EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 8/10/22
PIPELINE NEWS
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Oil contaminated soil found near Enbridge's Line 5, one mile outside Bad River Band reservation
Manitoulin Expositor: It’s our duty to protect Great Lakes: groups remain united against Line 5 pipeline
WV Gazette Mail: Foes line up against pipeline
Wall Street Journal: Ethanol Industry Wants to Bury Its Carbon, but Some Farmers Stand in the Way
Pipeline Fighters Hub: CO2 Pipeline Safety: "The Gassing of Satartia, MS" & Aftermath (VIDEO)
Sierra Club Iowa Chapter: BEWARE WHAT YOU SIGN; SUMMIT WILL TAKE THE WHOLE FARM
KMCH: Heartland Greenway Carbon Pipeline Changes Proposed Route through Delaware County
MyChesCo: Chester County Representative Applauds Energy Transfer Partners Conviction
The Reminder: Springfield City Council presents resolution against Eversource pipeline project
KGOU: Pipeline leaks thousands of gallons of crude oil into a Payne County creek
KGET: Attorneys finish opening statements in trial over 2015 pipeline explosion
Houston Chronicle: Permian pipeline companies to pay $1.75M to settle EEOC suit involving ‘harassment’ and ‘physical abuse’
World Pipelines: Ambassador Pipeline placed in service
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Guardian: Landmark US climate bill will do more harm than good, groups say
Grist: The Inflation Reduction Act promises thousands of new oil leases. Drillers might not want them.
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Opioid ruling boosts Big Oil defense in Hawaii climate case
Charlotte Business Journal: Duke Energy carbon proposals boosted by Manchin deal to expedite Mountain Valley Pipeline
Alaska Native News: Gwich’in leaders denounce Senate Leadership for slamming the door on sacred lands in the Arctic Refuge
Los Angeles Times: Amid fight with oil industry, Newsom makes a last-minute pitch to harden California’s climate goals
Cowboy State Daily: Billion Barrel Oil Reserve Discovery Confirmed In Central Wyoming
EXTRACTION
Science Alert: Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Still Detectable 10 Years Later, Scientists Say
Reuters: U.S. oil refiners, pipeline companies expect strong demand for rest of 2022
Modern Miracle Network: Poll: Growing Majority Of Canadians Supports Oil Sector
Globe and Mail: Canada missed its first LNG opportunity. Don’t squander a second chance, Enbridge CEO urges
Reuters: Devastating fire may force Cuba to resort to floating oil storage
Canadian Press: Imperial Oil still investigating cause of produced water spill in N.W.T.
CLIMATE FINANCE
Associated Press: Warren Buffett's company has bet $47B on the oil sector
OPINION
The Epoch Times: Killing Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Would Devastate Indigenous Communities
Center for American Progress: 4 Reasons the Willow Oil Project Is Unfit for Approval
PIPELINE NEWS
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Oil contaminated soil found near Enbridge's Line 5, one mile outside Bad River Band reservation
Laura Schulte, 8/9/22
“Contaminated soil was found along an oil pipeline in northern Wisconsin, a mile from the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa reservation,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. “The contaminated soil was found in the area around the existing Enbridge Energy Line 5 pipeline, which transports 545,000 barrels a day of light crude oil, light synthetic crude oil and natural gas liquids from western Canada through Wisconsin and Michigan and into eastern Canada. It was discovered by crews doing routine maintenance… “Enbridge crews continued to investigate the origin of impacted soils over the weekend, and have removed the impacted soils following our protocols and regulatory requirements," Juli Kellner, a communications specialist for the company, told the Sentinel. "They continue to find no indication of an active release from the pipe or fittings… “The investigation is ongoing, according to the DNR, and the cause of the contamination has not yet been released. Enbridge is working to attain permits to reroute a portion of the 645-mile-long Line 5 around the Bad River Band reservation, after easements expired and a lawsuit was filed in 2019… “The reroute proposal has been met with criticism and concern over oil spills or pipe leaks, as well as the potential impacts to the environment when the company disrupts forests and digs underneath streams and rivers.”
Manitoulin Expositor: It’s our duty to protect Great Lakes: groups remain united against Line 5 pipeline
Lori Thompson, 8/10/22
“Efforts to protect the Great Lakes from a Line 5 oil spill disaster are first and foremost about the water,” the Manitoulin Expositor reports. “Opponents of Enbridge’s pipeline shared the latest news on the battle over the future of the 69-year-old pipeline in a live webinar July 28. Despite Enbridge’s best legal, political and media efforts, people in the Great Lakes continue to unite around water, Liz Kirkwood, executive director of FLOW (For Love of Water), told the Expositor… “Whitney Gravelle is president of the executive council of the Bay Mills Indian Community… “The Straits are a sacred place, a vital place to the continued existence of North America, which points to a duty to preserve and protect the Straits of Mackinac and the Great Lakes. Zach Welcker, legal director for Flow, finds hope in the alignment of the Michigan tribes against Line 5 and Enbridge’s proposed tunnel under the Straits but acknowledged, “It’s a tough battle to go up against a well-financed corporation like Enbridge that has pretty much unlimited resources.” “...Legal battles are currently occurring on two fronts. There is litigation underway seeking to shut down the existing pipeline as well as administrative proceedings associated with the proposed tunnel project… “Enbridge is spending a lot of advertising dollars to garner support for its project, Sean McBearty, campaign coordinator for Oil and Gas Don’t Mix, and legislative and policy director at Michigan Clean Water Action, told the Expositor. In 2021, the corporation spent $78 million on television and digital ads in Michigan alone, in an effort to stall the “inevitable fate of Line 5 to shut down,” he told the Expositor. “The longer they stall the longer they can make profits pumping oil through this outdated and dangerous pipeline.” If Line 5 is ordered to shut down, it would be the first time a pipeline is shut down for environmental reasons, which would be precedent setting and could have implications for other oil and gas pipeline infrastructure projects. With it being an election year in the U.S., there are political implications for Line 5 as well. Republican candidates in Michigan say they would drop any ongoing attempt to force the shutdown of Line 5 and most would use the power of government to hasten the process of building Enbridge’s tunnel.”
