Politics & Regulation

Years of neglect brought on by nearly ten years of civil war has caught up with Libya's once formidable oil pipeline network.

The incoming Biden administration will cancel the 1931-km Keystone XL transboundary tar sands oil pipeline on Inauguration Day, 20 January, in line with President-Elect Biden's many gloomy prognostications on the pipeline.

Up to now, the Trump administration has merely threatened to impose sanctions on any company assisting with the construction of Nord Stream 2 on the floor of the Baltic.  During the past several weeks, as construction on the last few kilometers has begun despite the threats, the U.S.

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) of Pakistan, has charged KE, the only vertically-integrated power utility in Pakistan, with the construction and operation of a 2.4-km short distance gas pipeline.

For the first time in their bilateral relationship Germany and Denmark have signed late last month an agreement on gas solidarity to ensure that in times of supply crises they will come to each other's aid and help their neighbor out. Thomas Bareiß, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, and Denmark’s Minister

Fortuna, the Russian pipe-laying vessel, has successfully completed the 2,6-km section of the Nord Stream 2 subsea gas pipeline in German territorial waters and is traveling to the Hanseatic German port of Wismar. The parent Nord Stream AG in Zug, Switzerland, said the ship will resume construction of the pipeline in Danish territorial waters by mid January.

The construction of gas pipelines within the EU has been facilitated in the recent past by the institution's support for cross-border energy projects, meaning they can receive EU funding and fast-tracked permits, according to the TEN-E (Trans European Network) rules.

Undeterred by the threat of punitive sanctions if work on Nord Stream 2 resumes, the construction of the last hundred plus meters of the gas pipeline on the seabed of the Baltic picked up again after a one year hiatus.

There is growing concern by Canada’s Energy regulator for the financial viability of two major pipeline projects. The first is the Trans Mountain expansion project and the second concerns construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.

Western Australia gets the go-ahead for the construction of a 580 km pipeline, costing $460 million, which will connect the Western Perth onshore gas production basin with mining customers in the Midwestern and goldfields regions of Western Australia.

The African Development Bank and the government of Uganda have signed an agreement to each provide $500,000 of finance for micro, small and medium sized private enterprises along the East African Crude Oil pipeline (ECOP). Grants to local businesses along the route could help them access new market opportunities and help build links with regional, national and international companies.

Against all odds Nordstream 2, which for the past nearly 12 months looked as if it was literally dead in the water, is scheduled to resume construction on the last 120-km of the disputed pipeline on 5 December.

Amid sizable and protracted street demonstrations calling for the head of Alexandr Lukashenko, Bylorussia's leader, the last thing Lukaschenko needs is to provoke a spat over increased Druzhba pipeline tariffs with the giant Russian bear to his east.

America’s energy market regulator, known as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), has issued a suggested policy statement providing guidance for oil and petroleum products pipeline operators, concerning tariff rates and terms of conditions related to affiliate contracts.

There is much media speculation that the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden will result in delays or abandonment of new pipeline projects. Pipeline projects will depend less on government’s energy policies and more on the state of the oil and gas industry and market demand.