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Despite Islamic State lightning advances in northern Iraq, posing arguably the worst threat ever to Iraq's territorial integrity, Baghdad succeeded in exporting 2.94 million barrels of oil per day in December, the most since the 1980s. And more is to come: crude oil production in Kirkuk alone will double from 150,000 to 300,000 barrels per day during the next several weeks, according to Fouad Hussein, a member of Kirkuk provincial council's oil and gas committee.

Synodon Inc., a remote sensing company focusing improving energy company operations by providing aerial imagery, thermal and terrain mapping, vegetation and ground types and other datasets, has announced that it has resigned a realSens pipeline integrity management services contract of approximately $1 million for a three - year term. The customer is based in the United States.

The divisive Keystone XL pipeline project got a big boost when the US House of Representatives passed a bill last week approving its construction. The Senate is expected to soon follow suit, putting renewed pressure on the White House to drop its opposition to the 1897 km transnational pipeline bringing 800 000 thousand barrels of Canadian tar sand oil per day to refineries near the Gulf of Mexico.

Russian oil giant Rosneft and the Russian oil pipeline operator Transneft have agreed on a long-term pipeline tariff to be paid by Rosneft to underwrite the design and construction of an offshoot to the East Siberian - Pacific Ocean (ESPO) trunk pipeline to the Komsomolsk refinery in the Russian Far East.

Both companies will contruct the offshoot as part of Transneft's long-term policy of systematically improving the basic oil pipeline infrastructure throughout the Russian Federation.

Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) AG, a joint venture company established with the purpose of planning, developing and building the TAP natural gas pipeline from the Shah Deniz II natural gas reservoirs in Azerbaijan to Europe, has launched its pre-qualification process for onshore line pipes and bends. The 870 km pipeline, of 48 inch and 36 inch diameters respectively, will connect with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) near the Turkish - Greek border, ultimately crossing through Greece and Albania before reaching the shores of southern Italy.

Invitations to Tender (ITT) covers 55 valves at 48” and 36”, class 600 and 900. The requirements and quality of the large diameter ball valves and actuators include significant safety features of a high engineering standard in order to ensure the highest quality of the TAP pipeline in relation to technical quality and safety.

One of the largest oil reservoirs in the world in Libya's El Sharara, once producing some 300 000 barrels per day, is ready to resume production if a blocked pipeline is eventually cleared.

The pipeline has fallen victim to Libya's long and protracted civil war, with rival groups contesting the pipeline's ownership, preventing the shipment of oil to commercial markets.

Libya's economy is virtually dependent on the sale of oil for its income. The lack of any cohesive leadership in Tripoli continues to undermine sustained re-development of the country's petroleum sector.

Ukrtransgaz, the Ukrainian pipeline operator, has secured a 150 million euro loan from the European Investment Bank to upgrade a 120 km section of its transnational gas pipeline including two compressor stations to Europe. Similarly the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is expected to lend the Ukraine 163 million euros for this purpose later this month.

The section, known as Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod, is defective, giving rise to increasing gas emissions and reducing the pipeline's efficiency.

Looking to capitalize on a massive natural gas reservoir discovered in disputed territorial waters 90 km off the joint Israel - Lebanese border, Israel has proposed that the EU invest in a multi-billion euro 1530 km offshore pipeline to carry the product to Europe.

Israel began exploiting the estimated 8.5 trillion cu ft of natural gas in 2009 for its own domestic market. With the potential supply far exceeding the country's internal requirements, Israel will soon be in a position to begin supplying foreign markets.

Free access to the digital issue! You are welcome to visit the website to download and view the new edition.

Besides the main show in Berlin, additional ptc-related events will take place in other "regional hubs". Upcoming: Kuwait (gateway to the Middle East) and Tunisia (gateway to Africa).

The May issue will again focus on pipeline safety and reliability aspects and it includes technical reports on Sustainable Rehabilitation, The Linear Risk Integral (LRI) approach in pipeline QRA, Turkmen Gas to Turkey & EU and Challenges for Biogas Feed-In Plants. For the first time the Pipeline Technology Journal also features technical videos with additional information in the e-journal.