WV Gazette Mail: Foes line up against pipeline
Mike Tony, 8/6/22
“It was a peaceful, secluded place. Water tumbled over rocks. Fish could flourish. But now Second Big Run is a sediment trap offering less chance for survival to the few minnows that remain with each new washout. That’s the change in scenery that Lewis County farm owner Suzanne Vance underscored in comments filed with federal regulators urging them to reject Mountain Valley Pipeline developers’ request for more time to finish the project,” the WV Gazette Mail reports. “Vance documented for regulators what she said has been severe embankment erosion caused by a Mountain Valley Pipeline right-of-way increasing the amount and velocity of water rushing through the Little Kanawha River basin. “This is what destruction of a mountain headwater creek looks like,” Vance wrote above one of many photos across some 100 pages she submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Vance contends that deforestation and mountain removal along the right-of-way have condemned the basin to a future of ever-increasing creek and road washouts along the pipeline… “The Gazette-Mail reviewed all the comments and found an overwhelming majority asking the commission to deny the request for the 303-mile pipeline slated to carry natural gas across 11 counties in West Virginia before crossing into Virginia. A 2-1 ratio of West Virginia commenters and a 4-1 ratio of Virginia commenters weighing in urged the agency to reject the request by Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC, the joint venture behind the project. Twice as many commenters from North Carolina, where an extension project is planned for the pipeline, weighed in against the request compared to those supporting it. Those comments don’t include petitions against the requested extension from environmental groups such as Appalachian Voices, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Food & Water Watch that totaled thousands of signatures. Comments from outside West Virginia and Virginia against Mountain Valley’s request dwarfed supporting it.”
Wall Street Journal: Ethanol Industry Wants to Bury Its Carbon, but Some Farmers Stand in the Way
Joe Barrett, 8/6/22
“Responding to climate-change concerns, ethanol plants like the one in this town of 630 surrounded by 10-foot-tall corn stalks are eager to join new pipeline networks that aim to carry carbon dioxide to places where it can be buried underground,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “But these CO2 pipeline projects are running into fierce resistance from landowners and environmentalists, similar to that faced by fossil-fuel conduits. Opponents say the CO2 pipelines threaten to trample property rights and delicate agricultural drainage systems, and are ill-conceived boondoggles aimed at harvesting government tax credits, not reducing heat-trapping gases. The battle is especially intense in Iowa, where three huge projects aim to collect CO2 from more than 30 of the state’s 42 ethanol plants and ship it to underground rock formations in North Dakota and Illinois. “They can only use eminent domain if they can show it’s in the public interest, but it’s not in the public interest to ruin our farms,” Angela McKean, whose family has farmed near Estherville, Iowa, since 1892, said to more than 100 cheering farmers on a recent evening at the Emmet County Agricultural Show… “The CO2 pipeline fights, playing out across the Midwest in courtrooms and at state utility boards, come as Congress considers a tax-and-energy legislative deal brokered by Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin and Chuck Schumer that would provide more government support for carbon capture and storage… “Under a 2018 law, qualifying industries can receive up to $50 per metric ton for sequestering carbon, a figure that could rise to up to $85 a ton if the Manchin bill passes into law. The measure also increases the subsidy for carbon that is captured and used to push more oil and gas out of dwindling reservoirs to up to $60 a ton from up to $35. That is currently the most economically viable use for captured carbon, and opponents say they fear the CO2 pipelines could eventually be used to produce more oil. “We’re pretty sure they’re going to pump it into the ground to push more oil out of the ground and that completely negates any sort of climate reduction,” Jess Mazour, conservation coordinator for the Sierra Club’s Iowa chapter, told the Journal. Ms. Mazour has been crisscrossing the state signing up farmers opposed to the pipeline projects. On a recent day, she and other environmentalists handed out Popsicles to riders in an annual cross-state bicycle ride called Ragbrai, while yelling the day’s slogan: “Popsicles not pipelines.” “...I don’t give a crap if they gave me $7 million, I’m not going to sign a damn easement,” Dan Harvey, a farmer and fire chief in nearby Gruver, Iowa, holding up a map suggesting that if a CO2 pipeline ruptured in his field, it would kill him, told the Journal.”
