Articles
An Arctic solution
Novatek’s plans to build two LNG trans-shipment terminals in Russia have taken a step closer to becoming realized. Two giant FSRU’s are on order with Daewoo’s Geoje shipyard in South Korea for delivery by end-2022, although they may not be operational until 2023/24. Each one is expected to have a storage capacity of 360,000cm, and be capable of receiving shipments from Novatek’s expensively assembled Arc7 Arctic-class fleet and transferring it to more conventional vessels for onward delivery.
EGP expands wind portfolio
Enel Green Power (EGP) recently commissioned the final wind turbine at its 148MW Nxuba wind farm in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The 200 million euro, 47-turbine farm was one of the five projects awarded to EGP in the fourth round of the country’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) in 2015.
Solar power in charge across South Australia
In October, the Australian state of South Australia reported that for one hour on the eleventh of the month, 100 percent of its electricity was generated by solar power. South Australia being the largest jurisdiction in the world to do so. The power generated came from 77 percent rooftop systems and the remaining 23 percent from the states utility-scale solar projects.
Renewable refinery conversions increase across Europe
The energy transition continues across the globe as Preem AB of Sweden recently announced that it is indeed proceeding with its newly announced plan to convert the long-running Lysekil refinery into what is designed to become the largest renewable fuel facility in Scandinavia.
Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage: The technology helping us to bridge energy use from hydrocarbons to renewables
Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) is a technology designed to capture almost 90% of CO2 left by the generation of electricity or the separation of hydrogen from hydrocarbons. While this technology is nothing new, the interest surrounding CCUS has gained momentum in recent months as hydrogen production has become a hot button topic around the globe. Why is CCUS of interest in the hydrogen community?
"Yes, Joe Biden really does want to end America’s oil and gas industry," says Gulf Energy Information CEO
The Biden energy plan has dire consequences for the oil and gas industry and the American economy.
Pipelines to restore harmony
The Eastern Mediterranean region has been a much-discussed area in recent months, with claim and counterclaim flying around. Turkey has managed to antagonize almost every nation in the region at some point, inparticular neighbouring countries Greece and Cyprus, with its maritime claims and offshore surveys and drilling. It even threatened to suspend diplomatic relations with the UAE over their proposed deal with Israel. However, beyond the geopolitics, 2 pipeline projects may restore some semblance of harmony in the near future.
The UK to rely even more on Qatar
The UK to rely even more on Qatar | Qatar Petroleum and National Grid of the UK, operator of the 14.80 million t/y Grain LNG import terminal, recently entered into a long-term agreement for LNG storage and regasification capacity.
Crude Oil to Chemicals technology: a revolution for the petrochemicals industry
Refiners are looking to integrate petrochemical activity into their production in a big way. Crude-oil-to-chemicals (COTC) projects will be a powerful tool for refiners looking to maximize chemical production through increasingly efficient technology expected to consistently improve in chemical yields from the crude feedstock.
Electricity’s new king will be solar PV
The latest World Energy Outlook published in October from the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggests that solar photovoltaic generation will be the largest source of power by 2040. Unlike other sectors during the Covid-19 pandemic the renewable electricity market has remained buoyant throughout 2020. The IEA suggests that renewables is set for rapid growth. In the Stated Policies Scenario (STEPS), renewables will rise by two-thirds between 2020 to 2030.
Alberta’s Industrial Heartland to Expand Hydrogen Footprint
The Government of Alberta released its long-term Natural Gas Vision and Strategy in October, detailing key initiatives to strengthen the provinces’ hydrogen sector.
How to utilize solar potential
In an age where traditional methods of energy generation, such as burning coal and gas to generate electricity emit greenhouse gases, the energy transition movement has seen the need to investigate alternative or renewable energies. Wind and solar seem to be favored forms of alternative energies to be scaled up first.
As COVID-19 conditions persist, some struggling refineries are trending towards renewable diesel conversions to survive
With the continuing pandemic driven reduction in fuel demand, refineries in North America have worked to survive in ways ranging from reducing production, additional maintenance scheduling, and the permanent shutting in of some complexes altogether. But another direction has begun to persist in North America and abroad with the decision to convert aging refineries away from traditional crude oil production into renewable diesel plants.
Mountain Valley reweighs timeline, budget due to regulatory hurdles
Earlier this month, Equitrans Midstream Corp. said that the timeline and budget for the planned Mountain Valley Pipeline will depend on ongoing litigation and impending federal permits. In a recent statement, the company said "As the litigation process progresses and as we receive additional inform..
Hydrogen in Asia-Pacific: Creating the model of green hydrogen import/export for the next decade
Australia, Japan, and South Korea are leading the way when it comes to hydrogen delivery. Both Japan and South Korea have long term plans for hydrogen utilization and the importation and exportation of green hydrogen plays a critical role in the roadmap for these nations. Australia’s heavy investment along their western shoreline of green hydrogen facilities makes them an excellent partner in fulfilling the future hydrogen needs of Japan.
