EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 11/20/23
PIPELINE NEWS
KSFY: Landowners celebrate and prepare for more pipeline fights
KXNET: Political Panel: Pipelines & North Dakota landowners
Reuters: US Coast Guard leading oil spill clean-up in Gulf of Mexico
E&E News: Hydrogen for heating is gaining steam. Is it safe?
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Law360: Green Groups Want Alaskan Oil Project Blocked During Appeal
Oil & Gas Journal: BOEM: Gulf Of Mexico Oil, Gas Lease Sale 261 Set For Dec. 20
World Oil: API Applauds Fifth Circuit Decision On Lease Sale 261, Restores Offshore Energy Opportunities
STATE UPDATES
NM Political Report: More than a dozen state lawmakers express opposition to proposed LNG storage facility
WMTW: ‘We need to wean ourselves off’: Consumer advocate backs ban of new natural gas pipeline construction
Guardian: Suck carbon from the air? US facility launches novel climate solution
Carlsbad Current-Argus: Almost $3 Billion Goes To New Mexico From Oil And Gas On Public Land
EXTRACTION
Reuters: Canada plans $20 bln in subsidies for carbon capture, clean tech - source
Guardian: EU, Germany and Denmark sued by oil firm over windfall tax
Reuters: Canada court overturns government ruling that some plastics are toxic
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Norfolk Daily News: Grant brings new equipment to fire department
Durant Democrat: Midship Pipeline donates $25,500 to local first responders
The Journal Record: Explorer Pipeline supports hospice
OPINION
Cleburne Times Review: No safer alternatives to Line 5 pipeline
Oil City News: On carbon capture to fight climate change
The Hill: Fed Chair Powell is ignoring the greatest threat to our economy: climate risk
Wall Street Journal: To Slow Climate Change, Curb Methane First
PIPELINE NEWS
KSFY: Landowners celebrate and prepare for more pipeline fights
11/19/23
“Both the Navigator and Summit Carbon Solutions pipelines were stopped in recent months, and on Sunday, landowners gathered to celebrate their accomplishments,” KSFY reports. “The rules surrounding eminent domain came to the forefront of the pipeline discussions. While those in attendance on Sunday were grateful the plans were stopped for now, they know additional fights could be on the way. “Right now, it is not a level playing field,” Joy Hohn with Landowners for Eminent Domain Reform told KSFY. “Basically, we have these billion-dollar companies with unlimited amounts of money against landowners.” “The next legislative session is huge,” landowner’s lawyer Brian Jorde told KSFY. “If we can get common sense eminent domain reform, we can protect landowners and everyone else who is dealing with this type of injustice in the years to come if it’s not fixed now.” The landowners that attended on Sunday added that they have grown closer together in their fight against the two pipelines.”
KXNET: Political Panel: Pipelines & North Dakota landowners
Adrienne Oglesby, 11/17/23
“Pipelines are a big topic in our state. Some are pro and some are opposed,” KXNET reports. “As for CO2 pipelines in particular, I sat down with our elected officials to see what they think. Are there other ways to transport and store the product that will make everyone happy? “There’s other ways to transfer and store CO2, but the real question is: Is there a need to capture carbon dioxide, which is essential for all the plants on the earth as far as growth and so on?” asked State Sen. Jeff Magrum, “And there is no evidence that, as a matter of fact, scientists have looked at this carbon capture project for the ethanol plants that we’re dealing with in North Dakota right now. It’s a total waste of money. It’s also very dangerous too, and with this particular project, they want to run it right around the capital city, which could be a total disaster. “Well, we do need to find ways to decarbonize,” Rep. Josh Boschee told KXNET, “I think it’s going to be a long haul, and I don’t think we need to completely end certain industries, especially those that are important to North Dakota…When it comes to pipes or pipelines specifically, my concern is more about making sure that landowners are treated respectfully and fairly.”
