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ENERGY

US energy independence will only happen by reducing amount we use

NJ.com
Regarding “Natural gas could end U.S. energy dependency” (Dec. 25), the headline is misleading, if not factually inaccurate. According to the annual Energy Outlook 2011, which was prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the “estimate for technically recoverable unproved shale gas resources is 827 trillion cubic feet.” This figure is “highly uncertain,” according to the same publication. Also, according to the EIA, in 2010, the United States used more than 24 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Simple division reveals that the uncertain, unproven shale gas reserves represent about 34 years of supply based on current rates of use. That’s certainly not enough for “a measure of independence.”

Chesapeake Energy to sell Marcellus Shale midstream assets for $865 mln

Proactive Investors
Chesapeake Energy said Wednesday it will sell its Marcellus Shale midstream assets, including about 200 miles of gathering pipeline, to its affiliate, Chesapeake Midstream Partners LP (CMP), for $865 million. Under the terms of the agreement, CMP will pay $600 million in cash, drawn from its revolving credit facility, and will issue 9.8 million shares of its common stock, representing $265 million, to Chesapeake Energy. The transaction will boost Chesapeake Energy's interest in CMP to 46.1 percent, from 42.3 percent. CMP CEO, J. Mike Stice, said: "We are excited to expand out footprint into the Marcellus Shale, further increasing our basin diversification and, more importantly, exposing us to the increased drilling activity in the liquid-rich regions in the Marcellus South."

Noble Announces natural-gas discovery off coast of Cyprus

Bloomberg
Noble Energy Inc. said a field off the coast of Cyprus may hold as much as 8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, the first discovery off the divided island nation. Results from the Cyprus A-1 well indicate from 5 to 8 trillion cubic feet of gas, with a gross mean of 7 trillion cubic feet, Houston-based Noble Energy said today in a statement. The field covers about 40 square miles (100 square kilometers) and requires additional appraisal drilling before development, the company said.

Oil falls after US crude inventories unexpectedly increase

Bloomberg
Oil fell after a U.S. government report showed supplies unexpectedly rose last week. Inventories rose 3.9 million barrels to 327.5 million in the week ended Dec. 23, the Energy Department said today. Stockpiles were forecast to decline 2.5 million barrels, according to the median of 10 analyst estimates in a Bloomberg News survey. The American Petroleum Institute, an industry-funded group, said late yesterday that crude supplies climbed 9.57 million barrels last week. Crude oil for February delivery fell 73 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $98.63 at 11:05 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil traded at $98.56 a barrel before the release of the report at 11 a.m. in Washington, a day later than usual because of the Christmas holiday.

Northstar Offshore Energy Partners sells gulf shelf assets to Korean buying group for $201 million

The Sacramento Bee
Northstar Offshore Energy Partners, LLC a portfolio company of Natural Gas Partners – today announced it has sold substantially all of its asset holdings to ANKOR E&P Holdings Corporation, STX Energy E&P Offshore Management, LLC and SCL Resources, LLC for $201 million. The assets sold to the Korean buying group have a current output of 4,700 barrels per day, and reserves of 10.8 million barrels. The deal was effective October 1, 2011. Formed in July of 2008, immediately following a sale of an earlier group of Gulf of Mexico assets, NOEP's interests encompassed 81 producing wells, 38, blocks, and 18 producing fields on the Gulf of Mexico shelf.

ENVIRONMENTAL

MF Global chief who oversaw missing $1.2 billion also top EPA financial adviser

Utility Products
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week said it had finalized standards for 2012 as part of its Renewable Fuel Standard program. The program as well as the annual renewable fuel volume targets were established by the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007. The targets grow gradually to 36 billion gallons (136.3 billion litres) in 2022. In order to reach that level, EPA calculates a percentage-based standard for the subsequent year. The standard mandates the minimum amount of renewable fuel that refiners and importers should use in their transportation fuel. For biomass-based diesel, the 2012 standard is 1.0 billion gallons, 0.91 percent ; for advanced biofuels, it is 2.0 billion gallons, 1.21percent ; and for cellulosic biofuels -- 8.65 million gallons, 0.006percent. For total renewable fuels, the standard is 15.2 billion gallons, 9.23 percent. EPA said that the 2012 program applied the EISA requirement that the level of renewable fuels mandated be more than 1.25 billion gallons over that for 2011.

