-A natural gas pipeline at a gun range in California exploded Sunday, injuring 11 people. Via the Associated Press, pipeline owner PG&E believes a vehicle damaged the line, but an investigation by federal and state authorities is ongoing. No leaks were detected prior to the blast. PG&E has been under scrutiny since a 2010 pipeline explosion in San Bruno, Calif., that killed eight people.
-Environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the state of California for approving a 30-year lease for the Avon Marine Terminal at Tesoro’s Golden Eagle refinery near San Francisco. Via Reuters, the plaintiffs claim the state’s land commission did not take into account the new feedstocks such as Bakken crude and Canadian oil sands crude the refinery will process. The groups want all terminal activities suspended until a new environmental review is done.
-Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) today said preserving the U.S. ban on oil exports while easing sanctions against Iran amounts to a “sanctions regime against ourselves.” Via FuelFix, Murkowski told attendees at IHS Energy’s CERAWeek conference lifting sanctions on Iran could flood the global oil market with an additional 1 million barrels of crude per day, causing greater harm to domestic producers struggling with low oil prices.
-Meanwhile, Halliburton President Jeff Miller told analysts today that while his company sees pricing pressure in North America, it is the “most adaptable” market in the world. Miller said the U.S. unconventional business is the “lowest cost, fastest to market incremental barrel of oil available.”
-ExxonMobil Gas & Power Marketing Co. President Rob Franklin called on the government to speed up approvals of LNG exports. Speaking at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, Franklin said the U.S. risks behind “left behind” in the LNG trade if policymakers do not address current regulatory and legal problems. Republican lawmakers have made legislative attempts to expedite the LNG export application process, which can take years. ExxonMobil is a part owner of the Golden Pass LNG terminal in Texas, which applied for an export permit more than two years ago.