Reuters: US Coast Guard leading oil spill clean-up in Gulf of Mexico
11/17/23
“The U.S. Coast Guard was leading an oil spill clean-up in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday, partnering with local and federal agencies and companies after a Main Pass Oil Gathering Co (MPOG) underwater pipeline began leaking,” Reuters reports. “The crude oil pipeline is around 19 miles (30 km) offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, east of Venice, Louisiana, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said. Third Coast Infrastructure Llc, which owns MPOG, declined to comment and referred questions to the Coast Guard. The EPA added that the Coast Guard had activated the National Response Team, comprising of 15 federal entities responsible for coordinating the response to oil pollution incidents… “A company aircrew had observed the presence of crude oil during an overflight on Thursday near MPOG's pipeline system close to Plaquemines Parish, southeast of New Orleans, the Coast Guard added.”
E&E News: Hydrogen for heating is gaining steam. Is it safe?
Christine Mui, 11/20/23
“A Utah project set to start up “green” hydrogen production this month is underscoring a national debate over how the fuel should be used, who should fund it and if it’s safe to heat homes,” E&E News reports. “By the end of November, Dominion Energy Utah, which blends methane-derived hydrogen in its natural gas pipelines, plans on switching to a green version made on-site with renewable electricity… “But environmentalists and some developers have rejected heating homes with hydrogen, considering the availability of cheaper, low-carbon options like electric heat pumps. Critics also warn that pollutants released from burning hydrogen in indoor spaces could worsen health problems and that it can be dangerous to introduce the fuel into pipelines designed for gas. “Right now, there’s a lot of discussion on: ‘Should heating be supported?’” Marina Domingues, a senior hydrogen analyst at Rystad Energy, told E&E. “Why should the heating sector be a hydrogen-demand sector if we could just use natural gas and capturing technologies?” “...Last year, Physicians for Social Responsibility and the American Medical Association issued warnings against burning hydrogen-methane blends in indoor spaces. They cited research indicating that the mixtures release more nitrogen oxides (NOx) than methane alone, which can worsen pollutant-linked diseases like asthma and dementia… “For companies, blending projects are appealing because they continue to use natural gas infrastructure already in place for hydrogen distribution while progressing on internal emissions-cutting goals… “Climate advocates worry that such projects are greenwashing and could lock in dependence on gas to keep homes warm, rather than compelling companies to look into fossil-fuel-free solutions.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Law360: Green Groups Want Alaskan Oil Project Blocked During Appeal
Crystal Owens, 11/16/23
“A coalition of conservation groups is asking a federal district court for an injunction to block ConocoPhillips Alaska from beginning construction activity on its planned Willow drilling project while the coalition appeals the project’s approval to the Ninth Circuit,” Law360 reports. “Construction on the massive oil and gas project on Alaska’s North Slope is set to start on Dec. 21 and will produce more extensive ground disturbances compared to the past winter when activity was limited to 21 days, according to a motion filed by the groups on Wednesday. The Willow Master Development Plan that’s set to be built in the coming months includes more than eight miles of road, an airstrip, a 31-acre pad for its operations center, pipeline installation and continued gravel mining to support construction, the groups said. Upcoming activity will also include the installation of a bridge and more than 1,600 pipeline vertical and horizontal support members along with 12.6 miles of different pipelines.”
Oil & Gas Journal: BOEM: Gulf Of Mexico Oil, Gas Lease Sale 261 Set For Dec. 20
Alan Kovski, 11/16/23
“Lease Sale 261 for oil and gas exploration tracts in the Gulf of Mexico is now set for Dec. 20, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced Nov. 16,” Oil & Gas Journal reports. “A Final Notice of Sale will be available for public inspection Nov. 17 and will be published Nov. 20 in the Federal Register, the agency said. If BOEM follows standard form, the deadline for bids will be the day before the sale date. BOEM will live stream the opening of bids at 9 a.m. Central time Dec. 20. BOEM was bowing to a Nov. 14 order of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The order required the agency to go ahead with the sale and to do so without the additional restrictions announced in August that excluded about 6 million acres from the sale acreage and imposed limits on oil and gas ship movements.”