Public Works investigates toxic chemical in Tar River

WNCT
Investigators believe an estimated 500 gallons of a toxic liquid made its way into the Tar River Wednesday afternoon. Environmental Protection Agency officials spent the night cleaning the liquid from the river. Public Works and law enforcement were notified of a strong oil smell coming from the Tar River around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday. Public Works officials have not confirmed if it was in fact fuel. Reports from witnesses say they saw someone illegally dumping a liquid out of an oil barrel into a sewer drain on Allen Road in Greenville. Investigators were also able to trace the liquid to another drain on 3rd Street. They do not yet know if both incidents are connected. The EPA conducted a meeting at 10:30 Thursday morning to discuss their findings after cleaning up the liquid.

2012 renewable fuel standards fall far short of non-corn Ethanol Goal

TPM
The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday released its 2012 Renewable Fuel Standards a month after they were due and with a drastically lower target for the amount of ethanol derived from non-corn sources than Congress originally called for four years ago. The new renewable fuel standards anticipate the production of 8.65 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol to be blended with other, petroleum-based transportation fuel in 2012. Cellulosic ethanol is derived from inedible plant matter such as switchgrass, wood chips and wheat straw, producing at least 60 percent less greenhouse case emissions than petroleum-based fuels. But while the 2012 standards may sound like they call for a significant amount of cellulosic ethanol production, at 10.45 million ethanol equivalent volume, it is nowhere close to the 500 million ethanol-equivalent gallons of cellulosic ethanol outlined for 2012 by Congress in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Vt. to reopen last highway destroyed by Irene
USA Today
After the hauling of hundreds of thousands of tons of rock and tens of thousands of man-hours on heavy equipment, Vermont is ready to celebrate the completion of a Herculean task and the biggest single engineering challenge following the flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Irene: the reopening of the last state highway washed out by the storm. Just in time for the new year, and four months after the storm hit, Vermont officials are planning to mark the reopening of Route 107 between Bethel and Stockbridge. The state highway is the last to reopen after being closed by flooding.

Debate over tolls continues to deepen
Fleet Owner
The debate over whether or not to boost highway tolls in order to generate more money for transportation infrastructure projects continues to deepen based on a new poll as well as commentary from one of the major global rating agencies. According to a recent poll, a majority of Americans apparently favor “user fees” in the form of roadway tolls versus increased fuel taxes as the best way to pay for new transportation projects. The Reason-Rupe poll – conducted by NSON Opinion Strategy on behalf of the Reason Foundation and the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation – surveyed a random, national sample of 1,200 adults by phone in early December and found 77% oppose increasing the federal gas tax, which is currently 18.4 cents a gallon, to pay for transportation infrastructure projects.

TRANSPORTATION

Feds shut down Pa. bus line over safety violations; served NYC’s Chinatown from Del., Md., NY
The Washington Post
Concerns over vehicle and driver safety led federal regulators to shut down a bus company that took passengers from several cities to New York City’s Chinatown. U.S. transportation officials have ordered Double Happyness Travel Inc. to immediately cease operations, deeming the company’s bus service “an imminent hazard.” Investigators said they found numerous violations of rules on vehicle maintenance and driver safety, including drug and alcohol testing and records on how long drivers were working. Double Happyness runs buses from Albany, N.Y., Baltimore, Md., and Wilmington, Del., to midtown and Chinatown in New York City. Authorities did not cite any accidents involving the company in its press release.

A bridge over the Bayou
American Infrastructure magazine
After Hurricane Katrina's devastating effect on Louisiana's infrastructure, rebuilding the Twin Span Bridge was a two part project: First to restore the existing bridge, then to completely rebuild a bigger and better bridge. Hurricane Katrina was one of the most damaging, natural disasters in U.S. history. Its effects to Florida, Mississippi and especially Louisiana were devastating to both residents of these states and the nation as a whole. It claimed the lives of roughly 1,800 people and caused damages of upwards to $ 81 billion, making it clear that this natural disaster's wrath was one to be reckoned with, as six years later the cleanup is ongoing. Upon some of the major damages in Louisiana was the Interstate 10 freeway, named Twin Span Bridge.

Transportation coalition urges federal infusion for roads
The Chicago Sun Times
The Transportation for Illinois Coalition is asking Congress to deliver a $500 billion, six-year transportation package early next year. According to a recently released coalition study, Illinois’ state roads are wearing out faster than they are being repaired, putting the state in position to reap much-needed benefits if the coalition’s wish is granted. One mile out of four in the state will be in unacceptable condition by 2017, according to the study. More than 2,200 bridges — out of more than 26,300 in the state — are structurally deficient, the report said. The report said that the transit system in northeast Illinois should be upgraded and modernized — to the tune of about $400 million. Road projects need to be planned and engineered in advance but can’t sit on a shelf too long or they will need to be updated, said Linda Wheeler, author of the report.

