Energy Tomorrow Blog
New Well Decommissioning Standard Strengthens Effort to Reduce Emissions
api standards program emission reductions climate
John D. Siciliano
Posted June 11, 2021
Industry support for the administration’s goal of a lower-carbon future is more than just talk. API’s new Climate Action Framework spells out the specific action the industry is taking to address the risks of climate change while supplying the energy Americans rely on every day. This week, API announced its publication of a new standard, API Recommended Practice (RP) 65-3, on properly decommissioning and sealing wells as one of those actions to combat climate change.
Certainly, the administration has identified decommissioning old natural gas and oil wells as one of its priorities for reducing carbon emissions in its push for an infrastructure package. RP 65-3 provides technical guidance for doing the job correctly.
Public-Private Collaboration is Best Cyber Defense for Pipelines
cybersecurity api standards program colonial pipeline infrastructure
John D. Siciliano
Posted May 20, 2021
Even before the Colonial Pipeline reopened after a criminal cyber attack, some were demanding action, including Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Richard Glick’s call for mandatory cybersecurity standards.
The attack on Colonial caused major disruptions – underscoring the importance of getting the response right. Unfortunately, some in Washington can’t help but react to an issue before the facts are clear and before calm, rational analysis can guide the best response.
The fact is natural gas and oil industry has a long history of engaging and collaborating with the federal government to protect the nation’s vast network of pipelines and other critical energy infrastructure from cyber attacks.
Carbon Nanotubes – Potential Game Changer In Push For Climate Innovation
technology innovation carbon emissions
John D. Siciliano
Posted April 30, 2021
No larger than the width of a human hair, advanced-technology carbon nanotubes have the potential to be a game-changer in efforts to meet the global climate challenge. From CO2 captured from natural gas and oil production, and other emitting sources, nanotubes may be the building blocks for the next generation of low-carbon materials and carbon-neutral technologies.
Nanotubes are an example of the kinds of technologies API’s new Climate Action Framework seeks to advance as a key element in reducing emissions while our industry meets the world’s growing demand for energy. …
Technologies can help reduce emissions resulting in meaningful climate progress. They can significantly shape the climate discussion and engagement with policymakers.
API's First Agreement With African Partner Extends Safety, Protection Programs to Continent
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John D. Siciliano
Posted April 5, 2021
API took an important step to extending its safety and environmental protection programs to the continent of Africa, signing a new collaborative agreement with the business group African Energy Chamber (AEC), to expand use of API world-class standards, certifications and training programs.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the AEC – API’s first agreement with an African partner – is the latest in a series of similar agreements in the past year between API and organizations in nearly every region of the world. Such agreements arise from the global recognition API standards have earned for enhancing safety, efficiency and environmental protection across the natural gas and oil industry.
Safe Offshore Development is Essential to U.S. Security and Economy
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John D. Siciliano
Posted April 2, 2021
Not as noticed in the Biden administration’s halt in new federal natural gas and oil leasing is the possible impact on U.S. offshore production. If the pause were to become a permanent leasing and development ban, nearly 15% of total U.S. oil production could be affected – with significant potential consequences for our country’s energy security and economic growth.
Offshore development not only is critical for our country’s future, it’s safer than ever – underscored by a report issued late last year by the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).
Federal Legislation Supports CCUS as Economy-Wide Climate Solution
ccs technology carbon capture carbon dioxide emissions economic benefits
John D. Siciliano
Posted March 1, 2021
The COVID-19 relief and government spending bill passed by Congress in December, the Energy Act of 2020, included an important boost for carbon-capture utilization and storage (CCUS) technology – a must-have as an economy-wide way to address the risks of climate change. ...
The natural gas and oil industry, along with groups representing a broad range of industry sectors, have demonstrated continued and growing support for CCUS, and believe the Energy Act of 2020 lends critical support for key research and innovation to reduce the nation’s carbon footprint.
Tech Breakthroughs on the Horizon for Natural Gas and Oil
innovation technology emission reductions
John D. Siciliano
Posted September 11, 2020
New groundbreaking technologies to keep carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere provide a glimpse of what could very well be the next big breakthrough for the natural gas and oil industry.
New technologies have the power to change the impossible to possible. We’ve long argued that industry’s ability to innovate and develop new technologies – including game-changers such as fracking – are key to our energy future. But such technological breakthroughs have been underestimated in the past, and aren’t always reflected in formal projections that are based on what is currently known and available.
Just imagine a natural gas power plant that emits zero CO2 emissions. The first preliminary tests on just such a power plant were conducted two years ago by a collaboration led by the company Net Power. The tests were so promising that the plant made it into the MIT Technology Review’s list of the top 10 breakthrough technologies.
API Continues to Lead on Safety During Pandemic
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John D. Siciliano
Posted August 27, 2020
Despite the pandemic, API has moved forward with dozens of new safety standards, covering everything from liquefied natural gas (LNG) to pipelines, to manufacturing specifications for offshore wells – ensuring that safety and scientific rigor, through API’s standards program, remain front and center.
We have used this challenging time to help ensure that the natural gas and oil industry is focused on safely and sustainably meeting both the domestic and global need for energy through API’s world-class standards program.
Appalachian Swing States Emerge as Energy Leaders in Pandemic
natural gas drilling haynesville shale ohio west virginia pennsylvania
John D. Siciliano
Posted July 24, 2020
Key Appalachian swing states continue to competitively produce the majority of America’s natural gas supply, despite a global pandemic that continues to pose major challenges for the industry.
Natural gas production in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia has skyrocketed in the last decade, making the Appalachian region the No. 3 natural gas producer globally behind Russia and the remainder of the United States. This has transformed the region into an energy powerhouse, one that continues to show room for growth.
Q&A: New Center for Offshore Safety Director Talks Responsibilities, Goals
center for offshore safety safe operations offshore oil production
John D. Siciliano
Posted May 20, 2020
Capt. Russell Holmes is the Center for Offshore Safety’s (COS) new director after serving for nearly three decades with the U.S. Coast Guard.
Holmes, who retired from the Coast Guard in 2020, takes over for Charlie Williams, who had led the center since 2012 after a long industry career. Holmes will be taking the center’s mission of offshore safety and environmental protection into its second decade of existence.
The center was created soon after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico. Since then, the COS has enhanced the safety culture in offshore operations, while supporting federal regulations that mandate Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS) at all operations on the Outer Continental Shelf.
Just prior to joining the center, Holmes served as the Coast Guard’s senior point of contact for offshore safety in the Gulf, overseeing marine inspection and investigation programs that ultimately support SEMS. As he explains in the Q&A below, Holmes says the industry’s professionalism and safety commitment matched his while he was serving as one of industry’s lead regulators.