Pipeline Fighters Hub: CO2 Pipeline Safety: "The Gassing of Satartia, MS" & Aftermath (VIDEO)
8/10/22
“This Pipeline Fighters Hub webinar focuses on the critical safety concerns with carbon pipelines, and what can happen in the worst case scenario of a CO2 pipeline rupture -- like what happened in Satartia, Mississippi in 2020. The discussion includes Dan Zegart -- the journalist who covered the shocking details of the Satartia pipeline rupture that sent dozes to the hospital, and months later continued to cause health issues for the victims, in his story "The Gassing of Satartia." The panel also features two first responders who were present on the scene at Satartia – Jack Willingham, Director, Yazoo County Emergency Management Agency (Yazoo City, Mississippi); and Jerry Briggs, Warren County Fire Coordinator (Vicksburg, Mississippi). “
Sierra Club Iowa Chapter: BEWARE WHAT YOU SIGN; SUMMIT WILL TAKE THE WHOLE FARM
8/9/22
“Landowners on the pipeline route are warning other landowners to be careful what you sign because the easement may be for the whole farm,” according to the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter. “Sierra Club Iowa Chapter staff reviewed signed easements from Summit’s latest Exhibit H filing and found multiple examples where Summit included the whole farm in the easement despite only needing a tiny fraction of the land for the pipeline route. In situations where a landowner owns several adjoining parcels, all parcels are being sought for an easement instead of the single parcel where the pipeline is slated to go. Sierra Club Iowa Chapter says this practice incorrectly inflates their easement numbers as they are counting parcels that are not needed for the route. The Club also questions whether the landowner knew they were signing away the whole farm and whether Summit will release the unused easements or hold on to them in perpetuity. This scandal comes at the heels of Summit announcing that it needs eminent domain on over 60% of the pipeline route… “Time and time again, we’ve seen Summit say whatever they think will help them even if it is misleading or not true. Summit has misled the public about the economic costs to the counties, the dangers of the pipelines, pitted neighbors against neighbors and now filed misleading information to create a false sense of support.” said Jess Mazour, Conservation Program Coordinator for the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter.”
KMCH: Heartland Greenway Carbon Pipeline Changes Proposed Route through Delaware County
Janelle Tucker, 8/9/22
“A carbon capture pipeline is changing its proposed route through the Delaware County area,” KMCH reports. “Navigator’s Heartland Greenway project originally planned to come through the southern and eastern portions of Linn County and southeastern Delaware County, reaching up to the ethanol plant on the western edge of Dyersville. The pipeline’s route is now proposed to run from the Dyersville ethanol plant west through Delaware County, just north of Earlville and Manchester into northern Buchanan County south of Lamont, Aurora and Hazleton and into the far southwest corner of Fayette County. Last December, a meeting was held in Manchester to inform affected landowners and the public about the project. Over a hundred people attended that two-hour meeting, which got a little heated at times, with a number of landowners sharing their concerns and asking questions… “An informational meeting about the Heartland Greenway project will be coming up in Manchester on Monday, August 22nd at noon at The Gathering Place. Other meetings include Monday, August 22nd at 6 pm at Heartland Acres Agribition Center in Independence and Tuesday, August 23rd at noon at The Coliseum in Oelwein.”
MyChesCo: Chester County Representative Applauds Energy Transfer Partners Conviction
8/9/22
“State Rep. Kristine Howard, D-Chester, said recently that she was pleased to see Sunoco Pipeline LP, a subsidiary of Energy Transfer, convicted of criminal charges related to its conduct during the construction of the Mariner East 2 Pipeline, which crosses through Chester County,” MyChesCo reports. “According to the Office of Attorney General, as part of a plea agreement, Energy Transfer will pay for independent evaluations of potential water quality impact for homeowners near the Mariner East 2 Pipeline; offer approved mechanisms for restoring or replacing the impacted private water supplies; have an independent, professional geologist review water testing and advise on water quality; and pay $10 million toward projects to improve the health and safety of the water sources. “The people of Chester County have waited a long time for this,” Howard told MyChesCo. “Energy Transfer Partners has a long history of mistakes and violations and have a complete disregard for both the environment and health and well-being of the people of Pennsylvania. As one of my very first acts in office in January 2019, I called on Attorney General Josh Shapiro to investigate ETP and I am pleased to see a conviction in this case.” “...In response to these violations, Howard said she believes stronger punishments are needed to prevent this from happening again. She has introduced the following bills to increase penalties on polluters and given the attorney general power to prosecute.”
The Reminder: Springfield City Council presents resolution against Eversource pipeline project
Matt Conway, 8/9/22
“City Council President Jesse Lederman issued a resolution against Eversource’s proposed Western Massachusetts Gas Reliability Project during the council’s July 25 meeting,” The Reminder reports. “...Lederman issued initial concern about the reliability project in November 2021 when he called for an independent cost-benefit analysis to be performed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU). At that time, Lederman cited concerns with the project’s necessity and the increased reliance on gas over renewable energy resources… “The council’s resolution denouncing the project follows a letter of opposition issued by state Sens. Eric Lesser and Adam Gomez and state Reps. Carlos Gonzalez, Bud Williams, Orlando Ramos and Jacob Oliveria on July 11 against the pipeline. The legislators highlighted similar concerns as Lederman while also noting the potential danger of a pipeline leak… “During the council’s discussion on the resolution, Ward 8 City Councilor Zaida Govan expressed her hopes that the resolution will help keep the state on course for their renewable energy goals… “Ward 1 City Councilor Maria Perez expressed her concerns about the reliability project after meeting with local organizations against the pipeline. She took issue with Eversource making a decision for the community without their consideration… “Among reasons for submitting the resolution, Lederman cited the project’s redundancy, its $65 million cost and its incompatibility with the state’s goals of transitioning away from natural gas… “The council president cited “real concern” about the potential of low-income ratepayers struggling to make a transition to clean energy sources if there is added reliance upon gas infrastructure projects.”
KGOU: Pipeline leaks thousands of gallons of crude oil into a Payne County creek
Graycen Wheeler, 8/10/22
“An underground pipeline has leaked at least 42,000 gallons of crude oil into a creek in Payne County last week since it ruptured on July 8th,” KGOU reports. “The Environmental Protection Agency is overseeing the clean-up of Skull Creek northeast of Cushing. The creek feeds into the Cimarron River, whose aquifer provides water for agriculture and irrigation. Oil leaked into the creek from the Osage Pipeline that carries oil from Cushing to El Dorado, Kansas. The pipeline is one of dozens that run through Cushing, which bills itself “the pipeline crossroads of the world.” Holly Energy Partners, which owns the Osage Pipeline, confirmed that it lost pressure on July 8th. The pipeline has been up and running since July 18th, but it’s still experiencing lower pressure than normal. The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said they’re analyzing the section of pipe that failed. The administration hasn’t released any information about what caused the leak, but its investigation is ongoing… “Holly Energy Partners is working with government agencies and landowners on recovery procedures, a spokesperson with their parent company, HF Sinclair, told KGOU.”
