement follows comments by Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) that he would oppose the project. MARAD's press release (courtesy of LNGLawBlog) offers additional details.
The demise of this project is further indication that LNG’s bubble has burst — something Downeast LNG and Calais LNG are afraid to admit.
Calypso LNG plan sunk — Lloyd’s Register - Fairplay Shipping News, Surrey, England, UK (Paid subscription required)
SUEZ HAS withdrawn from long-running plans to develop the Calypso LNG receiving port off the Florida coast, the US Maritime Administration confirmed.
MARAD said on Wednesday that “Calypso LNG will cease all license processing work” and “fully withdraw its application from consideration at this time”.
The 1Bn ft³/day Calypso project had been in the works since 2004. Plans had called for the facility ...
— LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
A number of documents regarding the State of Oregon's Petition for Review of FERC's conditional authorization of the Bradwood Landing LNG terminal are now available in FERC's eLibrary under Docket No. CP06-365.
Natural gas weekly update — International Business Times (IBT), New York, NY
Overview (For the Week Ending Wednesday, February 25, 2009)
Natural gas spot prices continued to decrease this week. The return of frigid temperatures for much of the report week in the Northeast, Southeast, and part of the Midwest did little to support any upward price movements in these regions. In fact, spot prices at all trading locations covered by this report either decreased or remained unchanged.
Spot prices in the Northeast dipped below $5 per million Btu (MMBtu) for the first time in more than 2 years.
Downeast LNG’s and Calais LNG’s arguments that their natural gas is needed fly in the face of market reality.
Natural gas prices decrease despite seasonably cold weather — Cattle Network, Lenexa, KS
Despite the seasonably cold weather blanketing the region, spot prices in all trading locations in the Northeast decreased this week. This week’s regional average price decreased 23 cents per MMBtu to end the week at $4.68 per MMBtu. Last Wednesday (February 18) marked the first time the Northeast spot price average fell below $5 per MMBtu in more than 2 years. The largest price drop in the region of 37 cents per MMBtu occurred at the Transcontinental Pipeline’s Zone 6, which includes natural gas deliveries for as far north as New York City, trading yesterday at $4.81 per MMBtu. [Red emphasis added.]
Top Wednesday morning — iStockAnalyst.com
President Obama spoke on a wide range of topics last night, including energy. Solar power was mentioned three times, wind twice, and clean coal once. Natural gas scored a big goose egg. [Red bold emphasis added.]
— LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
Noting construction delays at the Cameron LNG terminal project in Louisiana, Sempra Energy's Chairman and CEO Donald Felsinger announced that Sempra LNG reported a net loss of $13 million in Q4 2008, which is an improvement from a $19 million loss in Q4 2007. Felsinger said that the company anticipates commencing terminal operations in Q3 2009 and is well-positioned "to take advantage of spot cargo opportunities."
(Feb 2009) — National Energy Board, Government of Canada
[NOTE: The following link will download a ]
The number of LNG projects to be developed in Canada in the near and long term remains unclear. LNG development in Canada and North America is largely dependent on the outlook for continental natural gas supply and demand. Current economic decline combined with recent increases in U.S. natural gas production from shale and other unconventional gas resources has reduced requirements for near-term LNG imports. The potential size and extent of shale gas resources could significantly displace long-term North American and global LNG requirements.
Facilities in North America which once contemplated LNG
imports are now also considering regulatory authorizations to re-export the imported LNG.
[E]ven without any additional regasification projects beyond those already existing or under construction (from a volumetric perspective), the capacity for North American terminals to receive LNG already exceeds the total capacity to produce LNG in the Atlantic Basin.
Given the substantial size and extent of potential
shale gas resources could displace some, or even all, of the requirement for LNG.
In a
climate of tighter credit, the greater equity obligations required from sponsors to finance new projects
will likely limit the participation of newer, less-established developers that have been instrumental in a
number of recent LNG projects in North America. [Red & bold emphasis added.]
Natural gas consumption in North America will remain flat through 2030; “Less-established developers” are likely fallout from the LNG industry.
Top (Feb 23) — LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
Last week FERC endorsed a proposed settlement regarding gas interchangeability issues on the Algonquin Gas Transmission system that establishes more restrictive gas composition specifications. According to FERC's order, in approving the settlement it balanced safety concerns regarding local distribution companies' (LDCs) peak-shaving facilities against the assertions of Dominion and StatoilHydro that the proposed limits of 2.75% nitrogen and 12% ethanes plus would significantly limit global LNG supplies from flowing on Algonquin.
— EastBayRI.com, Bristol, RI
Citing concerns about environmental and quality of life issues, the Kickemuit River Council and Save Bristol Harbor are calling on organizations and individuals to oppose the proposed Weaver’s Cove Energy LNG unloading platform in Mt. Hope Bay, before the project goes before federal officials for approval in March.
— Wicked Local Danvers, Beverly, MA
Asked about gas tax increases if the funds were spent on concrete environmental solutions, 31 percent said they’d pay up to ten cents a gallon more, 28 percent up to 50 cents and 13 percent between $1 and $2 more – 19 percent said they wouldn’t pay any more. Gov. Deval Patrick last week proposed a 19-cent per gallon increase.
Other findings: 71 percent of New Englanders reported not having had an energy audit conducted in their home, 78 percent at least somewhat favored customer choice or competition for electricity, wind farms were favored by an “overwhelming majority” and there was “substantial support” for construction of LNG terminals. Also, a “narrow majority” favored transmission line construction and nuclear plant license renewal.
Here are some realities that should have been included in the question:
New England’s natural gas needs are already being met by existing and permitted facilities, and the US has an overabundance of domestic supply, so we don’t actually need to expand supplies of natural gas via LNG; Track records (history) — especially prior to 9/11 — don’t protect anyone; LNG terminal siting should comply with the world’s LNG terminal siting best practices, but many of the current proposals violate those best practices.
Download a PDF of the 2009 January study:New England Energy Alliance 2009 New England Consumer Energy Survey (196 KB)
— LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
FERC announced yesterday that it has extended the schedule for a final decision from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) regarding the permit applications for the AES Sparrows Point LNG proceeding to April 6, 2009.
(Feb 23) — LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
LNG Daily [subscription required] reports that FERC and the State of Delaware presented oral arguments to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit regarding FERC's conditional approval of the proposed Crown Landing LNG terminal. Attorneys representing Delaware argued that the approval was granted improperly as Delaware had not issued required environmental permits, while FERC noted that the Energy Policy Act of 2005 gave the agency the authority to condition final approval of a project on receipt of all required state permits.
— LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP, Statoil Natural Gas LLC, Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC, BP Energy Co., and Shell NA LNG LLC, all filed answers strongly opposing Washington Gas Light Co.'s (WGL) emergency motion to stay the effectiveness of FERC's authorization of the Cove Point LNG Expansion project. The Maryland Office of People's Counsel filed an answer in support of WGL's request.
(Feb 23) — LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
Today FERC released its Environmental Assessment (EA) for the re-export project proposed by Sabine Pass LNG. FERC staff concludes that the proposed modification to existing LNG facilities, with appropriate mitigation efforts, "would not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment."
Are natural gas producers in denial? — Financial Post, Don Mills, ON
While global economies continue to weaken, natural gas production appears to be growing despite soft demand and the threat of liquefied natural gas heading to the U.S. this summer without a home.
“We believe there could be further downside to these estimates based on the current U.S. natural gas glut, ” [Red & bold emphasis added.]
— TradingMarkets.com, Sherman Oaks, CA
Once considered the most likely source to offset the ongoing decline in the production of conventional natural gas, the expected increase in LNG imports has not materialized as anticipated in areas such as North America where shale gas and other unconventional natural gas resources have filled part of the gap. [Red emphasis added.]
— LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
Ron Denhardt, vice president of natural gas services for Strategic Energy and Economic Research, predicts that despite relatively low prices for domestic natural gas, U.S. LNG imports are likely to rise above 2008 levels due to weak global demand and expanding worldwide liquefaction capacity.
As LTTE pioneered certain tactics, so did ETA in Spain (the use of explosives and LNG bombs) , the IRA and IRA-P in Ireland (also explosives and cell structures) and others. The FARC, in turn, picked them up, improved on them, and taught new techniques. [Red bold emphasis added.]
Top Sovereignty trumps LNG plans [Commentary] — Telegraph-Journal, Saint John, NB
One of the hallmarks of the controversy surrounding the proposals for Passamaquoddy Bay has been the lack of input from the Canadian side of the shared waterway. It's not that people weren't interested in being heard, it's that the U.S. authorities (first FERC and later the U.S. Coast Guard) weren't interested in what Canadians were saying. [Red emphasis added.]
Mass. firm files suit against Quoddy Bay LNG (Feb 18) — Bangor Daily News, Bangor, ME
Several messages seeking comment that were left this week at the Oklahoma City offices of the Smiths, who also work for a company called Smith Cogeneration, have not been returned. Calls placed to Quoddy Bay’s local office appear to be forwarded to the Smith Cogeneration office in Oklahoma City. Attempts to contact Brian Smith through his cell phone number and a local phone number also have been unsuccessful.
Groups file appeals over Sparrows Point LNG terminal (Feb 19) — The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore, MD
Nearly a dozen government, business and community groups in three states have asked federal energy regulators to rescind approval of a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal at Sparrows Point in eastern Baltimore County and an 88-mile pipeline to Pennsylvania.
Jon Wellinghoff, the only commissioner to dissent on the FERC's 4-1 decision, said AES failed to demonstrate the need for the project and did not adequately address adverse environmental impacts. He is now the FERC's chairman.
"The company is doing this to populations living below the poverty line who don't have the means to fight back," he said. "FERC is an accomplice in the environmental lynching of these neighborhoods."
(Feb 18) — The Chronicle Herald, Halifax, NS
Onshore, the energy giant is the majority owner of the Canaport liquefied natural gas terminal in Saint John, with Irving Oil. Having a ready supply of natural gas from Deep Panuke nearby seems to have been deemed necessary by the company to ensure that natural gas contracts would be honoured even if deliveries of LNG were delayed or reallocated to a more lucrative LNG market around the world.
— The Wave, Rockaway Beach, NY [Paid subscription required]
Not one, but three liquid natural gas terminal facilities are planned for area waters, one as close as 16 miles from Rockaway's shoreline; the other two slightly farther away. The first, as reported in The Wave two weeks ago, is planned by Atlantic Sea Island Group.
— Law360, New York, NY [Paid subscription required]
In its latest confrontation with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Washington Gas Light Co. claims the gas flow cap the agency included in its decision allowing the expansion of a Maryland liquefied natural gas terminal is too high and has asked for an emergency stay of the October order.
(Feb 19) — LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
Washington Gas Light Company (WGL) last week filed an emergency motion to stay the effectiveness of FERC's previous orders authorizing the Cove Point LNG Expansion project, once again expressing concerns regarding the ability of its distribution system to accept regasified LNG.
— PetroleumWorld.com
Florida Governor Charlie Crist's announcement that he would veto the proposed Calypso Deep Water LNG Port has left the liquefied natural gas project's sponsor, Suez Energy North America undecided on how it will proceed.
The proposed project is a deepwater LNG terminal that would be situated about 10 miles off Port Everglades, Florida, and cost about $1 billion to build.
Gov. Charlie Crist opposes pipeline off Fort Lauderdale (Feb 18) — Miami Herald, Miami, FL
When a woman in the audience asked Crist to put Calypso to bed, he said: ``I think it's already in bed. It's gone.''
[FL Gov.] Crist voices opposition to Calypso LNG (Feb 19) — Energy Current, Houston, TX
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.: Florida Gov. Charlie Crist on Feb. 18 announced he is opposed to the proposed Calypso pipeline, which would bring gas from Calypso liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal offshore Florida.
Though the project has been proposed for construction by GDF Suez North America in U.S. federal waters, Crist's formal opposition to the project can stop the terminal and pipeline from being built, according to media reports. Crist made the announcement at a town hall meeting along the Galt Ocean Mile in Fort Lauderdale.
— PetroleumWorld.com
Repsol, the world's No. 3 natural gas company is the one of the oil companies with the greatest presence in Trinidad and Tobago, holding more than 30 percent of the BP Trinidad and Tobago company and 23 percent of the Atlantic LNG company.
Developing and expanding the LNG business is a key part of the company's 2008-2012 Strategic Plan, which envisages total overall spending of 32.8 billion euros. Repsol will this year open the Canaport regasification plant on the east coast of Canada, which will help guarantee supply to the northeast of the US. Repsol is also building a gas liquefaction plant in Peru. [Red emphasis added.]
— Oil & Gas Journal, Houston, TX
HOUSTON, Feb. 20 -- BP Products North America Inc. agreed to spend more than $161 million on pollution controls, and enhanced maintenance and monitoring to resolve Clean Air Act violations at its Texas City, Tex., refinery
The US Department of Justice and the US Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposed settlement Feb. 20 in which BP also would pay a $12 million civil penalty and spend $6 million on a supplemental project to reduce air pollution in Texas City.
EPA identified the violations during a series of inspections of the Texas City refinery initiated after a Mar. 23, 2005, explosion and fire killed 15 people and injured more than 170 others at the 446,500 b/cd refinery.
