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TransCanada has obtained final approval from state officials in Nebraska to build the controversial Keystone pipeline across Nebraska, even though these same officials vetoed what TransCanada has viewed as the preferred route.

And while the final approval should mean that construction can begin, the realities are more complex, and even TransCanada itself says it will now have to review a number of factors relating to the pipeline's economic and political feasibility.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gave final authorization Wednesday to begin construction of the 36 inch, 255-mile underground NEXUS gas pipeline through northern Ohio. Communities along the way have tried to stop or re-route the pipeline, as they are concerned that it poses a threat to the safety and well-being of the area's inhabitants. Lawsuits are still pending.

The city of Green has gone to the federal Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to challenge the pipeline. And thus far the city of Oberlin has not given NEXUS permission to build.

At its last meeting in September 2017, the Supervisory Board of Open Grid Europe decided to appoint Dr Frank Reiners as CFO of Open Grid Europe GmbH. He will assume his position on 1st February 2018.

Hilko Schomerus, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Open Grid Europe, said: “With Frank Reiners we have gained an experienced manager with an excellent track record in regulation and commercial controlling.”

A Duesseldorf Higher Regional Court said last week that it will not honour a request by Polish energy company PGniG and its German subsidiary to block Gazprom from increasing its use of the Opal pipeline in eastern Germany.

PGniG requested to stop or limit full capacity auctions on Opal to no avail. An Opal Gastransport spokeswoman said: "I can confirm that these appeals were completely rejected and that Opal Gastransport can offer its capacity fully to the market."

After losing Kirkuk's prodigious oil fields to ISIS during the terrorists' Blitzkrieg three years ago and ultimately to rebellious Kurds after ISIS was evicted, the federal government in Baghdad has reasserted its sovereignty over the area and is now planning a "comprehensive and accelerated" rehabilitation plan for Kirkuk's crude oil pipeline network.

The pipelines run from Kirkuk 970 km to the Turkish export port of Ceyhan in the Mediterranean. During the ISIS occupation the pipelines were often sabotaged and now in urgent need of repair and rehabilitation.

Leakey oil and gas pipelines are commanding the attention of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission as 430 pipelines near occupied buildings recently failed leak-detection tests. While this is only 0.35 percent of the lines tested, state politicians are calling the tests significant and dangerous.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has given final approval to the multibillion dollar Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline, which will connect Marcelllus Shale gas in northeastern Pennsylvania to markets along the eastern seaboard of the United States.

The project has been met with considerable public push-back, especially in Lancaster County. Hundreds of people have pledged to engage in civil disobedience in an effort to block the project. In this regard, a group of nuns allowed activists to build an outdoor chapel on the proposed pipeline route. ptj reported earlier on that issue.

Amid heightened concern about the financial viability of natural gas pipeline projects in Romania, it appears likely now that the country will scale back ambitions to export gas to western Europe and thus compete with Russia.

Romania has been developing reserves in the Neptun bloc of the Black Sea, estimated at 80 - 100 billion cubic meters, or up to nine times Romania's annual consumption. And for the past couple of years the Black Sea reserves spawned the hope that Romania could become a source of gas to other European countries.

Rosneft and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have agreed to cooperate in the construction of a natural gas pipeline with a 30 bcm of gas per year capacity.

The pipeline will be constructed in 2019 for Kurdish domestic use, with exports due to begin in 2020.

Kurdistan sits on some of the largest untapped gas deposits on Europe’s doorstep and analysts suggest that this investment will allow Rosneft to compete with Gazprom in the supply of natural gas to Europe.

Williams Partners is seeking approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the Rivervale South to Market project in the northeastern United States.

The work will involve the uprating of 16.70 km of Transco pipeline together with upgrades and alterations of existing pipeline facilities, all in New Jersey. The project will provide incremental service to customers in this growing American market.

After years of deliberation, China's nationally owned pipelines will be operated by third parties in the foreseeable future, according to media reports.

"We have been talking about open and fair pipeline access for a long time, and the detailed plans will likely be released soon. For those who have the capability to give access but decline to do so, there will be punishment," said a source familiar with the matter.

This week the United States witnessed a sea change in the policy of the US government toward pipeline construction.

Indeed, President Trump's program to rebuild America's infrastructure suffered a big blow when a federal court ruled that regulators must examine the pipeline's impact on global climate change before granting approval.