KGET: Attorneys finish opening statements in trial over 2015 pipeline explosion
Jason Kotowski, 8/9/22
“A McFarland company preparing soil for almond tree planting in 2015 hit a natural gas pipeline, sparking a massive explosion, after PG&E failed to properly mark the line and didn’t send a standby inspector to supervise the scene as required under safety guidelines, an attorney said,” KGET reports. “Theodore “Tad” Hoppe, representing Big N Deep Agricultural Development, on Tuesday said diagrams submitted by the utility to the California Public Utility Commission show markings for the pipeline were at least 100 feet apart. They’re supposed to be no more than 50 feet apart. Also, Hoppe said, PG&E used 18-inch flags instead of the 4-foot wooden stakes required to mark pipelines in rural areas. But the utility was most negligent in failing to send a standby, Hoppe said during his opening statement. That person could have pointed out exactly where the line ran. “Had PG&E followed that requirement to have a standby in place this accident would have been avoided,” he said. Hoppe’s remarks came on the second day of trial in a lawsuit filed by the family of two women who suffered severe burns when the Nov. 13, 2015, blast set ablaze a house near Wible and Houghton roads. One of the women, Gloria Ruckman, had given birth 17 days earlier. She grabbed her son and wrapped him in a fire-resistant jacket as she and her mother, Amalia Leal, escaped the inferno. They walked along a road in pain until a Good Samaritan picked them up. Ruckman and Leal spent weeks in a burn unit with second- and-third-degree burns. Ruckman even had a fourth-degree burn — penetrating to the bone — in the calf area. Ruckman, her husband, Robert Ruckman, son Robert Elias Ruckman, 6, Leal and her husband, Gil Leal, are plaintiffs in the case… “No one disputes the Ruckman family suffered injuries, but there is finger-pointing among the defendants as to who is responsible.”
Houston Chronicle: Permian pipeline companies to pay $1.75M to settle EEOC suit involving ‘harassment’ and ‘physical abuse’
Amanda Drane, 8/10/22
“Pipeline companies Plains All American and Copperhead Pipeline will pay $1.75 million to settle claims they subjected employees to racial epithets, harassment and fired them after they complained, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Monday,” the Houston Chronicle reports. “...According to the civil rights complaint filed by the agency on behalf of the workers, more than a dozen employees at work sites in the Permian Basin worked in a hostile environment in which workers were harassed verbally and physically. “This type of harassment once tolerated in the oilfield as ‘boys being boys,’ has no place in any work environment,” said Jeff Lee, an EEOC trial attorney who handled the case, noting such behavior “is particularly dangerous in a hazardous environment such as working on oil and gas pipelines.” “...Claims in the suit include “frequent derogatory and unwelcome name calling” and “almost daily references” to racist words used to describe Black workers. Hispanic workers and Native American workers were also the subject of “frequent” racist name calling, the suit said. The complaint against Plains and Copperhead also said workers who were Black, Hispanic, Native American and biracial experienced frequent abuse that included “pinching, pushing, shoving, kneeing, and kicking.” Plains and Copperhead will be required to train their employees on harassment and to update their discrimination and retaliation policies as part of the settlement. The companies also agreed to fire the alleged harasser and discipline supervisors who retaliated.”
World Pipelines: Ambassador Pipeline placed in service
Sara Simper, 8/9/22
“NGL Energy Partners LP (NGL or the Partnership) has announced the completion of the Ambassador Pipeline in the state of Michigan, USA,” World Pipelines reports. “The Ambassador Pipeline System consists of a 225 mile bi-directional pipeline with multiple supply and delivery points. The Ambassador Pipeline connects central, northern, and western Michigan propane customers to millions of gallons of underground storage capacity in Eastern Michigan. “In addition to the supply benefits to Michigan’s many propane customers, the Ambassador Pipeline will reduce truck traffic, road wear and tear, and a substantial reduction of CO2 emissions every year – benefitting residents throughout the State,” commented Jeff Pinter, EVP of NGL’s Liquids Logistics segment.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Guardian: Landmark US climate bill will do more harm than good, groups say
Nina Lakhani, 8/9/22
“The landmark climate legislation passed by the Senate after months of wrangling and weakening by fossil-fuel friendly Democrats will lead to more harm than good, according to frontline community groups who are calling on Joe Biden to declare a climate emergency,” the Guardian reports. “...But the bill makes a slew of concessions to the fossil fuel industry, including mandating drilling and pipeline deals that will harm communities from Alaska to Appalachia and the Gulf coast and tie the US to planet-heating energy projects for decades to come… “Solving the climate crisis requires eliminating fossil fuels, and the Inflation Reduction Act simply does not do this,” Steven Feit, senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law (Ciel), told the Guardian… “A cost-benefit analysis by the Climate Justice Alliance (CJA), which represents a wide range of urban and rural groups nationwide, concludes that the strengths of the IRA are outweighed by the bill’s weaknesses and threats posed by the expansion of fossil fuels and unproven technologies such as carbon capture and hydrogen generation – which the bill will incentivise with billions of dollars of tax credits that will mostly benefit oil and gas. People vs Fossil Fuels, a national coalition of more than 1,200 organisations from all 50 states, recently delivered a petition with more than 500,000 signatures to the White House calling on Biden to declare a climate emergency, which would unlock new funds for urgently needed climate adaptation in hard-hit communities, and use executive actions to stop the expansion of fossil fuels. Siqiniq Maupin, executive director of Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic, told the Guardian: “This new bill is genocide, there is no other way to put it. This is a life or death situation and the longer we act as though the world isn’t on fire around us, the worse our burns will be. Biden has the power to prevent this, to mitigate the damage.”