The argument that LNG developers don’t want accidents so they’ll operate safely is a hollow argument. Hopefully most LNG operators do operate responsibly; however, FERC cannot guarantee all of them will always do so, and as BP demonstrated, they certainly have not done so.
— Alaska Journal of Commerce, Anchorage, AK
A liquefied natural gas plant in Kenai now manufactures LNG for sale to Japanese utilities , but the federal LNG export permit for the plant is due to expire in 2011. It was to have expired in 2009, but the U.S. Department of Energy granted a two-year extension. The plant is owned by ConocoPhillips and Marathon Oil, with ConocoPhillips as operator.
Southcentral Alaska's gas fields, almost all discovered in the 1960s and 1970s, have 1.3 trillion cubic feet of proven reserves left from 8.7 tcf originally discovered. But the problem for the regional gas and electric utilities is deliverability, the capability of aging gas wells to produce enough gas to meet peak winter demand in Alaska's cities.
[Opinion] — Albany Democrat Herald, Albany, OR
In support of his legal battle to block a liquefied natural gas terminal on the Columbia River, Oregon Attorney General John Kroger has a new rationale: A report in the press this month that the United States has plenty of natural gas of its own and does not need to import any.
— iStockAnalyst.com
Natural gas fell on a smaller than expected gas storage number (see next section) closing the day off $0.14 at $4.08. This morning gas is trading down over a dime (below $4 ) to a fresh six year low. [Red & bold emphasis added.]
(Feb 19) — Platts
The surplus over the five-year average swelled to 155 Bcf from 24 Bcf.
Acting Chairman Wellinghoff's statement on Chinook Power Transmission, LLC and Zephyr Power Transmission, LLC (Feb 19) — Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Washington, DC
“With heightened concerns about global warming and our country’s dependence on foreign oil, the need to accelerate the integration of clean, reliable, domestic energy sources into our country’s energy portfolio is clear.
“Thus we must do more to unlock the potential of our country’s location-constrained renewable energy resources. This order is one of the most significant steps this Commission has taken toward that goal.” [Red emphasis added.]
Top Mass. contractor sues Quoddy Bay LNG — Mainebiz, Portland, ME
A Massachusetts engineering firm has sued Quoddy Bay LNG LLC, claiming it has not been paid for studies it did on the Oklahoma-based company's proposed natural gas pipeline in Washington County, according to an article from The Quoddy Tides.
LNG developer faces lawsuit (Feb 17) — The Saint Croix Courier, St. Stephen, NB
The Eastport-based newspaper reports that to recover its cost of services, Coler and Colantonio Inc. is asking the Washington County Superior Court to order a seizure of the Quoddy Bay LNG office in Perry, the former Lobster Crate restaurant on Route 190, which is owned jointly by Donald Smith and Brian Smith.
— OpenPR, Schleswig, Germany
In only four months, the Canaport LNG terminal in Saint John, New Brunswick nears completion after SGS Industrial Services verified the 3 cryogenic Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) tanks in accordance with Canadian code CSA Z276-01.
(Feb 19) — Reuters India
"We don't have to raise capital for at least three years and if we have reasonable commercial success, we are fine. Barring some thing exceptional, this should be a pretty good year for us," Souki said.
(Feb 11) — The Galveston County Daily News, Galveston, TX
GALVESTON — An island resident who fought BP Energy’s plans to build a liquefied natural gas terminal on Pelican Island has finally run out of appeals and might have to reimburse the city for legal fees it incurred during the four-year battle.
BP scrapped plans to build the plant in 2006, citing market conditions.
(Feb 11) — The Facts, Clute, TX
QUINTANA — Town Council has asked federal regulators not to permit big rigs from topping off Freeport LNG’s holding tanks because the trucks would wreck infrastructure and disturb residents.
The island regasification facility last year applied for a permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to have trucks deliver LNG from domestic producers to its twin 15-story holding tanks. A small amount of gas boils off each day, and crews need the liquefied natural gas to keep the tanks cold, Plant Manager Robert Pate said. When ships are not set to arrive for months, Pate said, it would take about six fully loaded trucks a day to maintain the tanks with LNG.
But council members say the trucks, when full of LNG, would weigh upward of 66,000 pounds. They would have to travel CR 723, which is a two-lane gravel road designated for vehicles weighing no more than 48,000 pounds. [Red emphasis added.]
— LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
ConocoPhillips Alaska Natural Gas Corporation (ConocoPhillips) and Marathon Oil Company (Marathon) have requested clarification, or in the alternative, rehearing of FERC's January 2009 order requiring the Kenai LNG export facility to comply with "the same reporting and inspection requirements that apply to every other operational LNG Terminal." [Red emphasis added.]
(Feb 15) — Peninsula Clarion, Kenai, AK
The established Cook Inlet companies are willing to invest in new gas development when they have a customer willing to buy, but the market for gas is limited to the LNG plant and local utilities.
"I can't see any economic reason why companies would invest in exploration if there is no way to sell the gas," he said.
Swenson, of the Division of Geologic and Geophysical Surveys, said there is little doubt Cook Inlet has more gas to be discovered because the Inlet is under-explored.
[Opinion] — Statesman Journal, Oregon
What a difference an election makes!
(Feb 14) — The Register-Guard, Eugene, OR
Consider two of the most-discussed possibilities for new customers: a shipping container terminal, which would require a complete overhaul of the line to accommodate a mammoth boost in railroad use, and a liquefied natural gas import terminal, which could spur industries in search of cheap energy to relocate to the bay and result in shipments of propane, a byproduct of LNG, on the rail line.
With domestic supply on the rise and the costs of foreign sources growing, hauling LNG to the United States is becoming less attractive , at least for now.
Top Contractor sues Quoddy Bay over failure to make payment (Feb 13) — The Quoddy Tides, Eastport, ME
A Massachusetts company hired by Quoddy Bay LNG LLC to perform engineering work on its proposed natural gas pipeline is suing the Oklahoma-based company and its two principals, Donald Smith and Brian Smith, for failure to pay outstanding bills. seizure of the Quoddy Bay LNG office in Perry, which is owned jointly by Donald and Brian Smith.
The suit alleges that "Quoddy Bay is thinly capitalized and/or insolvent," other creditors are owed in excess of $2 million. [Red & bold emphasis added.]
Builder of proposed Maine LNG terminal faces lawsuit (Feb 16) — Telegraph-Journal, Saint John, NB
ST. STEPHEN - At least one of three companies proposing to ship liquefied natural gas to Maine through Passamaquoddy Bay apparently has financial trouble.
[O]n Oct. 17 the FERC suspended its review of Quoddy Bay LNG's proposal , ruling that the company did not provide sufficient information for an engineering or environmental impact review.
Later in the month the company withdrew its application from the Maine Board of Environmental Protection. [Red and bold emphasis added.]