World Oil: API Applauds Fifth Circuit Decision On Lease Sale 261, Restores Offshore Energy Opportunities
11/15/23
“The American Petroleum Institute (API) released the following statement from Senior Vice President and General Counsel Ryan Meyers in response to the preliminary injunction upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit,” World Oil reports. “Energy independence scored an important win tonight with the Fifth Circuit decision lifting unjustified restrictions on oil and natural gas vessels and restoring acreage for offshore energy development. The U.S. Gulf of Mexico plays a critical role in maintaining affordable, reliable American energy production, and today’s decision creates greater certainty for the essential energy workforce and the entire Gulf Coast economy.” This decision follows a challenge filed by API, the State of Louisiana and Chevron U.S.A. Inc. to the Department of the Interior (DOI) Bureau of Ocean Management’s (BOEM) Final Notice of Sale for Lease Sale 261, which significantly reduced acreage and included severe restrictions on oil and natural gas vessel traffic. Today’s decision requires BOEM to hold Lease Sale 261 within 37 days, removes the unjustified restrictions on oil and gas vessels and restores the previously removed acreage.”
STATE UPDATES
NM Political Report: More than a dozen state lawmakers express opposition to proposed LNG storage facility
Hannah Grover, 11/17/23
“A group of more than a dozen state legislators asked utility regulators to reject a request to build a liquified natural gas storage facility in Rio Rancho near Albuquerque,” according to NM Political Report. “The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission’s evidentiary hearing regarding the New Mexico Gas Company’s proposal begins in early December. Ahead of this hearing, 14 legislators sent a letter to the PRC. The controversial facility would be approximately three miles away from Petroglyph National Monument and near several public schools and outdoor recreation assets. The gas company says it is needed to provide more reliable and affordable service, especially during winter months. But the 14 legislators say that it poses risks to the community. “My constituents have been loud and clear – they don’t want this facility in their backyards,” state Sen. Harold Pope, D-Albuquerque, said in a press release. “The law requires that the public interest include the consideration of the risk of adverse effects the LNG facility may impose on the quality of life of the people and the effect on the environment.” Pope said the people who live in northwest Albuquerque and Rio Rancho have spoken out against the facility and are concerned about risks. One risk he highlighted was that leaks from the facility could lead to fires. He also told the Report that methane emissions from the facility could impact school children and nearby residents.”
WMTW: ‘We need to wean ourselves off’: Consumer advocate backs ban of new natural gas pipeline construction
11/17/23
“Maine Public Advocate Bill Harwood is supporting a legislative effort to ban the construction of new natural gas pipelines in parts of the state where there is no existing service,” WMTW reports. “We can see what is happening with climate change and our goals of stopping greenhouse gas emissions, and we see this natural gas industry on the verge of expansion and growth. They refer to themselves as ‘growth utilities’ and they seem to be on a collision path,” Harwood said. There is already aggressive pushback from fossil fuel advocates, including Summit Natural Gas which operates in Maine. “I know folks all over the state who are struggling to pay their monthly energy bills, and they are really also eager to switch to a more efficient fuel source. Natural gas is the best and fastest way to do that,” Lizzy Reinholt, spokesperson for Summit Natural Gas, told WMTW… “We’ve got a few years that we’re going to have to rely on liquified natural gas, but the point is, we need to wean ourselves off of that as soon as reasonably possible,” Harwood said… “The gas utilities want to invest heavily in new pipe and expansion. The question is, if we don’t need all of that, if there’s excess capacity as we shrink the role of oil and gas, who pays for that infrastructure?” Harwood said.
