News

Marcelino Guedes Gomes together with his orchids
Marcelino Guedes Gomes together with his orchids

Pipeline People: Marcelino Guedes Gomes, Petrobras

Marcelino Guedes Gomez joined PETROBRAS in 1987 where he worked in several different positions before he became Executive Manager, responsible for developing and applying solutions for illegal tapping in pipelines at PETROBRAS from 2015 to 2020.

Underwater Pipeline on the sea floor (copyright by Shutterstock/Vismar UK)
Underwater Pipeline on the sea floor (copyright by Shutterstock/Vismar UK)

McDermott International Secures FEED Contract for Subsea Pipeline

Delta Offshore Energy, a Singaporean company, has awarded a Front End Engineering Design (FEED) contract to McDermott International LTD for a subsea gas pipeline.  The pipeline will connect an offshore LNG regasification platform to onshore 3,200-megawatt (MW) powerplant in Bac Lieu Province, Vietnam.

USA from space with NDT logo (copyright by Shutterstock/NicoElNino & NDT Global)
USA from space with NDT logo (copyright by Shutterstock/NicoElNino & NDT Global)

Thomas Redlinger Takes On The Top Job for NDT Global in the United States

Thomas Redlinger, a professional engineer with substantial oil and gas experience in the testing, inspection and certification of pipelines, has been appointed to the role of Vice President for NDT Global in the United States.  In this capacity Redlinger will be responsible for driving the US business.

Nord Stream 2 sanctioned by US House of Representatives (Copyright: Axel Schmidt / Nord Stream 2)
Nord Stream 2 sanctioned by US House of Representatives (Copyright: Axel Schmidt / Nord Stream 2)

Political Winds Roiling Nord Stream 2

By its very trajectory Nord Stream 2, as with its relative Nord Stream 1, was bound to be controversial.  Threaten U.S. sanctions on companies building the pipeline and you have enough to constitute a veritable crisis.

 Hurricane Laura making Landfall in USA. Shot from Space (copyright by Adobe Stock/ Sasa Kadrijevic)
Hurricane Laura making Landfall in USA. Shot from Space (copyright by Adobe Stock/ Sasa Kadrijevic)

Hurricane Laura Wreaks Havoc on Gulf of Mexico Gas Pipelines

Last week Hurricane Laura, the most powerful and damaging Category 4 Atlantic hurricane since the 1856 Last Island hurricane, forced the Garden Banks and Nautilus natural gas pipelines, serving four major U.S. Gulf of Mexico production platforms, to shut down, pipeline operator Enbridge said.

European Union flag with H2 hydrogen molecules (copyright by Adobe Stock/Alexander Limbach)
European Union flag with H2 hydrogen molecules (copyright by Adobe Stock/Alexander Limbach)

Europe Must Dig Deep For Hydrogen Energy To Become Reality

The PTJ has noted during the last few months the excitement in industry circles concerning the transition from fossil fuel to hydrogen as Europe considers its next steps in meeting a net zero emissions goal by 2050. Analysts expect the hydrogen market to be worth $1.2 trillion by that date.

pipeline bridge  (copyright by Adobe Stock/Cardaf)
pipeline bridge (copyright by Adobe Stock/Cardaf)

Some Ups and More Downs in This Year's American Gas Pipeline Market

The natural gas pipeline market in the United States was a hotbed of activity during the first six months of 2020. On the one hand the courts either blocked or delayed long ballyhooed gas pipelines like the Constitution and Atlantic Coast Pipelines. On the other about 5 Bcf/d of natural gas pipeline capacity entered service in the country.

Flags of India and Nepal (copyright by Adobe Stock/luzitanija)
Flags of India and Nepal (copyright by Adobe Stock/luzitanija)

New Products Pipeline Being Considered Between India and Nepal

A joint Indian-Nepalese working group met earlier this month via online video conferencing to discuss enhanced energy cooperation between the two countries and in particular the construction of another petroleum products pipeline to satisfy growing demand in Nepal. 

PHMSA logo (copyright by PHMSA)
PHMSA logo (copyright by PHMSA)

Over $97 Million in Grants For Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Programs

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has announced that it is awarding over $97 million in grants through its pipeline and hazardous materials safety programs.

Terrorist attack in Syria (copyright by Adobe Stock/Jonathan Stutz)
Terrorist attack in Syria (copyright by Adobe Stock/Jonathan Stutz)

Syria Believes ISIS Behind Natural Gas Pipeline Explosion

A 1200-km natural gas pipeline carrying the commodity from Egypt into Jordan, Lebanon and ultimately Syria exploded near Damascus early Monday morning causing a near nationwide blackout. The Syrian Oil Minister suspects that this could be a terrorist act.

