| LNG PRICES CONTINUE TUMBLING, THREATENING FEASIBILITY OF MANY PENDING LNG PROJECTS! Our thanks to Frank Avezac for the link. –dh |
Juneau Empire by James Brooks. The state of Alaska is negotiating up to the last minute on proposals that would guarantee major oil producers’ participation in the state’s liquefied natural gas pipeline, Gov. Bill Walker told reporters Wednesday afternoon. (Note: only a very foolish governor would threaten his state's biggest investors. Any short term victories will be dwarfed by a long term bias against investment in such a state. -dh)
Commentary: From now through December, we urge our readers and all investigative journalists to put all energy news through the filter of the Paris Climate Change Conference, COP 21. We believe national sovereignties, freedom and free enterprise themselves can be affected.
Environmental activist – Petroleum Industry – United Nations – World Bank – Governmental politics could have worldwide impact on the cost of energy, redistribution of income worldwide and global economics.
All fossil fuels are on the negotiations chopping block, including natural gas but especially "black carbon". Oil & gas companies could try to advantage their shareholders by joining with anti-coal advocates — though coal provides the cheapest electric power in the U.S. and in many of the developing nations. Clean coal technology is not often distinguished in public dialog from old, high carbon emission technology. Deals could be struck — trades — that may or may not be in the national interests of the United States and Canada.
Liberal leaders of Canada and the United States will be well represented on the side of pro-climate change action.
Surprise U.S. executive orders could appear, as could new treaties disguised as 'International agreements' with activists and with governments intent on redistributing income from low carbon emitting countries to high carbon emitting areas to help with emission abatement.
We hope that participating industry has a beneficial impact on the international dialog but will reserve judgment until late December.
The United Nations and World Bank could end up being the major facilitators of any new international "agreements", for which they would, of course be compensated. Follow the money….
The TransCanada/Keystone XL project could result from this trading of interests. Monetization of Alaskan and Canadian gas could be directly or indirectly affected.
Since China and Russia have a powerful voice in UN resolutions, their energy politics could cause them to play a major role. Could energy deals be struck that benefit certain companies at the expense of their home countries? We have high confidence in our oil companies and can only hope their involvement benefits not only share holders, but also the national interests of our North American countries. (See editorial: Killing Capitalism?) -dh
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Our comment: with virtually all of TransCanada's major pipeline projects threatened — from Alaska and Keystone XL to Canadian Pipelines — it is no wonder that its management is under pressure to trim expenses. -dh Calgary Herald by Dan Healing. Calgary-based TransCanada Corp. is expanding its 20 per cent cut to senior leaders announced last month to the next layer in its organizational chart, confirming Wednesday it will eliminate about 30 director positions. “These changes are part of the significant transformation we are undertaking to make us a more nimble organization that will ensure each one of our three business units — natural gas pipelines, liquids pipelines and energy — are able to make the decisions necessary to maintain competitiveness and maximize shareholder value,” said spokesman James Millar in an e-mail |
CBC. … Keystone is — was — Stephen Harper's No. 1 bilateral issue. But it's not Trudeau's, even though the Liberal leader supports the pipeline.
With Trudeau's government set to be sworn in Nov. 4, a decision to reject the pipeline between now and then would be pinned, politically, on Harper's Conservatives. (See our earlier report.)
Calgary Herald comment by Deborah Yedlin. The federal shift to a Liberal government is not quite as disconcerting, it could be argued, compared with what took place in Alberta back in May when Rachel Notley’s New Democrats replaced the Progressive Conservatives after 44 years in office.
TODAY'S RELEVANT CONSUMER ENERGY ALLIANCE ENERGY LINKS:
FuelFix: Energy Day Festival 2015 celebrates science at Sam Houston Park
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Houston Local News: Energy Day Festival 2015 celebrates science at Sam Houston Park
Shale Markets: Energy Day Festival 2015 celebrates science at Sam Houston Park
Geos News: Energy Day Festival 2015 celebrates science at Sam Houston Park
Florida Politics: Natural Gas, Offshore Oil Exploration Keys to Jacksonville’s Energy Future
On Friday morning, the Florida Energy Summit closed with a discussion of “leveraging the energy sector for a better Florida.” That leveraging, said panelists, encompasses everything from compressed natural gas to offshore oil exploration. Moderated by Anddrikk Frazier, the Principal of Integral Energy, the panel included Kevin Worley of JAX LNG, Paul Glenister of 2G Energy, Gary Steffens of Shell, and Tom Nepute of Saddle Creek Transportation.