Guardian: Suck carbon from the air? US facility launches novel climate solution
Katharine Gammon, 11/19/23
“Inside a vast new warehouse in the California town of Tracy, tall towers of trays containing a gray powder are stacked in neat rows. It’s all part of Heirloom, a company that promises to use limestone to directly remove carbon dioxide from the air and store it deep within concrete, keeping it out of the atmosphere. The facility – the first commercial direct air capture (DAC) plant in the US – opened last week,” the Guardian reports. “...Heirloom’s facility uses limestone – the second most abundant mineral on Earth – to sponge up carbon from the air. The process begins when industrial kilns heat the limestone to 1,650F (899C), which breaks it down into carbon dioxide and calcium oxide. The carbon dioxide is then stored in concrete, which can be used for construction projects. The remaining powder – calcium oxide – is spread on trays that are sprayed with water and sit in the open air and absorb carbon, which naturally binds to the gas… “Heirloom says it’s powered by renewable energy from a local provider, and that it won’t take investments from oil and gas companies. One use for carbon captured from DAC plants is to enhance oil extraction by injecting carbon into oil wells to make them more productive, but that doesn’t align with the company’s values. “We felt the space needed leadership and values and we wanted to make sure that the carbon dioxide pulled from the air is not used as an excuse to put more CO2 into the air,” Samala told the Guardian… Samala told the Guardian he hopes the world starts to take notice of direct air capture and the role it can play; just as city governments pay to pick up trash, people need to think about paying for removing the carbon they produce. “We need to pay for the CO2 we are putting out there.”
Carlsbad Current-Argus: Almost $3 Billion Goes To New Mexico From Oil And Gas On Public Land
Adrian Hedden, 11/17/23
“More federal revenue generated by energy production came to New Mexico than any other state last year as drilling continued to surge in the state’s southeast corner,” the Carlsbad Current-Argus reports. “New Mexico is the second-highest producer of oil in the U.S. after Texas, with which it shares the Permian Basin. Recent data from the Department of the Interior (DOI) showed New Mexico earned $2.93 billion in federal revenue from energy production, largely oil and gas. The next highest was Wyoming at $832 million, followed by Louisiana at $177 million and Colorado at $153 million. North Dakota, third in the nation for oil production after Texas and New Mexico, was at $132.66 million in federal energy revenue, the report read, and Texas was sixth in the U.S. at $108.27 million. “The disbursements provide funds for states and Tribes to pursue a variety of conservation and natural resource goals, including irrigation and hydropower projects, historic preservation initiatives, conservation of public lands and waters, and investments in maintenance for critical facilities and infrastructure on our public lands,” read a DOI statement.”
EXTRACTION
Reuters: Canada plans $20 bln in subsidies for carbon capture, clean tech - source
Steve Scherer, 11/20/23
“Canada's government will present legislation this month to start paying subsidies for carbon capture and net-zero energy projects, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters, part of a plan to worth around $20 billion over five years,” Reuters reports. “A long delay in state support for carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) projects and for equipment used to produce low-carbon energy prompted industry lobbies to warn in September that some C$50 billion ($36 billion) worth of investments were at risk if the government did not act soon to provide some certainty for the sector. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will announce the investment tax credit (ITC) funding when she presents the so-called Fall Economic Statement (FES) to parliament on Tuesday afternoon, the source told Reuters… “Canada is lagging the U.S. on the incentives seen as necessary to spur investment in new, low-carbon technologies. Washington has been offering massive incentives to clean tech companies under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for well over a year.”
Guardian: EU, Germany and Denmark sued by oil firm over windfall tax
Arthur Neslen, 11/20/23
“A Jersey-based oil-refining company is suing the EU, Germany and Denmark for at least €95m over a windfall tax introduced during the Ukraine war that it sees as a “pretext” for undermining fossil fuel firms, leaked documents show,” the Guardian reports. “Klesch Group Holdings Limited is taking action under a controversial secret court system enabled by the energy charter treaty (ECT), an agreement officials fear will stymie climate action and divert hundreds of billions of euros into the coffers of fossil fuel investors. The treaty was drafted to protect the interests of energy companies as the Soviet Union broke up in the early 1990s and is being used by companies such as the UK oil firm Rockhopper, which was awarded a £210m payout last year after Italy stopped it from drilling. In July, Brussels proposed a “coordinated withdrawal” from the pact following domino-style exit announcements by several EU countries including France, Spain and the Netherlands. But the treaty remains in effect for now, and an EU official said there was “no specific timeline” for leaving it. Speaking in a personal capacity, Tinne van der Straeten, the Belgian energy minister who will chair the EU’s energy council from January for six months, told the Guardian: “The energy charter treaty strikes again. This newest lawsuit is yet more proof that the ECT is blocking a just and affordable energy transition… “Klesch declined to comment on the issue but is seeking a declaration that the windfall tax violated the ECT, according to the leaked EU trade policy committee experts document, which is classified as “sensitive” and marked for “distribution on a need to know basis”.