Grist: The Inflation Reduction Act promises thousands of new oil leases. Drillers might not want them.
Jake Bittle, 8/9/22
“The U.S. Senate passed the largest climate action bill in American history on Sunday, clearing the path for hundreds of billions of dollars for clean energy and other climate-related measures (in addition to billions for other Democratic Party priorities). But because the so-called Inflation Reduction Act bears the imprint of swing-vote Senator Joe Manchin, it also includes numerous provisions that support oil and gas producers,” Grist reports. “...The reconciliation bill reinstates old auctions that the Biden administration has tried to cancel and forces the administration to hold several new auctions over the coming years. The legislation also requires that the government auction millions of acres of oil and gas leases before it can auction acreage for wind and solar farms. The Center for Biological Diversity, one of many environmental organizations to oppose these provisions, said they turned the bill into a “climate suicide pact,” since they have the potential to prolong the lifespan of the domestic oil industry. However, energy and climate experts who spoke to Grist said that the provisions may not add significantly to U.S. emissions — in part because the fossil fuel industry may not be all that interested in what the government has to offer. “I wouldn’t say the provision requiring offshore lease sales is entirely insubstantial, but I also wouldn’t classify it as some kind of major victory for the oil and gas industry,” Gregory Brew, a historian of oil at Yale University, told Grist. That’s for one simple reason: Even if the government does keep auctioning off federal territory, it’s far from certain that oil and gas companies will want to build new drilling operations on that territory. The industry has shifted resources away from federal lands and the Gulf of Mexico in recent years, and there’s currently less capital available than ever for new production in these areas.”
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Opioid ruling boosts Big Oil defense in Hawaii climate case
Lesley Clark, 8/10/22
“A landmark federal court ruling that rejected efforts to force three opioid distributors to pay up for the addiction crisis is already being cited by oil and gas companies in at least one lawsuit from local governments seeking compensation for erosion, wildfires and other effects of a warming planet,” E&E News reports. “In a Hawaii state court filing late last month asking to dismiss Maui County’s climate-related claims against Sunoco LP and other companies, lawyers for the fossil fuel industry cited the July 5 West Virginia opioid ruling to argue that the climate liability case doesn’t properly raise a nuisance claim. “A public nuisance [claim] based on the sale and distribution of a product has been rejected by most courts because the common law of public nuisance is an inept vehicle for addressing such conduct,” oil industry attorneys wrote, quoting the decision in the opioid case City of Huntington v. AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp. The attorneys argued that extending nuisance laws “to cover the marketing and sale of petroleum products is inconsistent with the history and traditional notions of nuisance.” Maui’s lawsuit is among nearly two dozen climate liability cases filed by local governments that want fossil fuel companies to help shoulder the cost of dealing with the effects of climate change, such as sea-level rise and flooding. Maui filed its lawsuit two years ago against 20 oil companies, citing a decadeslong campaign of deception… “But attorneys involved in climate litigation told E&E the West Virginia opioid ruling doesn’t reduce their odds, noting that nuisance laws vary from state to state and that the decision came from a federal court.”
Charlotte Business Journal: Duke Energy carbon proposals boosted by Manchin deal to expedite Mountain Valley Pipeline
John Downey, 8/8/22
“A side agreement to the proposed Inflation Reduction Act expedites approval for the Mountain Valley Pipeline and could, in turn, directly affect the N.C. Carbon Plan state regulators must adopt for Duke Energy Corp. by year’s end,” the Charlotte Business Journal reports. “At issue is whether enough natural gas will be available in North Carolina in the next 15 years to significantly ramp up construction of natural gas plants, as Duke (NYSE: DUK) proposes in its suggested versions of the carbon plan. Environmental groups and clean energy proponents generally oppose building more natural gas plants… “Additionally, MVP will further enable coal plant retirements and the addition of more renewable energy resources as outlined in our proposed carbon plan, as well as address growing demand for incremental natural gas supply in the Carolinas, all of which will result in lower commodity prices and cleaner energy,” spokesman Neil Nissan told the Journal… “The N.C. Carbon Plan that the utilities commission is now working to complete was mandated in October by the General Assembly as part of House Bill 591, titled the Energy Solutions for North Carolina Act. As part of a significant revamping of state utility regulations, it requires the commission to adopt a plan that will reduce carbon emissions at Duke by 70% from their 2005 peak by 2030 and achieve net-zero carbon emissions at its N.C. utilities by 2050.”
Alaska Native News: Gwich’in leaders denounce Senate Leadership for slamming the door on sacred lands in the Arctic Refuge
Aileo Weinman, 8/8/22
“Gwich’in leaders were deeply disappointed Sunday by the decision by the Senate to slam the door on protecting sacred lands in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as part of budget reconciliation–the very same process by which the destructive oil and gas mandate was tucked into the 2017 Tax Act,” Alaska Native News reports. “The failure to repeal the Arctic Refuge oil and gas program in the Inflation Reduction Act undermines its claims of meaningful climate action. “In the Arctic, we’re experiencing a warming climate at four times the rate as the rest of the world, yet Congress has chosen to ignore the health of the Arctic and the Gwich’in way of life by failing to stop this destructive and failed oil and gas program,” Bernadette Demientieff, executive director of the Gwich’in Steering Committee, told the News. “We will never stop fighting to protect these sacred lands, the Porcupine caribou, and our communities.” “...The Gwich’in Nation has repeatedly called for protections of the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge in a formal resolution first passed in 1988. Earlier this month, on the first full day of the Gwich’in Gathering in Old Crow, Yukon, Canada, the Nation again reaffirmed that resolution calling for the U.S. President and Congress to “recognize the rights of the Gwich’in to continue to live our way of life by prohibiting development in the calving and post-calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou Herd.”
