Category Archives: Louisiana

LNG trains to U.S. Gulf and East Coasts

If you had any doubt the fossil fuel industry wants to export fracked methane to China, India, Korea, Japan, etc., from everywhere it can, read this article about Cheniere Energy’s plans to export from Sabine Pass, Corpus Christi, and Freeport, Texas, from Cameron Parish and Hackberry, Louisiana, and from Cove Point, Maryland. “Train” as used here just means a method of shipment, apparently by pipeline.

Housley Carr, RBN Energy, 17 June 2015, Begin The Sabine—Delivering Gas To The Lower 48’s First LNG Export Terminal, Continue reading LNG trains to U.S. Gulf and East Coasts

LNG export approved and proposed

How big is the LNG export gold rush? Here are maps of dozens of approved, proposed, and potential LNG export terminals, one of them even including Carib’s FE-authorized Martin County LNG export facility that FERC never seems to remember and Sabal Trail never talks about.

Update 2015-02-23: Now with the rest of the maps.

300x225 FERC Proposed LNG Export, in LNG, by John S. Quarterman, for SpectraBusters.org, 22 February 2015 In addition to the approved LNG import and export terminals, there are more on this FERC map of Proposed North American LNG Export Terminals, including ones in Lake Charles (2 and 7), Sabine Pass (6), Plaquemines Parish (8 and 11), and Cameron Parish (13) Louisiana, Lavaca Bay (4) and Sabine Pass (9), Texas, Elba Island (5), Georgia, and Jacksonvile (14), Florida, as well as Coos Bay (1) and Astoria (3), Oregon, plus two in Kitimat (15 and 17) and one on Douglas Island (16), British Columbia. One of those proposed BC LNG export terminals is where Spectra Energy proposes to build not one but two pipelines. And even that ain’t all. Continue reading LNG export approved and proposed

Port Dolphin LNG import to Florida from Louisiana and Texas?

Our old friend Port Dolphin is back asking LNG import competing with or displacing Sabal Trail’s fracked methane pipeline, this time possibly shipping gas across the Gulf of Mexico from U.S. LNG export facilities.

300x225 FERC Approved LNG Export and Import, in LNG, by John S. Quarterman, for SpectraBusters.org, 22 February 2015 Back in 2009 Port Dolphin got FERC approval for LNG import, but then there was a big recession, and the “shale gas revolution” (fracking) happened, resulting in most LNG import facilities filing for LNG export instead. But Port Dolphin wants to continue with imports, as Joe Fisher wrote for Natural Gas Intelligence, 20 October 2014, Would-Be Florida LNG Importer Sees Promise in Cross-Gulf Trade,

Florida does not have indigenous gas supply and historically has been served by two interstate natural gas pipeline with a third one planned, Sabal Trail (see Daily GPI, Oct. 24, 2013). Recently announced is a related north-to-south intrastate pipeline project (Florida Southeast Connection) (see Daily GPI, Oct. 10).

Rather than turn its LNG import project around to export liquefied U.S. gas — as other would-be import terminal developers/operators have done — Port Dolphin, which is a unit of Norway’s Hoegh LNG AS, still wants to make a go of importing LNG. It told FERC the project could even regasify domestically sourced LNG from the Gulf of Mexico, for instance.

Translation: Continue reading Port Dolphin LNG import to Florida from Louisiana and Texas?

Spectra Energy and gas pipeline campaign contributions to GA Gov. Nathan Deal

Tied for number 3 and receiving $10,000 in 2014 Top Vendors/Recipients from Spectra Energy according to OpenSecrets.org: Governor Nathan Deal of Georgia, where Spectra wants to gouge a 100-foot right of way for its 36-inch fracked methane Sabal Trail pipeline. Actually, Nathan Deal’s campaign committee has accepted at least $21,300 from natural gas pipeline companies, including $15,000 from companies that build LNG export terminals (Sempra and AECOM) or that build pipelines to LNG export terminals (Spectra and AECOM). and $6,300 from an Alabama pipeline supply company (Consolidated Pipe & Supply Company).

Tied with Deal for third and also receiving $10,000 from Spectra:

  • Governor Robert J. Bentley of Alabama, where the Sabal Trail pipeline starts, connecting to Williams Transco’s Hillabee Expansion Project, which along with Sabal Trail and FSC forms the Southeast Market Expansion Project.

  • Governor Bill Haslam of Tennessee, where Spectra wants to start its same-size Renaissance Pipeline to run through northeast Alabama and north Georgia past Atlanta.

Let’s look at candidate Nathan Deal’s most recent Georgia campaign contribution disclosure report contributions, for June 30th 2014: Continue reading Spectra Energy and gas pipeline campaign contributions to GA Gov. Nathan Deal

Arrests at anti-fracking FERC sit-in protest

225 years after the French Revolution began with the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, an activist dressed as the Statue of Liberty, a French gift to the United States, was one of 24 arrested in front of FERC, protesting fracking, pipelines, and LNG export.

