We may finally get a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline in 2014, but in the meantime the battle over whether or not to construct the oil transportation infrastructure project rages on. This infographic argues in favor of constructing KXL because pipelines are a more efficient transportation method than either trucking or railing crude oil.… Keep reading →
No doubt the Energy and Utilities industry has witnessed increasing complexity and significant challenges in recent years, centering around compliance issues, competitive pricing pressures, and business continuity. These issues, amongst others, will remain the focus for Board and Management’s corporate strategy and 2014 planning meetings around the world. Looking back on year 2013, and ahead… Keep reading →
Rising oil output in the US has already begun to alter the traditional price relationship between US and international crudes, and continued production growth could lead to a domestic glut of certain grades, adding to pressure to lift restrictions on crude exports. The stunning turnaround in the US’ oil fortunes has made plenty of headlines,… Keep reading →
What could someday be one of the world’s largest public electric vehicle sharing systems has begun to quietly unfold in the large eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou. If all goes according to plan, residents in that metropolitan region could, within five years, have access to up to 100,000 self-serving EV rentals and related supporting infrastructure.… Keep reading →
Natural gas inflows to the US northeast region are changing significantly due to massive indigenous production increases from the Marcellus Shale. In fact, according to the EIA, there have been days in 2013 when the northeast was a net-gas exporter to Eastern Canada. “Natural gas production in the northeastern United States rose from 2.1 billion… Keep reading →
You may not know this, but the United States is already the largest natural gas producer in the world, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and is estimated to produce more oil than Russia and Saudi Arabia in 2013. The U.S. greatly reduced its dependence on foreign energy imports in a very short time.… Keep reading →
The failed nomination of Ron Binz to be the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which was formalized with his withdrawal from consideration last month, was unprecedented in Washington. The role of FERC has never been the subject of public of political interest – and I’d argue that few people (in Congress or otherwise)… Keep reading →
NY State’s Strategic Gasoline Reserve will hold three million gallons of fuel to prevent emergency supply gaps. On October 26, 2013, New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo launched the first U.S. state-based Strategic Gasoline Reserve as part of the Fuel NY initiative to prevent potential supply gaps during weather events and emergencies, such as… Keep reading →
The natural gas industry is optimistic about its own future, but safety – be it pipeline, environmental or cyber – continues to be a key concern, according to Black & Veatch’s second annual Strategic Directions in the North American Natural Gas Industry survey. The overwhelming majority of the survey’s 336 respondents expect the US natural gas industry to… Keep reading →
Addressing the natural gas flaring issue in North Dakota’s portion of the Bakken Shale formation is not as simple as just connecting new wells to pipeline infrastructure. Sometimes new, high-pressure wells can overwhelm existing infrastructure and without additional compression, more frequent maintenance or expanding the system, extinguishing the flares is not feasible. The latest report… Keep reading →