The Hill: Obama to publish climate change rule, sparking legal fight
President Obama’s landmark climate change regulation for power plants will be publishedon Friday, opening the door to challenges in Congress and the federal court system. The challenges are expected to begin shortly after the rule appears in the Federal Register.
Reuters: U.S. leads industrialised nations in shift from coal: study
The United States is leading a shift away from using coal among leading industrialized democracies, with Japan the main laggard in policies that will help to combat climate change, according to a study on Wednesday.
Bloomberg: Trudeau Seeks a Beyond-Keystone Reboot to Canada-U.S. Relations
“It’s more than Keystone,” could well be Justin Trudeau’s mantra on managing Canada’s vital relationship with the U.S. Even before formally taking office, Prime Minister-elect Trudeau is racing to build a closer relationship with President Barack Obama.
Philadelphia Inquirer: U.S. should support Canada – and the pipeline
When terrorists struck America 14 years ago, Canada had our back. At a moment's notice, Prime Minister Jean Chretien fortified our shared border and safely ushered hundreds of planes into Canadian airports. Today, though, the United States is turning its back on Canada.
CNN: Jeb Bush: Move the Interior Department out West
As part of his pitch to create a "new relationship with the West," Jeb Bush saidWednesday his "first step" would be to move the Interior Department's headquarters away from the nation's capital. He also called for less federal involvement in public land issues. It's not the sexiest topic in the presidential race, but land management is a huge issue for the dozen or so states that make up the country's western half, where a vast majority of public lands exist.
Bloomberg: The Long Bull Run for U.S. Oil Refiners Shows Signs of Slowing
The end of the U.S. shale boom is about to claim another victim: oil refiners. Refiners are showing signs of slowing down after an unprecedented rise in U.S. crude production sent them on a five-year bull run. Citigroup Inc. downgraded five refining stocks Wednesday, including a subsidiary of billionaire Carl Icahn’s CVR Energy Inc. Profit margins from turning oil into gasoline and diesel fell last week to the lowest level since 2010, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Reuters: Majors face heaviest toll yet from oil downturn
Oil majors are expected to post the worst set of earnings since the onset of the sector's downturn, with writedowns likely to dominate headlines as companies respond to a further drop in the price of crude in the third quarter. Between Oct. 26 and Nov. 12 the world's top listed oil and gas producers will reveal just how badly they've been hurt by the 17 percent quarter-on-quarter fall in prices.
OilPrice.com: Present Pain Leading To Future Risks In Oil Markets
It is a dark time to be an investor in the offshore and oil services sector. Norwegian Billionaire and energy pioneer Fred Olsen told Fortune magazine this summer that when he first entered the energy services business decades ago he hoped to strike it rich by providing essential services and products to exploration companies.
Alaska Journal of Commerce: Walker’s gas tax raises more questions
Gov. Bill Walker has offered his first explanation of his proposed tax on natural gas reserves in advance of a special session of the Legislature due to convene Oct. 24. But the letter written by the governor to legislators Oct. 19 seems to raise more questions than it answers, and if the tax was actually passed by the Legislature, which is doubtful, it would prompt lawsuits that would entangle and delay the planned Alaska LNG Project.
Peninsula Clarion: Low gas prices boost Alaska tourism
Winter, spring, summer and fall, lots of people are coming to Alaska. Visitor numbers were steady or increased nearly everywhere across the state during the latest summer tourism season. In Anchorage, municipal hotel, or bed, tax revenue is on pace to set a fourth consecutive record, which would also be a seventh straight year of bed tax growth.
Watchdog.org: Do fracking wars loom in Colorado despite the latest Ivy League report?
A recent study conducted by Yale University researchers has found underground hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) operations do not contaminate ground water sources. Will the Ivy League endorsement have the power to sway opinions in Colorado to avoid a potential sequel to the fracking wars of 2014?
The Hill: Momentum for US oil exports builds in Colorado
The United States is poised, in the coming weeks, to give Iran a freedom we don’t even give ourselves. That is, the ability to export crude oil. Approval of the nuclear deal with Iran will lift oil trade sanctions on that country, allowing it to add an expected 1 million barrels per day onto the international market. However, the United States will remain shackled by its own, self-imposed oil trade sanctions.