— Oilweek, Calgary, AB
The gas from near Sable Island, off Nova Scotia´s east coast, will be available to ship through the Maritimes and Northeast pipeline to the U.S. and Canadian markets.
Meanwhile, Rix said, Repsol is making its first delivery of liquefied natural gas by the end of June to the Canaport terminal near Saint John, N.B.
(Feb 16) — LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
Platts LNG Daily [subscription required] reports that an ice formation on Algonquin Gas Transmission's Hubline natural gas pipeline has slowed injection of regasified LNG imported via Execelerate's Northeast Gateway Deepwater Port.
(Feb 15) — The Boston Globe, Boston, MA
City officials said the grant will pay for much-needed public safety upgrades, including new communications equipment and overhauls of the emergency dispatch and operations centers.
The Police Department's marine patrol boat will get a new motor, while the department's dive team will be outfitted with new dry suits. The police special operations unit will receive new surveillance equipment.
Another planned use of the funding is the relocation of a back-up radio repeater to eliminate black-out spots in the radio communication system used by the Police, Fire, and Emergency Management departments.
(Feb 14) — The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore, MD
"By all appearances, the order was issued as quickly as possible after the issuance of the final environmental impact statement in an effort to approve the project before the change in presidential administrations," Gansler wrote to the FERC yesterday.
The state also contends that the commission used outdated information about the project's benefits.
Ellen Kobler, a spokeswoman for Baltimore County, which filed its appeal Thursday, said, "We have said all along that the FERC process was flawed. We are in this fight until the end. It is a marathon, not a sprint. " [Red emphasis added.]
(Feb 16) — LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
FERC Staff's Environmental Assessment (EA) analyzing potential effects from the planned expansion of the existing EcoElectrica LNG terminal located in Puerto Rico recommends that the Commission make a finding of "no significant impact" on the environment.
Use Google Earth to view the EcoEléctrica LNG terminal in Peñuelas, Puerto Rico:
(Feb 16) — Platts
Enstar is also working on another fallback plan, a $4 billion 20-inch
pipeline from southcentral Alaska to the North Slope, where there are large
reserves of stranded gas.
[Opinion] (Feb 13) — Anchorage Daily News, Anchorage, AK
…I started to get curious. I'm curious because the gas we use to heat our homes and generate electricity in Anchorage comes from Cook Inlet fields practically in our backyard. Yet I recently found out that a significant volume of Cook Inlet gas is being exported to Japan.
According to the US Department of Energy, these producers have been selling Alaska gas, delivered 3,000 miles away in Japan, for significantly less than they charge Alaskans.
Washington agency appeals Bradwood Landing decision — Energy Current, Houston, TX
LACEY, WASH.: The Washington Department of Ecology on Feb. 12 filed an appeal with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to overturn the decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) last year to license the Bradwood Landing liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.
"Time and again, FERC has overstepped its boundaries and given premature approval to projects like Bradwood Landing without considering states' rights in the process, " said Manning. "Our action today continues our jurisdictional battle to preserve the state's role in deciding whether a project can be constructed and operated within our borders." [Red emphasis added.]
Kroger asks FERC to freeze LNG action (Feb 16) — The Daily Astorian, Astoria, OR
Oregon Attorney General John Kroger wants to stop the Bradwood Landing liquefied natural gas project from moving forward while court appeals and state permits for the facility are still in the works.
FERC must stay its September approval, he argues, because the board failed to comply with the Endangered Species Act and failed to wait for state approvals before granting developer NorthernStar Natural Gas Inc. a license to build an LNG terminal and pipeline Sept. 18. [Red emphasis added.]
Cera: Shale gas to trump LNG in US; imports still set to swell (Feb 16) — Energy Intelligence [Paid subscription required]
The long-predicted tsunami of LNG headed for North America starting late this year and building in 2010 is not going to find the expected market. A massive shale wall saturated with trillions of feet of natural gas will be in the way.
(Feb 15) — Business Intelligence Middle East, UAE
The Center for Liquefied Natural Gas (CLNG) in the US has released an independent study which quantifies the greenhouse gas emissions released through the lifecycle of electricity production supplied by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and domestic coal. The study, performed by PACE Global Energy Services, reveals that existing US coal fired power generation produces two and a half times (161%) more greenhouse gas emissions than LNG fueled power generation.
Top Acting FERC Chairman unsure how much LNG needed to supply U.S. market in near term — LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC Citing significant domestic gas reserves, acting FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff FERC ought to conduct in-depth analyses of regional natural gas market conditions before granting permits to construct future LNG import terminals. [Red, bold, and yellow highlight emphasis added.]
The latest from LNG: We’ll take your bay [Editorial] (Feb 11) — EastBayRI.com, Bristol, RI
It scarcely seemed possible, but Weaver’s Cove Energy has managed to concoct an LNG plan that is even more outlandish than the original. [Red emphasis added.]
— Taunton Daily Gazette, Taunton, MA
FALL RIVER — As the process of reviewing Weaver’s Cove Energy’s latest proposal to supply liquefied natural gas to the region via an offshore berthing facility begins the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is seeking comments on the project.
(Feb 12) — LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
FERC announced yesterday that the Commission will accept public comments on the revised design of the Weaver's Cove LNG terminal project through March 4, 2009.
— The Providence Journal, Providence, RI
“This is an emergency evacuation order. Obey the emergency officials. Remain calm.”
(Feb 12) — LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
Harold Kvisle, president and CEO of TransCanada Corp., told attendees at CERAWeek that his company remains interested in the Broadwater LNG regsification project, but notes that the project has been "bogged down" in the New York State environmental review process.
Md. files request for rehearing regarding LNG terminal — Southern Maryland Online
…Maryland claims the FERC decision violates seven separate federal statutes: Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Magnuson-Stevens Act, Endangered Species Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Natural Gas Act, and Administrative Procedures Act .
(Feb 12) — The Mississippi Press, Pascagoula, MS
The plant is expected to begin commercial operations in September 2011, said Wagner.
(Feb 12) — LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
Chesapeake Energy Corp. Chairman and CEO Aubrey McClendon said yesterday that his company remains interested in exporting U.S. natural gas as LNG, but noted that "with the current gas price environment and the credit situation, it is going to be pretty tough." .
(Feb 11) — Northern Sentinel, Kitimat, BC
Kitimat LNG’s plan to build a liquefied natural gas plant and terminal here sees the haisla involved in two ways.
State agency, Riverkeeper sue to halt LNG project — The Daily News, Longview, WA
“Time and again FERC has overstepped its boundaries and given premature approval to projects like Bradwood Landing without considering states’ rights in the process,” Ecology director Jay Manning said in a statement. “Our action today continues our jurisdictional battle to preserve the state’s role in deciding whether a project can be constructed and operated within our borders.”