Reuters: Canada court overturns government ruling that some plastics are toxic
11/16/23
“A Canadian court on Thursday struck down a regulation classifying some plastic products as toxic, a ruling that could hurt a push by Ottawa to ban single-use plastic items like bags, straws and forks,” Reuters reports. “A ban on manufacturing and importing “harmful” single-use plastics came into effect last December after the federal government formally drew up a order that added them to a list of toxic items. But the Federal Court in Ottawa overturned that decision, calling the listing “unreasonable and unconstitutional”. The case was brought by plastics manufacturers such as Dow Inc as well as Imperial Oil… “Lindsay Beck, lawyer for the Ecojustice green movement, told Reuters the court ruling had undermined the ban on single-use plastics but had not specifically blocked it.”
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Norfolk Daily News: Grant brings new equipment to fire department
11/19/23
“The Norfolk Fire Division was recently awarded grant funding to assist in purchasing new equipment. TC Energy awarded Norfolk Fire $20,000 to purchase a new drone and software,” the Norfolk Daily News reports. “...Fire chief Tim Wragge told the News the department is extremely grateful for the opportunity to expand its capabilities as a drone team through grant assistance from TC Energy.”
Durant Democrat: Midship Pipeline donates $25,500 to local first responders
11/17/23
“Midship Pipeline announced the donation of $25,500 to first responders and volunteer firefighters in Bennington and surrounding communities to help purchase much-needed equipment,” the Durant Democrat reports.
The Journal Record: Explorer Pipeline supports hospice
11/19/23
“Explorer Pipeline has announced its support of Clarehouse, a hospice in Tulsa, as its 2024 partner agency,” The Journal Record reports. “Each year, Explorer names a local nonprofit as its partner agency to receive a grant of up to $35,000 over three years… “Explorer Pipeline, which has approximately 245 employees, transports refined petroleum products through an 1,872-mile pipeline system extending from Port Arthur, Texas to the upper Midwest and serves major markets, including Houston, Dallas, Tulsa, St. Louis and Chicago.”
OPINION
Cleburne Times Review: No safer alternatives to Line 5 pipeline
Kate Houchard is the Enbridge Area Operations Manager in Escanaba, 11/19/23
“To have a serious discussion on the important issue of Enbridge’s Line 5 and energy transportation, it is critical to have all the facts. One fact is this: There are no existing alternatives to deliver safely, reliably, and affordably the energy that Line 5 transports,” Kate Houchard writes for the Cleburne Times Review. “...There are no other existing pipeline options to transport the light sweet crude and NGLs that our Great Lakes economy relies on for jet fuel, diesel, propane, and other essential products (such as lifesaving medicines and medical devices)... “Not only is Line 78 not designed to transport the NGLs that Line 5 was built to safely transport, there are no existing pipelines with the capacity to transport crude oil to where Line 78 originates in northern Illinois. How would the products get from Superior, Wis., to northern Illinois? The answer is: They can’t. To replace the energy being delivered by Line 5 with other methods, such as tanker trucks, rail cars, or barges on our waters, would not be in the best interests of the environment or the safety of our communities… “To make a safe pipeline even safer, we are working to build the Great Lakes Tunnel. The tunnel will eliminate any chance of an anchor strike and ensure no oil will be released into the Great Lakes waters. The tunnel is the logical, common-sense solution that will help the region to continue to count on Line 5 while protecting the environment… “Until the new low-carbon systems exist at a cost that everyone can afford, we remain dependent on traditional energy and the infrastructure that delivers it – like Line 5.”