Texas Tribune: Report: Texas Makes Strides in Energy Efficiency
After a years-long tumble, Texas has taken a major leap forward in an annual state-by-state ranking of energy efficiency policies — those aimed at slashing utility bills and carbon emissions by curbing energy use. Texas jumped eight slots and now ranks 26th among states on a measure of progressive policymaking, according to a report releasedWednesday by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a Washington-based advocacy group.
Midland Reporter-Telegram: Proposition 7 may have large impact on Permian Basin roads
Many Texans will go to the polls beginning this week for early voting on a number of constitutional amendments. From property tax reduction to tax exemptions for spouses of disabled veterans, seven propositions will be considered by voters. But in the Permian Basin, which is notorious for poor road conditions, one proposition may draw the most attention.
Midland Reporter-Telegram: UT Energy Poll: Three-quarters of Americans now believe climate change is real
Three out of every four Americans believe climate change is occurring, according to a University of Texas survey released Tuesday that documents the country’s rapidly evolving views on the issue. The 76 percent figure is a big jump from just five years ago, when 65 percent of respondents in the biannual UT energy poll said climate change was occurring.
CultureMap Dallas: Dallas environmental group sharpens skills at 'South by Southwest for activists'
Aiming to strengthen the environmental movement across Texas, a Dallas group is hosting an ambitious four-day conference November 4-7 with workshops, a comedy review, and an appearance by famed '70s housewife-activist Lois Gibbs.
Associated Press: Panel slated to address Ohio fracking tax hike kicks off
A study panel charged with addressing Gov. John Kasich's proposed tax hike on oil and gas drillers has scheduled its first formal meeting. The 2020 Tax Policy Commission was established in the last two-year state operating budget to review Ohio's tax code for a potential overhaul.
Columbus Dispatch: Lawmakers studying frack tax meet for first time
The 2020 Tax Policy Study Commission will meet this morning for the first time, 21 days after its deadline to produce a recommendation to the House and Senate on a new severance tax for shale fracking. The seven-member commission is tasked with looking at the entire state tax code and eventually recommending changes to how Ohio funds governmental services.
PennLive.com: Pa. regulators caught unprepared for natural gas 'mother lode'
In 2005, Pennsylvania issued 19 permits for shale drilling. By 2010, that number reached 3,400 — a nearly 18,000 percent increase. "I don't think many people were aware that it existed at all," said Scott Perry, who currently leads the Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Oil and Gas Management. Before joining the agency in 2000, Perry admitted that he thought the green tanks holding extracted gas at well sites supplied water for cows.
Lancaster Online: Industry representative tells LNP Editorial Board: Pa. drillers struggling for 'competitive survival'
The LNP Editorial Board met Wednesday with David J. Spigelmyer, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, which represents the drilling industry in Pennsylvania. Spigelmyer answered questions on everything from the proposed Atlantic Sunrise natural gas pipeline that will go through Lancaster County, to fracking's impact on water and methane emissions.
PennLive.com: OSHA inspects less than 3% of shale drilling sites in Pennsylvania
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has inspected less than 3 percent of Marcellus Shale drilling sites in Pennsylvania. Nearly 9,500 unconventional wells have been drilled in Pennsylvania since 2004, and records reveal the federal agency has inspected 254 of those work sites during the last 10 years.
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Dave Harbour, publisher of Northern Gas Pipelines, is a former Chairman of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska and a Commissioner Emeritus of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). He served as NARUC's official representative to the Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC). The former Army officer is past Chairman of the Alaska Council on Economic Education, former Chairman of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, and past President of the American Bald Eagle Foundation and the Alaska Press Club. He is Chairman Emeritus of the Alaska Oil & Gas Congress. Harbour has served as a public/government/external affairs manager for three gas pipeline companies and an oil company and has owned several small companies in Alaska. He has addressed or chaired dozens of oil and gas conferences throughout the United States and Canada and hundreds of his editorials and articles have appeared in newspapers, magazines and electronic media throughout North America. Harbour holds a Master of Science Degree in Journalism-Communications and is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America (APR). Opinions or viewpoints expressed in this webpage or in our email alerts are solely those of the publisher and are not intended to reflect the opinion(s) of any affiliated company, person, employer or other organization that may, in fact, oppose the views stated herein. -dh |
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