Hydrogen’s growing influence in the US: How can the US take part in the global hydrogen industry
October 5, 2020 saw a major development in how the United States views hydrogen and its usefulness in clean energy and fuel cell transportation. With support from major global corporations including Air Liquide, Chevron, Cummins, Daimler AG, Microsoft, Nikola Motors, Plug Power, Shell, Toyota and many others, the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) released their “Roadmap To A US Hydrogen Economy”.
US brings 5 Bcf/d of pipeline capacity online and cuts planned projects
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that an estimated 5 Bcf/d of new natural gas pipeline capacity came online in the first half of 2020 due to the completion of several major pipelines.
Japan’s offshore ambitions
Macquarie’s Green Investment Group (GIG), a global investor and developer of green infrastructure assets, recently announced that it has formed a joint venture with Iberdrola, a global energy leader and the world’s largest wind producer.
Gas flows to U.S. LNG export plants down ahead of hurricane Delta
Cheniere Energy Inc and Cameron LNG reduced the amount of natural gas flowing to their LNG export plants in Louisiana on Thursday as Hurricane Delta approaches the Gulf Coast. Officials at both companies were not immediately available for comment but have said they were watching the storm and have procedures in place to keep plant workers and equipment safe.
Shape the refinery of the future through integration
The negative impact of fossil fuels on the environment has become widely accepted, and our global society has begun to focus on alternative fuels. The pollution of the local, regional and global environment has become a primary concern.
Global gas is facing a demand hit from the coronavirus pandemic and a structural oversupply in the LNG market
Global gas is facing a demand hit from the coronavirus pandemic and a structural oversupply in the LNG market following the startups of new LNG export projects in Australia and the U.S. At present, 2020 is looking to be a rough year for LNG projects seeking FIDs, particularly those projects with final decisions delayed from 2019—which was itself a record year for LNG FIDs.
China Eyes Continued Expansion of Smaller-Scale LNG
Smaller-scale liquefaction in China, the world’s second-largest LNG importer, has experienced growth in recent years as China’s government integrates more gas into the country’s energy matrix. With more than 75% of installed global capacity for smaller-scale LNG production and a market capacity anticipated to reach 20 MMtpy this year, China is expected to remain the global hotspot for smaller-scale LNG through at least the late 2020s.
Renewable Energy Group announces plans to expand the Geismar biodiesel plant to 340 million gallons per year
The Renewable Energy Group (REG) of Iowa recently announced that it is planning a significant capacity expansion at its existing renewable diesel refinery in Geismar, Louisiana. This expansion will fundamentally increase annual capacity with an additional 250 million gallons at the site by the end of 2023.
US brings 5 Bcf/d of pipeline capacity online and cuts major planned projects
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that an estimated 5 Bcf/d of new natural gas pipeline capacity came online in the first half of 2020 due to the completion of several major pipelines. While the US has seen an increase in pipeline takeaway capacity in 2020, around 8.7 Bcf/d of planned pipeline projects have been canceled.
Business Trends: EPC 2030: Five vital characteristics that will define the EPC firm of tomorrow
The state of the global engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) industry can accurately be described as “challenging.” Operating in an environment of volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous conditions, EPC firms are facing unsustainable levels of stress.
Executive Viewpoint: How to develop a successful asset management strategy during the coronavirus downturn
The coronavirus (COVID-19) has disrupted all sectors of the oil and gas industry, including asset management. Many plants around the world are operating in emergency mode or shutdown. No one knows how long this crisis will last, nor can anyone realistically predict the scope of the economic impact it will have. Therefore, it is crucial to minimize costs, while not compromising the effectiveness of industrial plants.
Global Project Data update for October 2020
Although the gas processing and LNG industries took a major hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, new project announcements within the sector have increased for two straight months
Editorial Comment: Processing a sustainable future
An emerging topic along the entire oil and gas value chain is the move toward sustainability. Each company has a somewhat different definition of what sustainability means to its operations.
Can ammonia be a future energy storage solution?
Ammonia is well known as a fertilizer. However, it is also a potential carbon-free fuel and an excellent solution for storage of renewable electricity, especially if the syngas needed for producing the ammonia is made by electrolysis
Brazilian developments in the biofuels market
Since the 1970s, Brazil has been a world reference in automotive biofuels, especially bioethanol produced from sugarcane. In 1973, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) forced a sharp rise in oil prices, triggering a massive slowdown in the country’s economic growth, which had been going through what was dubbed the “economic miracle,” with growth at an average of 12% of GDP. This study gives an overview of the biofuel sector in Brazil, along with the main business challenges and opportunities in this area.
