Exporting

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | CNG/LNG | Crime | Exporting | Industrywide Issues

24 Anti-Drilling Protesters Arrested by Homeland Security in DC
July 15, 2014July 15, 2014

MDN reported yesterday on the massive flop of a protest in Washington, DC against the Cove Point, Maryland LNG export facility (see Anti-Cove Point LNG Protest in DC Flops Bigtime). The so-called protest literally got no coverage from the media–except for the terrorist-loving Al Jazeera America network. What to do? Some of the more virulent protesters desperately craved some media attention, so they did what they often do–break the law. More than 30 anti-drilling “protesters” locked arms and blocked the entrance to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission building in downtown DC yesterday. Homeland Security arrested 24 of them…
Read More “24 Anti-Drilling Protesters Arrested by Homeland Security in DC”
CNG/LNG | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Maryland | Statewide MD

Dominion to Begin Cove Point LNG Construction in Next 2 Mos
July 15, 2014July 15, 2014

Despite the best protest efforts by anti-drillers against the Cove Point, Maryland LNG export facility in Washington (see our stories from yesterday and today), Dominion waits for final approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory commission (FERC) to begin construction. Dominion previously got a green light from the Dept. of Energy last September (see Celebrate! Dominion Wins DOE Approval for MD LNG Export Facility). Dominion also got an initial green light from FERC (see FERC Final EIS: Cove Point Won’t Hurt Environment). However, Dominion needs a final approval from FERC before they can begin construction. They expect that approval very soon…
Read More “Dominion to Begin Cove Point LNG Construction in Next 2 Mos”
Allegheny County | Exporting | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania

China Visits the Marcellus to Learn Our Secrets
June 30, 2014June 30, 2014

Calling Pittsburgh a “very beautiful city” and the “shale gas center of the United States,” a group from the China Shale Gas Delegation visited southwest PA last week to learn how America unlocks bountiful shale gas in a safe, economical manner. And of course they chose the biggest and best shale play to study: the Marcellus. Essentially the Chinese were here to learn our secrets–and being big-hearted Americans (and relatively stupid), we opened up and shared…
Read More “China Visits the Marcellus to Learn Our Secrets”
CNG/LNG | Energy Companies | Ethane | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Range Resources Corp

Range Announces Multiple Agreements to Sell Natgas & Ethane
June 27, 2014June 27, 2014

A big, important announcement from Range Resources yesterday to go along with the big, important news that ETP will build a new Marcellus/Utica pipeline (see today’s lead story). Range confirmed ETP’s announcement yesterday that they (Range) will be a customer for the new Rover Pipeline that crosses Ohio and will eventually connect to Canada. In fact, Range says they are the “foundation” shipper on that new pipeline, which is due to be in service October 2017. Range will ship 400,000 million Btus (or 388 million cubic feet) per day on the Rover Pipeline–for 20 years. In addition, Range also announced agreements to sell their Marcellus gas for export via the Cheniere LNG export facility in Sabine Pass and via a second unnamed LNG facility. And the really big news (for MDN)–Range has signed up to become the second source of ethane for the Odebrecht WV cracker plant. They also plan to sell ethane to the Sasol cracker plant planned in Lake Charles, LA…
Read More “Range Announces Multiple Agreements to Sell Natgas & Ethane”
CNG/LNG | Exporting | Industrywide Issues

Marcellus/Utica Shale Gas Exports by End of 2015? Maybe…
June 13, 2014June 13, 2014

Will Marcellus and Utica Shale gas be exported to places like India and Spain in the next few years? The answer is, quite probably. And it won’t be because of the Marcus Hook terminal near Philadelphia. If it happens in the next few years, it will be from a new LNG export facility under construction right now in Louisiana…
Read More “Marcellus/Utica Shale Gas Exports by End of 2015? Maybe…”
CNG/LNG | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Maryland | Regulation | Statewide MD

Good News: Maryland Approves Dominion Cove Point LNG Plant
June 3, 2014June 3, 2014

First the Dept. of Energy approved it (see Celebrate! Dominion Wins DOE Approval for MD LNG Export Facility), then the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (see FERC Final EIS: Cove Point Won’t Hurt Environment), and now, the Maryland Public Service Commission has approved Dominion’s plan to build a ~$3.5 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plant in Cove Point, MD. Specifically, the PSC issued a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) last Friday. The certificate is needed to allow Dominion to install two 65-megawatt steam turbine generators that produce electricity. The waste heat from two combustion turbines, which are used to drive compressors to produce LNG, will be recycled to produce steam to drive the steam turbines. The PSC’s action is yet another important milestone/hurdle passed by Dominion on their inevitable way to building and operating the plant…
Read More “Good News: Maryland Approves Dominion Cove Point LNG Plant”
CNG/LNG | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