Oil City News: On carbon capture to fight climate change
Jan Freed, Casper, 11/19/23
“It is often suggested that we can fight climate change by capturing CO2 and pumping it underground,” Jan Freed writes for Oil City News. “This is simply not practical in terms of scale and cost. For example, CO2 is at 420 parts per million. We need to eliminate much of this to return to safe levels. What is the cost of capturing 1 part per million? One ppm weighs 8 billion tons. Current low end costs are $300 per ton. So, the cost of capturing 1 ppm is $300 x 8 billion, or $2.4 trillion. And it goes up 2.5 ppm per year. These are hard facts, but success does not result from wishful thinking.”
The Hill: Fed Chair Powell is ignoring the greatest threat to our economy: climate risk
Jennie C. Stephens is professor of Sustainability Science and Policy at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass, 11/17/23
“The latest U.S. National Climate Assessment states that climate-fueled extreme weather disasters cost the nation a staggering $150 billion every year. This disproportionately affects underserved and overburdened communities,” Jennie C. Stephens writes for The Hill. “The assessment makes clear that economic disruptions and the financial risks associated with them will continue to get significantly worse, absent a major shift toward investments in clean energy and climate resilience, as well as a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels… “Yet some of the country’s most powerful leaders, including the Federal Reserve Bank Chair Jerome Powell, who held an “economic education” teacher town hall, refuse to acknowledge climate risks. Over 120 teachers and professors from across the U.S., including myself, submitted a letter asking Powell how the Fed is addressing climate-related financial risks. Given that there is no bigger threat to the stability of our economy than climate change, we hoped he would address our concerns. But no such luck. We were disappointed that he failed even to acknowledge climate financial risks. Our questions were ignored. By failing even to mention climate, Powell is perpetuating an irresponsible and arrogant perspective completely disconnected from the realities facing students and educators… “The question remains: why isn’t the Fed leveraging its power to promote a more stable future and taking steps to protect students, teachers and the U.S. financial system from climate related risks? That’s why we came together as educators to ask Powell exactly that in a public forum. Instead of responding to our questions, he ignored this issue. We are still waiting for a response.”
Wall Street Journal: To Slow Climate Change, Curb Methane First
Fred Krupp is president of the Environmental Defense Fund, 11/16/23
“Many environmentalists are understandably skeptical about a climate gathering that will be led by the chief executive of the United Arab Emirates’ national oil company. But the meeting, which begins Nov. 30 in Dubai, could have a positive outcome if the oil and gas industry makes a verifiable commitment to cut methane pollution,” Fred Krupp writes for the Wall Street Journa. “Reducing methane pollution is the most effective way to slow the rate of global warming in the short term, according to the United Nations Environment Program. Cutting carbon-dioxide emissions is important for long-term climate health, but reducing methane pollution now will result in lower global temperatures than we’d otherwise see in the next decade… “These climate talks are the industry’s chance to show it is ready to be part of the climate solution. Recent actions are worrisome: Exxon and Chevron are spending billions to buy other oil and gas companies, BP and Shell have weakened their commitments to reduce climate pollution, and a new report predicts an increase in fossil-fuel production through 2030. The industry must shift its course and commit to serious methane reductions. Investor-owned and national oil companies should pledge to keep methane emissions below 0.2% of natural-gas production, an ambitious target but one that some operations have already achieved. For some companies, that would mean cutting methane pollution by 80%. Because global temperatures are rising and cuts to methane pollution could help counteract that, the fossil-fuel industry should meet these targets by 2030, not 2050… “Also, my organization—and others with similar programs—will soon launch satellites into orbit to monitor methane pollution around the world… “An industry agreement to cut methane pollution would be a huge and verifiable accomplishment.”