Natural Gas News – December 13, 2017

Natural Gas News – December 13, 2017

Virginia Agency Takes Unexpected Step That Could Delay Gas Pipeline Project

The Washington Post reported: RICHMOND — Opponents of a natural gas pipeline planned across some of Virginia’s wildest terrain declared a partial victory Tuesday when a state panel delayed enacting water permits for the controversial project. The State Water Control Board approved permits for the $5 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which is backed by Dominion Energy, but took the unusual step of delaying the effective date until several environmental impact reports are completed. The action came unexpectedly after a day and a half of tension-filled hearings, leaving supporters and opponents alike scrambling to determine exactly what had happened. The bottom line seemed to be that the project is at least temporarily on hold. “They cannot start construction until the final erosion and sediment control plans are approved,” state Department of Environmental Quality spokesman Bill Hayden said. For more visit washingtonpost.com or click http://wapo.st/2AAqSlx

The U.S. Is Exporting Oil and Gas at a Record Pace

Bloomberg reported: The world’s largest oil consumer exported more hydrocarbons than ever before in 2017 and shows no signs of slowing down. Americans are expected to end the year pumping oil out of the ground at rates unseen since the early 1970s. More and more of it is going overseas, giving OPEC a headache as the group restrains its own output. Last year the U.S. tested the export waters after a nearly four-decade-old ban was removed. But this year, purchases of U.S. light, sweet crude have skyrocketed as pipeline and dock infrastructure was built out and the wider price spread between Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude coaxed more cargoes abroad. Canada, once the only regular buyer of U.S. crude, finds itself competing with refiners in Europe and Asia. China’s appetite for American oil is voracious: in April, China bought more than Canada did for the first time. For more visit sciencemag.org or click https://bloom.bg/2BiyZCA