Environmental group sues to stop LNG — The Hillsboro Argus, Hillsboro, OR
Columbia Riverkeeper filed a suit in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, asking the court to declare the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's approval of Bradwood Landing illegal.
WSJ admits Greenspan was off base on LNG (Feb 12) — The Daily Astorian, Astoria, OR
New market analysis says demand for natural gas was just plain wrong
The Journal reported that within a year of Greenspan's testimony, FERC revealed there were plans for 40 new or expanded LNG terminals under consideration in North America. By 2005, that list had grown to 55.
"Today only six have been built, and most of those sit idle. Weeks pass between visits from a tanker full of frosty LNG," The Journal wrote. "Even before the economic slowdown, it was clear the nation had ample natural-gas supplies. Large-scale imports simply weren't needed. And new reports suggest the U.S. won't need to turn into a massive importer of natural gas anytime soon."
The miscalculation has cost some companies dearly, but not before they built LNG facilities worth hundreds of millions of dollars with the approval of FERC.
Thus there is still time to do an about-face — in our case before more millions are spent — and bring this sorry chapter to a close. [Red emphasis added.]
(Feb 12) — The World, Coos Bay, OR
If a liquefied natural gas terminal gets built on Coos Bay’s North Spit, some argue it would breathe life into the area’s static industrial sector. Others say it would make it harder for people to breathe.
“There will inevitably be a significant detrimental effect on air quality and on the health of residents of the area to be felt acutely by some and chronically by others,” [local allergist Dr. Joseph Morgan] wrote in a letter to FERC on Nov. 13, 2008.
— Westside Today, Los Angeles, CA
The Democratic Representative from Venice said in a statement “I’ve long said the Woodside LNG project posed serious environmental problems and made LAX a bigger security risk. Perhaps there is a role for LNG as a transitional fuel, but our region already has access to adequate gas supplies to meet market demands. I’m glad that Woodside recognized the level of local concern over this project and am grateful to the elected officials and residents who made their opposition known.”
A Superpower commodity oversupply (Feb 11) — The Motley Fool, Alexandria, VA
It seems that the U.S. and Russia share a common condition these days: an overabundance of natural gas. Indeed, as recently as five years ago, it appeared that natural gas demand in the U.S. was growing rapidly, and prices were climbing to such an extent that then-Fed Chair Alan Greenspan announced that he expected the U.S. to soon become a major importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Unfortunately for those who invested on Mr. Greenspan's belief, today's world looks much different.
(Feb 12) — Reuters UK
Bough said the emergence of unconventional gas production from shale deposits has created a temporary oversupply in North America, but he said the long-term outlook is strong.
(Feb 11) — LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
Last week the U.S. Government and U.S. engineering firm Kellogg Brown & Root LLC ("KBR LLC"), a wholly owned subsidiary of KBR, Inc., agreed to settle pending charges that KBR LLC violated the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by bribing Nigerian officials to award construction contracts for the Bonny Island LNG liquefaction terminal to KBR LLC. Court documents indicate that KBR LLC has agreed to settle the charges for $402 million to be paid in quarterly installments through October 1, 2010.
Top Downeast Pipeline's Open Season results in one solitary interested party: itself — FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission), Washington, DC
Downeast hereby reports that its affiliate, Downeast LNG Trading, LLC (“Downeast
Trading”), submitted the only bid through the Open Season process for 500 million cubic
standard feet per day of firm transportation service. Downeast Trading is a Delaware limited
liability company, wholly-owned by Downeast LNG, Inc. Downeast Trading’s bid was accepted
by Downeast and all capacity on the pipeline was awarded to Downeast Trading.
Summing up…
No interest in Downeast LNG’s natural gas;
No need to import LNG — there’s a North American glut of natural gas;
A sea-change is occurring in American energy policy toward renewable and domestic energy resources;
Downeast LNG has violated the world LNG industry’s own terminal siting best practices;
As stipulated by the US Coast Guard’s Waterway Suitability Report — no Canadian cooperation, so Downeast LNG has no ability to obtain LNG; and
The Wall Street Journal indicates the project is a big mistake;
…Downeast LNG — a futureless moneypit just like defunct Quoddy Bay LNG.
— News Transcript, Freehold NJ
The environmental committee at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Phalanx Road, Colts Neck, will sponsor a free informational evening on the topic "Liquefied Natural Gas: A Threat to the Jersey Shore?" at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18.
— LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) has extended its deadline for submitting public comments in the Safe Harbor LNG deepwater port proceeding by 30 days.
— LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
Last week the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requested further information from AES Sparrows Point regarding its proposed LNG regasification terminal and associated pipeline infrastructure. The request seeks information that demonstrates compliance with a number of federal statutes, documents attempts at securing an alternative site for the project, and addresses several environmental issues.
— The Oregonian, Portland, OR
Too many jobs are at stake here for politically driven foot-dragging. And the same is true for a competing project, Oregon LNG's proposed terminal at Warrenton, although that plan has yet to receive federal energy regulators' approval.
— LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
Platts LNG Daily [subscription required] reports that the Center for LNG (CLNG) plans to release a report this week comparing the life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from LNG projects to GHG emissions from U.S. coal-fired power plants.
DJ EIA: Industrial natural gas demand to fall 5.1% in 2009 — TradingMarkets.com
The U.S. Energy Information Administration trimmed its forecast for 2009 U.S. industrial natural gas demand Tuesday, citing the economic downturn.
Industrial gas consumption is forecast to decline by 5.1% in 2009, surpassing the EIA's previous forecast of a 3% decrease.
Natural gas outlook: Consumption to decline, inventories up — Cattle Network,Lenexa, KS
Total natural gas consumption is projected to decline by 1.3 percent in 2009 and then increase by 0.6 percent in 2010. The expectation of limited weather-driven consumption growth in the residential and commercial sectors in 2009 is outweighed by the implications of continued economic weakness in the industrial and electric power sectors. Consumption in the industrial and electric power sectors is expected to decline by 5.1 and 1.0 percent, respectively, in 2009. Consumption growth in 2010 remains largely dependent upon the timing and pace of economic recovery. Based on current assumptions, 2.2-percent growth in the electric power sector combined with slight growth in the residential and industrial sectors are all expected to contribute to 2010 consumption growth.
Despite colder-than-normal weather last month, prices continued downward in response to the ongoing drop in natural gas demand. [Red emphasis added.]
— USA Today
A container ship collided earlier today with a natural-gas tanker off Dubai, igniting a smoky black fire. The crews were evacuated and only minor injuries were suffered by two seamen.
Top Bad call (Feb 8) — The Wall Street Journal, New York, NY
The conventional wisdom said that the U.S. would soon become a big importer of natural gas. The conventional wisdom blew it.