Watch Who’s For & Against Change in DOE’s LNG Approval Process
June 3, 2014June 3, 2014

Last week MDN told you about the Dept. of Energy announcement that they’re changing the way they approve potential LNG (liquefied natural gas) export projects to non-free trade countries (see DOE Changes Way They Evaluate/Approve LNG Export Facilities). We said at the time that while we appreciate that the DOE wants to streamline and turn a two-stage process into a single approval process, we have some deep reservations about the change-up. So we noticed, with interest, that the anti-drilling Sierra Club praised the change, and the pro-gas Center for LNG (CLNG) expressed deep reservations, not unlike our own, which verifies our own thinking and skepticism about this policy change…
Read More “Watch Who’s For & Against Change in DOE’s LNG Approval Process”
CNG/LNG | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

DOE Changes Way They Evaluate/Approve LNG Export Facilities
May 30, 2014May 30, 2014

The news came fast and furious yesterday from various quarters of the Obama administration. Almost lost in the shuffle was a major announcement from the Ernest “Hair” Moniz’s Dept. of Energy. The DOE plays a major role in deciding which (or whether) a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility is allowed to be built. Since 2010 some 25 LNG export facilities have been proposed, seeking DOE approval. How many have been approved? Precisely one–a new facility by Cheniere Energy for a facility along Louisiana’s Gulf Coast…
Read More “DOE Changes Way They Evaluate/Approve LNG Export Facilities”
Energy Services | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | UIL Holdings

Former Enron Exec Makes “Unethical” Play to Derail PGW Deal
May 27, 2014May 27, 2014

In March MDN told you about the deal negotiated by Philadelphia’s Democrat mayor, Michael Nutter, to sell off (i.e. privatize) the country’s oldest and largest municipal-owned gas company–the Philadelphia Gas Works (see Phila. Gas Works Deal for $1.86B – Marcellus/Utica One of Keys). To his credit, Nutter negotiated a good deal for the city, its residents, and the ratepayers of PGW. One of the main draws for the deal is its proximity to the Marcellus Shale (see Fascinating Look Behind the Curtain of the Phila. Gas Works Deal). However, resistance to the sale was swift and strong–by city council and their entrenched political interests in keeping labor unions happy. Now comes word that a Russian-born former Enron executive is working behind the scenes trying to derail the deal…
Read More “Former Enron Exec Makes “Unethical” Play to Derail PGW Deal”
CNG/LNG | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Maryland | Regulation | Statewide MD

FERC Final EIS: Cove Point Won’t Hurt Environment
May 16, 2014May 16, 2014

Last September the U.S. Dept. of Energy gave it’s blessing to the Cove Point, MD LNG export facility that Dominion wants to build (see Celebrate! Dominion Wins DOE Approval for MD LNG Export Facility). DOE approval was a major hurdle. A second major hurdle has just been spanned. Yesterday the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a Final Environmental Impact Statement (copy below) and found…
Read More “FERC Final EIS: Cove Point Won’t Hurt Environment”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | CNG/LNG | Exporting | Industrywide Issues

OH Sen. Brown, 21 Others Send Anti-LNG Export Letter to Obama
May 14, 2014May 14, 2014

Some 21 Democrat U.S. Senators and 1 RINO Republican (Susan Collins from Maine) signed a letter to President Obama on Monday asking him to hold up on exporting LNG because, they claim, it will lead to higher natural gas prices here at home. Such loving, caring people those Democrats–always concerned for “the little guy.” What utter horse manure. The entire lot of them, including the shameful Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown are either stupid or (more likely) have an ulterior political motive–something that involves money and perhaps kickbacks to their campaign coffers. What else can explain such collective lunacy by Democrats and Democrat-lite Collins?