Railways puts bullet train project on fast track
The Economic Times
Railways' ambitious project of running bullet trains in six select corridors has been fast tracked as the state-run transporter is ready with the Cabinet note for setting up of a high speed rail authority. Railways' top brass are also in intense negotiations with the visiting Japanese delegation, seeking their cooperation for introduction of a high speed train that can run at 300km per hour. The authority will be empowered to decide on whether a particular corridor project will be implemented on PPP or non-PPP mode based on pre-feasibility study. Sources said that the authority will have the power to decide on ownership and management of each high-speed corridor.

Taking air flight innovative
American Infrastructure magazine
The southern part of the San Francisco Bay area in California was nicknamed Silicon Valley, originally, as a result of the region's large number of silicon chip innovators and manufacturers that called the area home. Now, the nickname is used as a metonym for the area's world leadership in technological advancements and development. So, it comes as no surprise that when Silicon Valley's airport, Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), decided to modernize their facilities, it would be with the most updated tech-savvy upgrades and sustainable improvements. Originally built in 1965, the airport has been expanded several times throughout the years, however, the airport was in need of a major modernization due to the areas growth.

WATER / WASTEWATER

Fairfax Water Authority weighs risks of uranium mining

The Washington Post
Another agency has weighed in on uranium mining in Virginia. Fairfax County Water Authority’s board of directors has released a study it commissioned on the impact that uranium mining could have on its watersheds. The study, prepared by two Fairfax firms, Tetra Tech, Inc. and Hazen and Sawyer, comes on the heels of a 22-month review by the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering. The academies’ review, released earlier this month, found that “steep hurdles” need to be surmounted before Virginia’s longtime ban on uranium mining could be lifted. A study commissioned by the Danville Regional Foundation also came out this month. It concluded that uranium mining could have economic benefits but also environmental risks.

Water levels in western Kansas to be measure by Kansas geological survey
Kansas City infoZone
Water levels are measured in January when irrigation wells aren’t in use because that is when levels are least likely to fluctuate. In early January, crews from the Kansas Geological Survey based at the University of Kansas will be in western Kansas measuring groundwater levels as part of a program to track changes in the depth-to-water in the region’s aquifers over time. KGS crews will start in the vicinity of Colby on Jan. 3, Goodland on Jan. 4, Syracuse on Jan. 5 and Liberal on Jan. 6, and will cover multiple counties in those areas. Working cooperatively with the Division of Water Resources of the Kansas Department of Agriculture, the KGS monitors approximately 500 water wells each year.

Water levels in the Great Lakes a concern
UPI
Wet weather could raise Great Lakes water levels up from last year, but the gains could evaporate because of unseasonably warm weather, U.S. experts say. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released its six-month forecast Wednesday calling for above-average levels on the Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, The Detroit News reported. All five Great Lakes are above water levels from last December, the corps said, although the larger lakes including Superior, Michigan and Huron are below their long-term water level averages. Some fear that gains from the region's second-wettest year in 131 years could be offset because it's almost January and the lakes still lack much ice, as temperatures in December were 3.6 degrees above average.

Judge clears BP of criminal negligence in 2009 spill, lifts three-year probation
BNA
BP Exploration Inc. was not criminally negligent in its management of a pipeline that ruptured and spilled oil and produced water in 2009, and thus did not violate terms of its probation imposed after the company's 2006 Prudhoe Bay oil-pipeline spill, a federal judge ruled Dec. 27 Judge Ralph Beistline of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, ruling on a probation-revocation motion sought by the Justice Department, concluded that while BP may have erred in its management of a pipeline at the Lisburne field, it was acting within industry standards and the line's freeze-up and rupture were, as BP contended, unprecedented and surprising events.

Wastewater treatment rules to be revised
South County Independent
The state Department of Environmental Management has agreed to write new regulations that will result in major changes to wastewater treatment rules in southern Rhode Island. The decision comes after a meeting organized by state Rep. Donna Walsh (D-Dist. 36) of Charlestown, New Shoreham, South Kingstown and Westerly. Walsh said the meeting with DEM officials and other legislators aimed to find alternative approaches to wastewater treatment that would protect coastal salt ponds without inflicting a financial burden on homeowners who want to make home improvements.