To stabilize the market, Mr. Greenspan said, the U.S. needed to become a major importer of liquefied natural gas, or
LNG. Moreover, he added, "Access to world natural-gas supplies will require a major expansion of LNG terminal import
capacity." New facilities would have to be built in the U.S. to handle the expected surge in imports.
Mr. Greenspan and the industry experts who shared this view — and there were many — couldn't have been more wrong.
Even before the economic slowdown, it was clear the nation had ample natural-gas supplies. Large-scale imports simply
weren't needed. And new reports suggest the U.S. won't need to turn into a massive importer of natural gas anytime
soon. [Yellow-highlighted, red & bold emphasis added.]
Sea smoke dawn [Blog] (Feb 6) — We Take Care of Our Land (Nulankeyutomonen Nkihtahkomikumon)
Eastern Maine coast
The State of Maine recently released its energy plan (dated January 9, 2009), which includes a plan for LNG in Passamaquoddy Bay. While it’s being touted as an alternative/green energy plan overall -- its message falls short when it implies that LNG is good for Eastern Maine. [Red emphasis added.]
Good & green jobs [IEN News Release] (Feb 6) — We Take Care of Our Land (Nulankeyutomonen Nkihtahkomikumon)
Indigenous Peoples demand good and green jobs, careers, and communities
Native American lands, as well as Indigenous territories worldwide, have been historically and systematically targeted for fossil fuel – coal, oil and gas – development, which has resulted in the contamination and depletion of water, land and community health. Solutions to energy independence and climate change in the U.S., such as nuclear power and clean coal, pose the threat of exacerbating these negative affects.
Weaver's Cove proposal is ill-conceived [Opinion column] — The Herald News, Fall River, MA
To date, pieces of legislation that I have introduced that are now Rhode Island laws include the requirement of safety and security exclusion zones for the proposed 950-foot-long LNG tankers to provide protection for residents as well as property and other assets along the proposed LNG tanker route; and a requirement of General Assembly and municipal government approval for any emergency response plan for the transportation of LNG in and on Rhode Island waters.
[E]very city and town along the route of the proposed 950-foot-long LNG supertankers has passed a council resolution in opposition to Weaver’s Cove Energy’s proposal to transport LNG in and on Rhode Island waters. [Red emphasis added.]
(Feb 8) — The Herald News, Fall River, MA
“We will remain persistent ... we think this is something that’s coming at the right place and time,” [Weaver's Cove LNG CEO Gordon Sheare] said.
Not everyone agrees.
Keith Stokes, executive director of the Newport (R.I.) County Chamber of Commerce, said a study commissioned in June 2006 found the project would have severe repercussions on economic development in that area.
Kroger believes state can stop LNG (Feb 5) — The Daily Astorian, Astoria, OR
"We believe the federal government has violated the law by granting a permit for a facility to proceed without going through the state permitting process, which is essential if this project is going to proceed, and by ignoring environmental protections that are critical and should be part of that process," he said. "The troubling thing about the way this process was done was that rather than waiting to see the state permits granted, FERC just acted."
(Feb 5) — Herald Online, Garden City, NY
More then 200 people crowded the Long Beach Public Library’s auditorium Jan. 29 for the first of at least three public “scoping sessions” on a proposal to build a liquefied natural gas terminal 13 miles off Long Beach.
(Feb 5) — NewsLI.com, Long Island, NY
So far nearly 40 groups in NJ/NY have banded together to condemn plans for LNG in this region. Over 500 citizens rallied together to say no to ASIG at a public hearing on January 27th in Eatontown and 300 ocean advocates attended the public hearing on the 29th in Long Beach, NY. California, Connecticut, and New York have already said no to LNG ports off their coasts – so must NJ. The community must get involved by signing petitions and contacting your local, state, and federal officials. Tell them that we do not need another foreign fossil fuel and our ocean is not for sale.
(Feb 6) — LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
Dominion Cove Point LNG, L.P. (DCP) has filed a formal application to modify its existing berthing facilities at the Cove Point LNG import terminal.
Report suggests Alaska gas pipeline not needed — Energy Current, Houston, TX
The report from a task force of the Interior Issues Council questions why owners of North Slope gas would commit to finance a multibillion-dollar pipeline and sell their gas into a "saturated market" in the Lower 48. [Red emphasis added.]
As reasons for LNG evaporate, so do projects [Editorial] — Energy Current, Houston, TX
[T]oday, for the second time, it appears that all alleged justifications put forward by LNG promoters have flat-out disappeared. And with that, proposed projects are fading away, too.
The newest Annual Energy Outlook report from the federal Department of Energy, developed under the now-departed, pro-LNG George W. Bush administration, concluded that natural gas imports will diminish by 2030 to just 3 percent of what's used in this country, from the current 16 percent.
But consumers and their advocates must nevertheless remain vigilant. For LNG promoters have proven they're persistent in seeking high profits at the expense of gas users. [Red & bold emphasis added.]
Excess supply weighs on natural gas markets — The Globe and Mail, Toronto, ON
Gas demand had been expected steadily to outstrip supply in coming years. Instead, gas markets internationally are moving into a period of excess supply.
In the United States, the gas market is experiencing strong supply growth on the one hand, owing to the success of onshore production from gas shale, and declining demand on the other, because of economic slowdown. [Red emphasis added.]
(Feb 4) — Oil & Gas Investment Bulletin, Canada
LNG is not yet a big factor in the US market, counting for some 3% of its use. And because of all the low cost, abundant shale gas discovered in the last few years, it is unlikely LNG will ever be needed much here. [Red & bold emphasis added.]
The United States Government, on Monday, formally charged engineering services company, Kellogg Brown & Root for a $180m, decade-long scheme to bribe Nigerian officials to secure $6bn in contracts at the Bonny LNG plant.
Top Calais LNG developer defends against attacks (Feb 3) — The Saint Croix Courier, St. Stephen, NB
Calais LNG says LNG vessels will be required to operate in compliance with Coast Guard regulations and restrictions. The company says compliance with these regulations will minimize the effects of the addition of a limited number of LNG vessels to the existing commercial traffic including the likelihood of a spill.
Calais LNG says potentially-hazardous radiant heat will not reach the Campobello residential or historic areas and the closest approach of an LNG vessel to the historic facility is over 500 metres.
(Feb 3) — The Herald News, Fall River, MA
A day after Weaver’s Cove announced it had formally submitted a revised plan to deliver liquefied natural gas along the Taunton River, Mayor Robert Correia said the city will continue its fight against an LNG facility.
The efforts to stop the project will also continue from Rhode Island, where Attorney General Patrick Lynch vowed to maintain his office’s fight against Weaver’s Cove.
