North America

US coal giant faces default

U.S. coal giant Murray Energy Corp., led by the outspoken industry promoter Robert Murray, is nearing default, Kallanish Energy reports. Murray, which bills itself as the U.S.’s largest privately-held coal company, failed to make multiple payments to lenders last week, the Ohio-based company said, in a statement. Creditors have agreed not to take legal action until

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Pa moving ahead with power plant emission caps

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration is working to bring the state into a regional consortium of states that sets a price and caps on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, part of the Democrat’s agenda to fight climate change, Kallanish Energy reports. Wolf made a formal announcement Thursday that he’s ordering a start to the

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US crude oil exports continue growing in first half of 2019

U.S. exports of crude oil rose to average 2.9 million barrels per day (Mmbpd) in the first half of 2019, an increase of 966,000 b/d from the first half of 2018, the Energy Information Administration reports. U.S. crude oil exports also set a record-high monthly average in June, at 3.2 Mmbpd, Kallanish Energy learns. Despite

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Natural gas royalties paid in Pa reach nearly $10B

Royalties paid to Pennsylvania landowners for natural gas extraction in primarily eight counties totaled $8.84 billion from 2010 through 2018, according to calculations by the state Independent Fiscal Office (IFO), Kallanish Energy reports. Royalty payments made in the remaining Pennsylvania counties where natural gas is produced would add another $982 million in royalty payments to

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Texas wind power on track to outpace coal in 2020

Texas is about to go green — by 2020, more electricity will come from wind than coal, according to analytics/consulting firm Rystad Energy. Propelled by the surging shale revolution, Texas now contributes 40% of total U.S. oil production and nearly 25% of marketed natural gas production, Kallanish Energy reports. However, the “Lone Star State” is

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Eco-Energy buys gathering/processing/terminal assets

Tennessee-based biofuel company Eco-Energy has acquired the Stone Mountain gathering pipeline system, Stone Mountain processing facility and the Stone Mountain rail terminal from Continuum Energy Services for an undisclosed price. The Stone Mountain gathering system is made of up over 600 miles of gathering pipelines that span Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia, Kallanish Energy learns. The

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San Jose moves to ban natural gas in new residential buildings

The U.S.’s 10th most populous U.S. city Tuesday moved to ban natural gas in most new residential buildings, beginning next year, Kallanish Energy reports. The 10-member San Jose, California, city council and Mayor Sam Liccardo voted unanimously to make San Jose the largest U.S. city so far to seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by

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US producible gas volume jumps in latest biennial survey

Energy industry experts who comprise the Potential Gas Committee announced Wednesday the volume of producible natural gas in the U.S. has jumped roughly 20% since their last assessment two years ago. The increase of 557 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) reported by the Pgc is the highest assessment in its 54-year history. The organization estimates total

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US crude oil inventories drop more than expected

U.S. commercial crude oil inventories (excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) decreased by 6.91 million barrels (Mmbbl) during the week ended Sept. 6, from the previous week, the Energy Information Administration reported. The American Petroleum Institute had U.S. crude inventories down 7.2 Mmbbl in the week ended Sept. 6, to 421.9 Mmbbl, compared with analysts’

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EQT simplifying organization, cutting 23% of workforce

EQT Corp. said Tuesday it’s cutting its workforce by 23% — 196 positions – and chopping departments to 15 from 58 – all designed to improve operational effectiveness, and create a more efficient, nimbler organization. The workforce reduction will save roughly $50 million in general and administrative expenses annually, Kallanish Energy reports. All actions announced

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Cheniere’s Train 2 at Corpus Christi substantially complete

Cheniere Energy has announced that Train 2 at Corpus Christi, Texas, has reached substantial completion, Kallanish Energy reports. That was reached last week at the liquefaction/export facility, the company said on Tuesday. Commissioning is complete and Cheniere’s Epc partner Bechtel Oil, Gas and Chemicals Inc. has turned Train 2 over to Cheniere. Texas-based Cheniere has

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Plains gives up on pipeline steel surcharge

U.S. pipeline operator Plains All American has abandoned a plan to institute a surcharge to offset Section 232 steel tariffs for its new Cactus II Pipeline, following objections by ConocoPhillips and Encana, according to regulatory documents secured by Kallanish, sister publication of Kallanish Energy. The proposed tariff would have been $0.05/barrel on its 670,000 barrels

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Power sector still the U.S.’s largest electricity consumer

Energy consumption in the U.S. reached a record high of more than 101 quadrillion British thermal units (quads) in 2018, surpassing the previous high recorded in 2007, by less than 0.3%, the Energy Information Administration reports. For nearly 70 years, the electric power sector, which both consumes and produces energy, has been responsible for some of the

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Montana coal mine expansion gets backing after sale

Montana regulators this week proposed approval of a major expansion of the state’s largest coal mine after it was sold through bankruptcy auction to a company controlled by the Navajo Nation, Kallanish Energy reports. The 72-million-ton expansion of the Spring Creek Mine near Decker, Montana, will occur within the mine’s existing permit boundary, Jen Lane, with

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Federal court blocks pipeline construction in western Maryland

The U.S. District Court of Maryland this week blocked construction of a pipeline under state-owned land in western Maryland, agreeing with Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh that Columbia Gas Transmission should not be allowed to move forward with the project. Columbia Gas filed its lawsuit May 17 after the Maryland Board of Public Works

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