Sunset on pipeline (Adobe Stock/tomas)
Sunset on pipeline (Adobe Stock/tomas)

When Will Gas Flow Through Bayer's Hazardous Materials' Pipeline?

Opponents of the Bayer company's 67-km pipeline between its Dormagen and Krefeld chemical plants, carrying the highly poisonous and invisible carbon monoxide (CO) gas, have at the Higher Administrative Court in Münster criticized the pipeline approval process conducted in 2009 as including an insufficient number of participants.

Nigeria oil industry concept on flag (copyright by Adobe Stock/Антон Медведев)
Nigeria oil industry concept on flag (copyright by Adobe Stock/Антон Медведев)

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation's Call to Pipeliners - a Big Opportunity

In a document posted on its website this week, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is asking investors to bid to fix pipelines and depots serving its oil refineries on a finance and operate basis.

Hydrogen backbone (copyright by Ontras)
Hydrogen backbone (copyright by Ontras)

Eleven Gas Giants to Move on Bringing Hydrogen to Europe

Last month a group of eleven European gas infrastructure companies from nine EU member states presented a plan for transporting hydrogen throughout Europe.  The group says that existing gas infrastructure within the continent can be modified to ship the hydrogen at an affordable cost.

Concawe Logo (copyright by Concawe)
Concawe Logo (copyright by Concawe)

European oil pipeline spillage report by Concawe now available online

The latest Concawe report on ‘’Performance of European cross-country oil pipelines - statistical summary of reported spillages in 2018 and since 1971” is now available online.

The key message of the report is that there is no ageing in the pipeline systems due to high-quality supervision and maintenance programs.

Washington DC Capitol (copyright by Adobe Stock/Stocked House Studio)
Washington DC Capitol (copyright by Adobe Stock/Stocked House Studio)

Washington, D.C. A New Hotbed of Nord Stream 2 Activity

The fate of the troubled $11 billion Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project could very well be decided over the next several weeks in Washington, D.C., with lobbyists on both sides of the case ramping up their activities.

The flag of Poland in the sky (copyright by Adobe Stock/FOTOWAWA)
The flag of Poland in the sky (copyright by Adobe Stock/FOTOWAWA)

Poland Levies A $57 Million Fine Against Russia's Gazprom

Poland, whose views on European energy security are at odds with Germany and most fellow members of the European Union, has fined Gazprom $57 million for lack of cooperation in its proceedings with regard to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.

Pipeline crosses miles of beautiful, rugged terrain (copyright by Adobe Stock/JT Fisherman)
Pipeline crosses miles of beautiful, rugged terrain (copyright by Adobe Stock/JT Fisherman)

Expanded Keystone XL Oil Volumes A Boon to TransCanada

President Trump, frustrated with a Supreme Court ruling this month that blocked a key environmental permit, preventing substantial U.S. construction on the Keystone XL oil pipeline, has approved the existing pipeline in place to ship 29% more Canadian crude into the U.S. Midwest and Gulf Coast.

Daniel Muthmann (copyright by Open Grid Europe)
Daniel Muthmann (copyright by Open Grid Europe)

Energy from Hydrogen: Daniel Muthmann (OGE) Helps Turn A Dream Into Reality

During the middle of this month eleven European long distance pipeline operators published a concept for the development of a European long distance pipeline network for hydrogen.  In several big steps until 2040 the productions centers in the north and south of Europe will be connected with its main consumption areas.

Oil refinery industrial plant at night (copyright by Adobe Stock/TTstudio)
Oil refinery industrial plant at night (copyright by Adobe Stock/TTstudio)

$457 Million Premium Paid for Bringing China's Pipeline Network Under One Roof

Facilitating Beijing's drive to consolidate China's vast pipeline infrastructure, the Politburo - the nexus of all political power in China - has created the China Oil & Gas Pipeline Network (PipeChina).  

Workers laid water system pipeline at construction site (copyright by Adobe Stock/kalpis)
Workers laid water system pipeline at construction site (copyright by Adobe Stock/kalpis)

Major Water Pipeline Infrastructure Project to Commence in the UK

As part of a larger plan to link water supplies from Lincolnshire to Essex, the proposed route of the  of the giant 500-km pipeline has been revealed.  Anglian Water, the utility provider, has announced the first phase of the project - a pipeline heading from Waddington, near Lincoln, to Ancaster, between Sleaford and Grantham.