“Now that Weaver’s Cove Energy has concocted yet another plan to shove LNG down the throats of a community largely opposed to the disruptive and dangerous presence of tankers in our Rhode Island and Massachusetts waters and a terminal on Fall River’s shore, we will continue to advocate against its approval, every step of the way,” Lynch said. “Even a now-extinct administration, no friend to the environment by any stretch of the imagination, found elements of previous proposals unpalatable. With the changeover to a new administration, I thought that Weaver’s Cove would make a more realistic assessment of its chances and hoist the white flag. I thought the madness would stop. Since it hasn’t, however, our work to protect and preserve our Rhode Island waters and shoreline continues, as does our solidarity with Massachusetts in blocking this latest scheme.”
— SouthCoastToday.com, New Bedford, MA
So while SouthCoast can't take a blind, not-in-my-backyard approach to natural gas, we have reason to be concerned about expanding its use and building an importation terminal in thickly settled Fall River.
— News Transcript, Freehold NJ
"Liquefied Natural Gas: A Threat to the Jersey Shore?"
[A] free informational program sponsored by the Environmental Committee of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Colts Neck, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18 in St. Mary's Spiritual Center, Phalanx Road and Route 34, Colts Neck. The program will focus on three proposals for port storage facilities for imported liquefied natural gas.
— The Mississippi Press, Pascagoula, MS
Senate Bill 2797 was written by Tommy Moffatt, R-Gautier, and revokes a tax package that then-Sen. Tommy Robertson, a Moss Point Republican, got passed into law in 2007.
Robertson's legislation divided future ad valorem taxes from Chevron Refinery Pascagoula expansions and new liquefied natural gas facilities among the county's four school districts.
Before 2007, the Pascagoula School District was the only one to benefit from the refinery and expansions.
— Kitimat Northern Sentinel, Kitimat, BC
“If something goes wrong, this stuff dissipates into the air. It’s not like you have crude oil messing up, killing birds and mammals and marine life, and destroying the environment,” [Skeena NDP MLA Robin Austin] added.
(Feb 3) — Oregon City News, Portland, OR
[T]he resolution specifies the commission’s concerns that neither LNG facilities nor associated pipelines should be approved until the need for such facilities in Oregon has been established, consistent with federal laws, and it is shown that the public need outweighs the private harm to landowners and to natural resources throughout the County.
— Forbes
The international economic slowdown has shaken the outlook for gas markets.
In the United States, the gas market is experiencing strong supply growth on the one hand and declining demand on the other.
The weakness of LNG, which can be taken as a proxy for a global gas market, was evident during the Russia-Ukraine crisis, which happened at the same time as major disruptions in LNG production.
US LNG newbies shunned — Fairplay Shipping News, Surrey, England, UK [Paid subscription required]
FRESH US data on LNG imports has revealed how new terminals were locked out of the market last year and accepted virtually no cargoes.
US imports totaled 351.7Bn ft³, down 54% from 2007 , it was disclosed yesterday.
The Gulf Gateway Energy Bridge, which debuted in 2007, received zero arrivals last year.
[Red emphasis added.]
Market elusive for US West Coast LNG imports — Reuters UK
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Woodside Petroleum's (WPL.AX) decision to scrap a liquefied natural gas import terminal in California last month bodes ill for developers on the U.S. West Coast already struggling to bring projects to fruition.
"At the moment with peak demand in the winter, storage levels are pretty high, prices are down and it appears by all accounts that demands for natural gas are being met," said Randy Roesser, California Energy Commission energy analyst.
— LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
NATS said today that US LNG imports for 2008 totaled 351.7 Bcf, which accounts for approximately 3.8% of global LNG production and makes the U.S. market the sixth largest importer of LNG in the world.
US LNG 2009 imports seen running at 400-500 Bcf: consultant — Platts
US imports of liquefied natural gas in 2009 are likely to run between 400
Bcf and 500 Bcf, above the 2008 levels, although still well below the record
set in 2007 , consulting firm Pan EurAsian Enterprises said Wednesday.
New FERC acting chairman – Supporting the President's green energy reforms (Feb 3) — Energy Legal Blog, Washington, DC
Consumer advocates and LNG opponents may take comfort in the recent appointment of Commission Jon Wellinghoff as the new acting FERC Chairman. As a Commissioner he has distinguished himself through a spate of dissents opposing rate incentives for transmission developers and opposing LNG projects, notably the Sparrow's Point and the Bradwood Landing projects.
— UPI
Russia blamed the decline in natural gas exports on the gas row with Ukraine. Ukraine hosts 80 percent of the natural gas bound for Europe. Disputes in January halted those supplies for weeks.
Top y — EastBayRI.com, Bristol, RI
When it first floated the offshore plan, Weaver’s Cove said it hoped to be able to avoid starting the application process anew. But regulators called the plan substantially different from the first proposal and said fresh applications, including environmental impact study, would be needed.
— The Providence Journal, Providence, RI
“If [Weaver’s Cove CEO Gordon Shearer] listened to what the people were saying, they would just go away,” said Joseph Carvalho of the Coalition for Responsible Siting of LNG Facilities. Because the company has said it will go with its original plan if it can, saying that Weaver’s Cove is listening to the public “is disingenuous at the very least, and scurrilous at the worst.”
(Feb 2) — (Gatehouse News Service) The Herald News, Fall River, MA
“[There are] still going to be 100 diesel trucks … coming out of the facility on a daily basis,” Carvalho said. “Not to mention a tank, the size of which has never been built, and technology that has never been used before to build a pipeline this long. ” [Red emphasis added.]
— Standard-Times, New Bedford, MA
The company, which is owned by Hess LNG, says it has not abandoned the original plan for tankers to deliver liquefied natural gas to a site in Fall River. But for now it is giving priority to an alternative previously discussed by the company: having tankers unload the LNG at a berth 1 mile from the nearest shoreline.
"If this is a feasible project, then why not be a good neighbor, as we have been already, and allay the fears of the local communities?" [Weaver's Cove spokesman Jim Grasso] said.
— LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
Joseph T. Kelliher, the former chairman of FERC, provided responses to letters from Sen. John Sarbanes (D-Md.), Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), and Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) regarding the proposed AES Sparrows Point LNG terminal.
— LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
Dominion Cove Point, L.P. filed a request for an extension of time to conduct a required noise survey of its Cove Point and Cove Point Expansion LNG facilities until December 31, 2009.
(Feb 2) — Hemscott [Free registration required]
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Dominion Resources (D) on Monday filed a minor procedural request that indicates the firm doesn't know when it will have enough liquefied natural gas to test its expanded capacity at its Cove Point, Md., terminal.
With depressed natural gas prices, LNG imports have plummeted in recent years. In 2005, Cove Point received 73 cargos, but last year the terminal saw only nine.