Los Angeles Times: Amid fight with oil industry, Newsom makes a last-minute pitch to harden California’s climate goals
TARYN LUNA, 8/9/22
“Gov. Gavin Newsom this week urged California lawmakers to harden the state’s climate and energy goals, releasing a five-point legislative plan that promises to intensify the governor’s clash with the state’s powerful, billion-dollar oil industry,” the Los Angeles Times reports. “The proposal calls for lawmakers to enact more aggressive targets on state laws that reduce greenhouse gases and increase the use of renewable energy. Newsom also called for a new law that would establish health and safety buffer zones around new oil and gas wells, restrictions his administration is trying to adopt though the state’s slow-moving regulatory process. Anthony York, a spokesman for Newsom, told the Times that with just three weeks left before lawmakers adjourn for the year, the end of the session provides an opportunity for the governor to propel climate legislation through the statehouse… ‘Newsom’s push is as much an attempt to rally Democrats at the statehouse to address climate change as it is to hammer big oil companies. Kevin Slagle, a spokesman for Western States Petroleum Assn., told the Times the outline of the governor’s plan is concerning.“Climate and energy policy is too important for all of us to be implemented by bans, mandates and these last-minute legislative proposals that are pretty far-reaching,” Slagle told the Times. “What we’ve seen is these will be expensive for California families. It’s going to be devastating for a lot of workers and communities, and it will really affect large parts of our economy.”
Cowboy State Daily: Billion Barrel Oil Reserve Discovery Confirmed In Central Wyoming
Joshua Wood, 8/8/22
“The confirmation of a newly-discovered oilfield in Wyoming that could top one billion barrels has a state senator in Wyoming cautiously excited about its prospects,” Cowboy State Daily reports. “Last Friday’s news that Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited confirmed the presence of a 993 million- barrel oil reserve in Natrona and Converse counties has Wyoming State Senator Ogden Driskill (R-Devils Tower) comparing it to the massive Bakken oil reserve in North Dakota. It could be huge for the state, Driskill told the Daily, but the benefit depends on what President Biden’s “anti-oil administration allows,” as most of the land is likely on federal property… “It’s substantial money. It depends on how fast they develop it,” Driskill told the Daily. “Of course, the rigs are available. It depends how much of it is on federal ground and how much of it is federal minerals and what the Biden Administration does to us because they have not been very forthcoming with helping with energy development.” “...The oil company’s CEO and president expressed optimism despite the Biden administration’s track record in dealing with the oil and gas industry… “We expect to see further exploration upside in due course once our drilling program gets under way in the coming months,” Arthur Millholland told the Daily.
EXTRACTION
Science Alert: Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Still Detectable 10 Years Later, Scientists Say
CARLY CASSELLA, 8/9/22
“The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was not a short-lived catastrophe. Over 10 years after one of the largest environmental disasters in human history, a sticky oil residue still coats some marshland in the Gulf of Mexico, a new report reveals,” Science Alert reports. “Its impacts are still not fully understood. In the months following BP's 2010 Deepwater calamity, desperate attempts were made to clean up all the crude oil that had spilled into the environment. Some oil was directly recovered. Some was burned, some was skimmed. Some was chemically dispersed, and large portions evaporated or dissipated. But plenty stuck around. Within months, hungry microbes and the beating sun had altered many of the chemicals found in the oil pollution. These crude oil compounds were essentially made anew. Their chemical and physical properties were altered, which could very well have impacted their toxicity. Larger compounds were particularly resistant to weathering. Gradually, these chemicals grew into a sticky insoluble goop that came to coat the Gulf's marshlands for years to come, the report explains. Much of it probably persists to this day. "[A]s oil weathers, the residue becomes resistant to further rapid compositional changes, and this means that, if not removed by response personnel, residues can remain in environments for extended time, causing long-term disruptions of impacted areas," the authors of the study write. Oil residues from an oil spill way back in 1979, for instance, were found on the Yucatan peninsula in 2020, almost 40 years after the initial disaster. Now shorelines along the northern Gulf have been similarly impacted by a sticky substance that resembles the composition of moderate to heavy crude oil. Researchers suspect that after the Deepwater spill, crude oil that wasn't cleaned up and didn't evaporate gradually drifted back into the water column via the wind and waves. The tides would have then carried these chemicals to the shore or to deeper waters. “
Reuters: U.S. oil refiners, pipeline companies expect strong demand for rest of 2022
Stephanie Kelly, Laila Kearney and Laura Sanicola, 8/9/22
“U.S. oil refiners and pipeline operators expect energy consumption to be strong for the second half of 2022, even though analysts and industry watchers have worried that demand could falter if the global economy enters a recession or high fuel prices deter travelers,” Reuters reports. “The company outlooks suggest a stronger view than recent data showing weakness in U.S. fuel demand, particularly in gasoline, where consumption recently hit its lowest level since February even though this is the middle of the peak summer driving season… “Energy companies including Energy Transfer LP (ET.N) and PBF Energy Inc (PBF.N) say energy demand will be strong in the second half of 2022, according to a Reuters review of company earnings calls… “U.S. refiners are also benefiting from high exports of transportation fuels to Latin America, and plants are expected to run at high utilization rates to restock inventories that were drawn down when fuel supply cratered earlier this year… “Energy Transfer reported a stronger-than-expected second quarter performance and boosted its guidance for the rest of the year, said Co-Chief Executive Thomas Long. Of the 16 midstream companies that reported earnings last week, more than half revised guidance higher, James Mick, Portfolio Manager at Tortoise Capital Advisors, told Reuters.”