Brandon Baker wrote for EcoWatch 14 July 2014, 24 Anti-Fracking Activists Arrested in Washington at First-Ever FERC Sit-In Protest,

Twenty-four anti-fracking activists were arrested Monday morning in Washington D.C. in protest of proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals in the U.S., according to environmental groups tweeting from the scene.

The protest centered on Cove Point, an export terminal that Continue reading Arrests at anti-fracking FERC sit-in protest

March on FERC against Cove Point LNG exports 2014-07-13

Opposition to fracking, pipelines, and LNG export is nationwide and growing. One week ago, activists from Maryland, DC, and Virginia marched on Washington to demand an end to plans for exporting fracked methane from Maryland.

Mike Tidwell wrote for Chesapeake Climate Action Network (ccan) 15 July 2014, ALL ABOUT UNITY: THANK YOU AND ONWARD FROM THE STOP GAS EXPORTS RALLY,

Wow. On Sunday, the heat scorching the streets of DC was palpable. But, even more so, was the passion and power of our movement. THANKS to everyone who turned out to say NO to fracking, NO to gas exports at Cove Point, NO to runaway climate change, and YES to real clean energy solutions.

Click here to check out all the photos on Facebook, and share them to spread the word!

We know the gas industry is all about division — blasting apart the rock beneath our earth, running pipelines through our towns, and further disrupting our fragile climate — now to ship the gas overseas for higher profit.

Continue reading March on FERC against Cove Point LNG exports 2014-07-13

Explain why the gas is needed –EPA to FERC

EPA isn’t buying FPL’s need for new power in Florida,

or that methane is better than many alternatives (including that renewable energy sources should be considered together, not separately), or that a pipeline is the best way to get gas (specifically suggesting Port Dolphin instead), or that any of the proposed routes are appropriate, not to mention catching inconsistent numbers of compressor stations and asking to see any non-FPL customers. And EPA asked for GIS data, as well as further information on water withdrawals and water re-emitted into the environment. My favorite is this one:

EPA recommends FERC provide in the EIS readable and comprehensible maps and figures, and clearly describe all potential impacts with the proposed action upon children’s health. For example, maps of schools, day-care facilities, multifamily housing, and hospitals should have different legend colors and be created at scales providing appropriate information, i.e., proximity of sensitive receptors to the navigation and transportation corridors.

FERC shows EPA’s comments as filed 23 April 2014, although they are dated two days earlier. -jsq

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Continue reading Explain why the gas is needed –EPA to FERC

Spectra CEO expects to export fracked gas

We don’t have to guess that Spectra wants to export from the Gulf; Spectra CEO Greg Ebel says so, and Spectra has already started development on an export pipeline in the other place he named at the same time.

Mike Lee wrote for Bloomberg 17 January 2012, Spectra Expects to Be Involved in North American LNG Exports,

Spectra, based in Houston, owns pipelines that carry gas along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and from fields in British Columbia, two areas where export terminals have been proposed, Ebel said in an interview at Bloomberg headquarters in New York today.

Cheniere Energy Inc. (LNG) is exploring multibillion-dollar projects to convert import terminals in Louisiana and Texas to liquefy and export gas. Apache Corp. (APA), EOG Resources Inc. (EOG) and Encana Corp. have proposed a liquefied natural gas export terminal at Kitimat on Canada’s West Coast.

“Our pipelines go right by all those facilities, really,” Ebel said. “You’ll probably see three to six of those get built. I would expect we’ll have some involvement in all of them.”

And, once again, this has nothing to do with any alleged energy need by Florida; it’s all about Continue reading Spectra CEO expects to export fracked gas

Pipeline subsidence is Force Majeure –Florida Gas Transmission

Force Majeure, or an act of God, in other words “not our fault”, that’s what a methane pipeline company calls the 25-acre sinkhole in Assumption Parish, Louisiana. The same thing could happen in the soft limestone underlying all of Florida and south Georgia that contains our Floridan Aquifer, the source of our drinking water.

Found in Energy Transfer’s page for Florida Gas Transmission Company, LLC under Critical Notices:

Critical Notice
Notice ID: 39957
Notice Type: Force Majeure
Critical: Y
Notice Status Description: Initiate
Reqrd Rsp Desc: No response required
Posting Date/Time: Aug 15 2012 1:57PM
Subject: FORCE MAJEURE, Southern Portion of the Chacahoula Lateral & Napoleonville Interconnect, Assumption P
Notice Effective Date/Time: Aug 15 2012 1:54PM
Notice End Date/Time: Until further notice
Notice Text:

FORCE MAJEURE, Southern Portion of the Chacahoula Lateral & Napoleonville Interconnect, Assumption Parish, Louisiana (Revision #1) Continue reading Pipeline subsidence is Force Majeure –Florida Gas Transmission