A Dominion official confirmed the FERC request revealed that the company had no idea when it would receive enough shipments to test the doubled capacity.
— LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
Yesterday FERC requested that Freeport LNG Development, L.P., provide additional data regarding proposed design changes to the facility, including the planned LNG re-export apparatus , new equipment to capture boil-off gas, and the facilities to accept truck deliveries of LNG. [Red & bold emphasis added.]
— eReleases, Baltimore, MD
The conference theme addresses unconstructive communication issues that industry leaders and their key emergency response personnel face on a daily basis. Pressured scheduling and time constraints prohibit both sides from achieving effectual communication. (Red & bold emphasis added.)
— Oil & Gas Journal, Tulsa, OK
"Total US demand, conservatively, will likely fall by 1.5 bcfd this year , which assumes 3-5% decline in industrial and power generation and normal weather," analysts said
Tristone analysts concluded, "We believe gas prices will deteriorate further in 2009, making investing in gas-weighted producers a risky proposition until the market rebalances. [Red emphasis added.]
— PortWorld, Singapore
Japan is already the largest LNG importer in the world and plans for the new terminal have been described as a move to meet rising domestic demand.
Tokyo Gas has forecast gas consumption to continue to rise in Japan as the industrial sector continues to switch from coal or fuel oil to gas, one report said.
Top Obama announces new energy, environmental policies (Jan 26) — Free Internet Press
Obama Monday called U.S. dependence on oil "one of the most serious threats" facing the nation.
"It bankrolls dictators, pays for nuclear proliferation and funds both sides of our struggle against terrorism," he said in the East Room of the White House. "It puts the American people at the mercy of shifting gas prices, stifles innovation and sets back our ability to compete. These urgent dangers to our national and economic security are compounded by the long-term threat of climate change, which, if left unchecked, could result in violent conflict, terrible storms, shrinking coastlines and irreversible catastrophe."
Yet, for years "we've chosen delay over decisive action," said Obama. "Rigid ideology has overruled sound science. Special interests have overshadowed common sense."
(Feb 1) — Fundy Tides blog, Bocabec, NB
Regardless of the insulting disdain that Mr. Girdis has shown, Canada is still a sovereign country, the Hon. Greg Thompson is a senior member of cabinet, and Downeast LNG is but a tiny speck of a company. Mr. Girdis has not enhanced his cause by openly demonstrating his contempt for Canadians in general and Canada in particular. To paraphrase your words in a recent letter from Mr. Girdis, “Canada will not sit quietly by as you seek to protect your own economic interests by trying to dictate what kind of development is acceptable in sovereign Canadian waters.”
(Jan 20) — Calgary Herald, Calgary, AB
The proposed liquefied natural gas terminals in Eastern Canada risk never seeing the light with the current economic crisis and plummeting energy prices, economists and analysts warn.
[Energy economist Jean-Thomas Bernard from Laval University in Quebec City] said energy prices and market conditions don't make [them] viable.
— The Herald News, Fall River, MA
Weaver’s Cove Energy announced today they have filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to modify the design of the proposed liquefied natural gas terminal to include an offshore berth in Mount Hope Bay.
— LNG Law Blog, Washington, DC
The developers noted that although their pipeline will have to compete with domestic gas and LNG supplies, that by the time the project is completed in 10 years, demand will be growing and prices will rise.
Oregon challenge to conditional licensing could have broad impacts for project developers — Energy Legal Blog, Washington, DC
FERC's use of conditional licensing has been touted as a regulatory innovation that has become increasingly commonplace in FERC's certificate authorizations. The Oregon AG's challenge to the practice implicates FERC's conditional permit policy as a whole, and, perhaps most significantly, FERC staff's recent policy statement on hydrokinetics. The petition also raises the possibility that FERC's conditional permit practice could be revised or scrapped entirely. If this happens, project developers before FERC could be faced with significantly lengthier permitting timelines and attendant uncertainties. [Red emphasis added.]
Can Europe be taken hostage by Russia’s natural gas supply? — The Cutting Edge
Not surprisingly, Russia is losing its reputation as a reliable supplier of gas to Europe.
As of January 6, 11 European countries had been affected by this disruption: Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Italy, Turkey, and Croatia. Amidst temperatures as low as 0 Fahrenheit, the demand for heating is growing. Most countries have some gas storage to outlast a short disruption, but if the crisis continues for weeks, these supplies will run out.
The Kremlin derives leverage from its control of gas production and supply networks. It uses its energy supplies to divide Europe on key issues, thus weakening Europe's bargaining power in economic and geopolitical relations with Russia.
In light of these circumstances, the U.S should: Encourage Europe to construct more liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals , importing gas from Qatar, Algeria, and Nigeria, thus diversifying the sources of gas. [Red emphasis added.]
Russian analyst rattles sabers over gas — UPI.com
"We should realize that Russia is at war with the United States , not in the geopolitical and gas sector but also in the sphere of direct confrontation ," notes Alexander Dugin, a Russian expansionist at Moscow State University. [Red emphasis added.]
— TransWorldNews.com
In its analysis, “First” Natural Gas Buying Opportunity for 2010 and Beyond, Energy Solutions, Inc. provides details and general recommendations for long-term buying decisions, backing the information with fact and reason. These evaluations are formed by natural gas production growth, supply/production levels, drilling rig counts, natural gas storage inventories, liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, state of economy and so on.
— Seeking Alpha
Natural gas spot price per unit is trading now around $4.38. This is a 7-year low.
Last July, the spot price for gas was a shocking $13 and now it is down to just over $4.30.
(Jan 31) — Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX
LNG can be competitive priced as low as $3 per million British thermal units, said Zach Allen, head of Pan EurAsian Enterprises, a management advisory firm that follows LNG markets. That’s a price the U.S. hasn’t seen since 2002.
They are essentially producing the gas for free,” said [Murray Douglas, a global LNG analyst with Wood Mackenzie in Houston].
(Jan 31) — Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX
Excelerate Energy, which is building a fleet of tankers that can re-gasify LNG onboard for offloading to terminals buoyed offshore, opened its second such terminal last year, the Northeast Gateway, 13 miles off the coast of Boston.
Rob Bryngelson, president and chief executive of Excelerate, which is based in The Woodlands, said the downturn has led his company to seek out more projects like the one it started last summer in Argentina. For several months an Excelerate tanker with re-gasification equipment ties up next to an intake for a natural gas pipeline system. Other standard LNG tankers can then sidle up next to Excelerate’s vessel and offload their cargo.
(Feb 1) — TMC Net
The global recession has created new uncertainties for a $30 billion-plus Alaska natural gas pipeline, according to the companies involved in the project and to independent analyst Wood MacKenzie.
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