Bloomberg: U.S. oil output set for record 2023 despite slowing growth
Sheela Tobben, 8/9/22
“United States oil production remains on track for a record 2023 even as output grows more slowly than anticipated amid surging costs and labour shortages in America’s shale fields,” Bloomberg reports. “Output is expected to expand at an average rate of 840,000 barrels a day next year, down from a prior forecast of 860,000, according to the Energy Information Administration. While production is still seen reaching an all-time high in 2023, the government revised its forecast slightly lower to 12.7 million barrels a day. The current annual record is 12.3 million set in 2019. The reduced supply forecast may weigh on an already stretched market after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine prompted widespread bans on Russian energy. The U.S. was previously a key swing producer, usually capable of ramping up supply quickly as global demand shifts. In recent years, however, shale drillers have limited growth in favour of increasing shareholder returns and in the face of soaring oilfield costs… “Meanwhile, the agency sees global petroleum consumption growing by 2.1 million barrels day this year and next, but cautioned that a recession poses demand risks.”
Modern Miracle Network: Poll: Growing Majority Of Canadians Supports Oil Sector
8/9/22
“Public support for Canadian energy companies continues to grow across the country and various demographics. Both the export of Canadian energy, as well as the sector's innovative carbon technology are increasingly welcomed with significant growth in support since Leger asked Canadians the same questions in an October 2021 poll,” according to Modern Miracle Network. “This month's poll found that 60% of respondents favour increasing Canadian oil exports to challenge nations that produce energy less responsibly – a 7% increase in the past nine months… “Similar patterns are noticeable when it comes to the support for carbon technology to reduce emissions, which 67% of respondents agreed with… "Carbon tech represents a made-in-Canada solution to our global emissions problem without significant societal disruption – something we've advocated for seven years. The public, and slowly the government, are coming to embrace this innovative approach to fighting climate change," said Michael Binnion, Executive Director of the Modern Miracle Network. Only in Quebec is the government holding on to old ideas from the last century… “Additionally, the poll shows that almost 60% of Canadians agree that respectful involvement of Indigenous peoples is real action on reconciliation and ending on reserve poverty.”
Globe and Mail: Canada missed its first LNG opportunity. Don’t squander a second chance, Enbridge CEO urges
EMMA GRANEY, 8/10/22
“Enbridge Inc. chief executive Al Monaco believes Canada missed a huge economic opportunity to supply the world with natural gas, when demand for the fuel started to climb,” the Globe and Mail reports. ”Now, as Moscow’s war against Ukraine continues and Europe struggles to plug the supply gaps left by sanctions on Russian natural gas, Mr. Monaco says he is optimistic that Canada can help shore up the market. Calgary-based Enbridge recently made a significant bet on the Woodfibre LNG terminal in British Columbia, investing US$1.5-billion for a 30-per-cent stake. The company’s hope is to bolster the long-delayed project, which is still years away from being operational. When complete, the terminal will export liquefied natural gas to Asia. In an interview from Houston on Tuesday, Mr. Monaco told the Mail the Western Canadian basin has many advantages over the U.S. Gulf Coast as a fuel export location, including cheaper natural gas supplies; shipping times to Asia that are shorter by two to four weeks; and abundant hydroelectric power, which will lower Woodfibre’s overall emissions… Many environmental groups have been critical of the way companies and energy jurisdictions boost LNG as a climate-friendly transition energy source for the world. They argue that the fossil fuel still creates greenhouse emissions and hastens climate change. But Mr. Monaco told the Mail he believes conventional energy projects like Woodfibre are going to play a critical role in the world’s energy future. While Enbridge is already a significant player in renewables, he said, a variety of energy sources are needed to manage global geopolitical risks. “As a society, I don’t think we can put all our eggs in the renewable basket,” he told the Mail, noting that emissions from conventional energy can be reduced using carbon capture or other methods.”
Reuters: Devastating fire may force Cuba to resort to floating oil storage
Marianna Parraga, 8/8/22
“An inferno at Cuba's largest oil storage facility has killed at least one firefighter, injured many more, and threatens to further swell the fuel import bill for the impoverished island nation that relies on foreign oil for everything from transportation to its power grid,” Reuters reports. “Cuban officials may need to scramble to set up expensive floating storage capacity to handle imports aimed at easing an acute fuel scarcity, sources and experts told Reuters on Monday. Cuba relies on the 2.4-million-barrel Matanzas terminal, about 60 miles (130 km) from Havana, for most crude and heavy fuel imports and storage. Matanzas is Cuba's only terminal with the ability to receive large tankers rated for 100,000 tonnes of deadweight. It also serves as a hub for domestic oil output to be blended for supplying the country's power plants, and for distributing imported fuel and crude to local refineries. A large fire spreading since Friday is expected to boost shipping and import costs. Cuba was already struggling to afford fuel purchases, and global tanker freight rates have skyrocketed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Cuba now may have to seek long-term tanker charters for its storage needs or smaller vessels to carry imports. This logistical problem would be on top of recovery costs for the largest oil industry accident in Cuba decades.”
Canadian Press: Imperial Oil still investigating cause of produced water spill in N.W.T.