Below is the press release from the shameful OH Sen. Sherrod Brown, a copy of the letter sent by this cabal, and the entire list of who signed…
Read More “OH Sen. Brown, 21 Others Send Anti-LNG Export Letter to Obama”
Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

PA Marcellus Shale Gas Going to…Latvia?!
May 13, 2014May 13, 2014

The prime minister of Latvia–Her Excellency Mrs. Laimdota Straujuma–recently visited Philadelphia. For those who don’t know, Latvia is an ex-Soviet Union country in eastern Europe. Mrs. Straujuma wants U.S. natural gas–Marcellus gas–really bad. Some of the unnamed people she met with in Philly said they’ll be more than happy to sell her some–as soon as the Obama administration gets off it’s rear-end and issues export permits.

Here’s the story of how home-grown, cheap, abundant Marcellus Shale gas may give freedom in Europe a boost (and give the dangerous bully Putin a poke in the eye)…
Read More “PA Marcellus Shale Gas Going to…Latvia?!”
Exporting | Industrywide Issues

Marcellus Gas Bound for Nova Scotia? Yes, if Emera Can Swing It
May 9, 2014May 9, 2014

Halifax energy conglomerate Emera Inc. wants to be the natural gas supplier to the Maritimes. But in order to do it, it appears that they will need to get Marcellus and Utica Shale gas from the U.S. And in order to do that–they need a pipeline. Fortunately Emera owns a 12.9% stake in the Maritimes and Northeast pipeline, which can help them do just that. It’s far from a controlling interest–but enough to (hopefully) persuade the operator to start flowing gas northward.

Here’s the story of Emera, which happens to have “some very significant relationships” with Marcellus drillers…
Read More “Marcellus Gas Bound for Nova Scotia? Yes, if Emera Can Swing It”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | CNG/LNG | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Maryland | Statewide MD

Anti-Drillers File Complaint with SEC re Cove Point LNG Facility
May 9, 2014May 9, 2014

Even though they’ve lost, the obstinate and unreasonable (not able to be reasoned with) people at Earthjustice and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) are once again trying to prevent the inevitable–the Cove Point, Maryland LNG export facility. Dominion is the company building the new LNG export facility at Cove Point. On the eve of Dominion’s annual shareholder meeting, Earthjustice and CCAN attempted a publicity stunt by filing a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission saying that Dominion has not provided adequate disclosure of financial and environmental risks in their plans to build the new $2 billion facility.

It’s just one more lame attempt by the same small group of virulent anti-drillers plus a ninny nanny anti-drilling investor from Trillium Asset Management (don’t ever invest money with Trillium) to stop progress…
Read More “Anti-Drillers File Complaint with SEC re Cove Point LNG Facility”
CNG/LNG | Exporting | Industrywide Issues

Nova Scotia Wants to Export Marcellus Gas to Europe, Lacks Pipes
May 7, 2014May 7, 2014

Russia is once again threatening the Ukraine with shutting off natural gas supplies to and through the country. The Ukraine supplies much of Europe with natural gas from Russia. It’s creating a near-crisis in Europe–and yet the Europeans are being European and still slow to move on shale drilling in the abundant supplies beneath their feet. Good for the U.S. and good for Canada, who (if we can get exporting) stand to supply them with cheap natgas and start to reverse our trade imbalance.

Nova Scotia, Canada really really wants to be one of the sources of LNG for Europe. They’re ready to ramp up LNG shipments–now all they need is the natural gas! Canada is more like Europe than the U.S. Quebec has an enormous supply of Utica Shale gas beneath them–but they have an ongoing shale drilling moratorium like New York State. Nova Scotia wants to tap into the Marcellus and Utica in the U.S., but pipelines north (or rather lack of them) are a problem. And then there’s the politics of getting gas from the U.S. What to do?…
Read More “Nova Scotia Wants to Export Marcellus Gas to Europe, Lacks Pipes”
Energy Services | Enterprise Products Partners | Ethane | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Processing Plants

Marcellus/Utica Ethane Exports on the Way – from the Gulf Coast!
April 23, 2014April 23, 2014

Enterprise Products Partners, builder of the ATEX (Appalachia-to-Texas Express) ethane pipeline from Washington County, PA through Ohio and all the way to the Gulf Coast, has just announced what they plan to do with some of the ethane they’re sending to the Gulf Coast. Yes, right now it’s being sold to cracker plants along the Gulf Coast for processing into ethylene (used to make plastics), but Enterprise has just announced they will build an ethane export facility and send some of that cheap, abundant ethane to foreign destinations.

Enterprise says U.S. production capacity and use for ethane exceeds demand and it only makes sense to export some good, ole American energy to other countries. Good for them, and good for u$…
Read More “Marcellus/Utica Ethane Exports on the Way – from the Gulf Coast!”