8/9/22
“Imperial Oil Ltd. says it is still investigating the cause and impact of a pipeline spill in the Northwest Territories that has some residents downstream concerned about the potential impact,” the Canadian Press reports. “The Calgary-based oil and gas company reported on July 27 that it discovered about 55,000 litres of produced water had spilled before it shut down the pipeline in Norman Wells, N.W.T. Produced water is treated water that is pumped back to the surface during oil recovery and reused in operations, the company told CP… “Imperial told CP its investigation into the spill has included hiring a biologist to complete a bird nesting survey, as well as work to locate buried pipeline flanges and pressure test them with fresh water. The company is trying to determine whether the produced water entered the Mackenzie River. It said water-quality monitoring indicates there is no risk to public health or wildlife. Downstream in Fort Good Hope, however, some residents have removed their fish nets from the river as a precautionary measure after observing a sheen on the water. “It’s that time of the year when people put their nets out for fish so that’s an impact right now on our traditional economy,” Edwin Erutse, president of the Yamoga Land Corporation, told CP… “The Canada Energy Regulator told CP it has continued to follow up with Imperial to ensure people and the environment are protected. The regulator plans to complete an environmental inspection this month.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
Associated Press: Warren Buffett's company has bet $47B on the oil sector
JOSH FUNK, 8/9/22
“Warren Buffett's company has bought up more than $11 billion worth of Occidental Petroleum stock this year, giving Berkshire Hathaway control of more than 20% of the oil producer,” the Associated Press reports. “Occidental's stock rose more than 3.5% on Tuesday to $62.18 after Buffett revealed his latest purchases of nearly 6.7 million Occidental shares worth more than $400 million… “Berkshire has repeatedly acquired shares of the Houston driller whenever the stock falls below $60 in recent months. Buffett also dropped more than $20 billion on Chevron stock in the first quarter of this year and took advantage of the surge in oil prices after Russia invaded Ukraine. Berkshire's Chevron stake is worth more than $24 billion. That means Buffett's Omaha, Nebraska, conglomerate holds nearly $47 billion in oil sector investments because Berkshire holds another $10 billion worth of preferred Occidental shares that it picked up in 2019 when it helped finance Occidental's purchase of Anadarko. And Buffett may not be done. Berkshire owns warrants to buy another 83.9 million Occidental shares at $59.62 apiece. Edward Jones analyst Jim Shanahan estimates that Berkshire's oil sector holdings are worth $46.6 billion today even without the value of those warrants.”
OPINION
The Epoch Times: Killing Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Would Devastate Indigenous Communities
Joseph Quesnel is a Nova Scotia-based consultant with the Canadian Energy Centre who is Quebec Metis by heritage, 8/9/22
“Ottawa needs to finally declare through legislation that the Trans Mountain Expansion Project is to the national advantage of Canada. Doing so would prove to the Canadian public and indigenous communities that the federal government is serious about seeing it completed,” Joseph Quesnel writes for The Epoch Times. “Make no mistake, killing the project would be devastating for many indigenous communities along the corridor… “The PBO also found that cancelling the project would result in a significant loss to the federal government, forcing a write-off of $14.4 billion in assets. Ottawa has stated it has no plans to cancel the multi-billion-dollar project, yet it could be easy to now hide behind these cost overruns and abort the whole thing… “We also know there are environmental activists who are conducting a targeted campaign to kill Trans Mountain, now going after investors and insurers. It is critical the government formally defend the pipeline… “But even before the growing global energy crisis, the federal government should have declared through legislation that the Trans Mountain expansion is to the general advantage of Canada. Particularly because of its importance to indigenous communities. The facts speak for themselves. To date, Trans Mountain says it has signed 69 agreements with indigenous groups in B.C. and Alberta that represent more than $600 million in benefits and opportunities… “But in 2018, Alberta Senator Douglas Black introduced legislation to formally declare Trans Mountain in the national interest, which would protect the project from disruptions and ensure its completion. However, the Trudeau government allowed that bill to die in the House. Ottawa must bring in similar legislation and, for the sake of energy security and indigenous prosperity, ensure the Trans Mountain Expansion gets built now more than ever.”
Center for American Progress: 4 Reasons the Willow Oil Project Is Unfit for Approval
Jenny Rowland-Shea, 8/9/22
“A new scientific study published in July found that the Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the world. In particular, climate change is having truly profound impacts in Alaska, which is saying something considering that roads are melting in Europe, U.S. national parks are closing from floods and fire, and the water supply in Western states is shrinking at a dramatic rate,” Jenny Rowland-Shea writes for the Center for American Progress. “At the same time, the Arctic is home to new drilling proposals in extreme and remote areas that have no business being turned into the next major oil hub… “One such project is the ConocoPhillips Willow oil drilling project in the Western Arctic. After initially being approved by the Trump administration in 2020, then struck down by the courts in 2021, the Willow project is one of the most significant climate decisions in the hands of the Biden administration. The project is in direct conflict with the administration’s climate obligations and the subsistence and wildlife values of the Western Arctic… “Taken together, all evidence points to the need to reject the proposal outright, which is well within the legal authority of the Biden administration. Anything less would require the administration to complete a more comprehensive analysis that takes into account the full scale of the project, the risks of gas leaks, and the dire threat of climate change. 1. Willow is a climate disaster in waiting… 2. The analysis fails to account for the full scale of ConocoPhillips’ development plans… 3. BLM must account for the risk of gas leaks… 4. ConocoPhillips appears to have been influential in the review of the project… “Rejecting the Willow project should be an easy choice. The world simply cannot take the carbon it has to offer, and the environmental review, as it stands, is inadequate. The Biden administration must not let ConocoPhillips’ steps toward quick and expansive development drive a decision that holds such fundamental importance to its climate legacy.”