Permian gas line expansions to begin coming on line

: Natural gas
23/09/06

A string of natural gas pipeline expansions is set to begin coming on line in the Permian basin of west Texas and southeast New Mexico, helping to offset persistent demand for takeaway capacity.

An expansion on WhiteWater Midstream's 2 Bcf/d (57mn m³/d) Whistler pipeline, which moves gas from the Waha hub in west Texas to Agua Dulce near Corpus Christi, should come into service this month, increasing capacity by 500mn cf/d.

Meanwhile, Kinder Morgan has pushed the target in-service date for a 550mn cf/d expansion on its 2.1 Bcf/d Permian Highway pipeline (PHP) to December, citing supply chain issues. That was originally set to be a 650mn cf/d expansion it expected to be in service by 1 October.

Work on the company's 2.1 Bcf/d Gulf Coast Express (GCX) pipeline should add an additional 570mn cf/d of capacity, also by December. The GCX pipeline moves gas from the Waha hub to Corpus Christi, while PHP moves gas from Waha to the Katy hub near Houston.

Gas output volumes in the Permian have risen over the last several years, following rising crude production. That has led to bottlenecks during periods of mild demand or pipeline maintenance, pushing down prices at the Waha hub that turned negative several times in January, May and July this year alone. Expansions on existing pipelines serve as a temporary debottlenecking solution as new pipelines are considered.

Kinder Morgan executives in April expected a new pipeline would need to enter service in the Permian basin by 2026-27 to keep up with demand for takeaway capacity. Chief executive Steven Kean said the decision would ultimately depend on "market need" and whichever next LNG export facility project gets a final investment decision, creating a new demand center.

WhiteWater in 2022 announced a pipeline project it was working on with several others, the 2.5 Bcf/d Matterhorn Express, which will move gas from the Waha hub in west Texas to the Katy area. That pipeline is set to come on line in 2024. WhiteWater in June also announced an extension of the Matterhorn Express, known as the Blackfin, that would move 3.5 Bcf/d eastward from Sheridan, Texas, between Houston and San Antonio, to north of Beaumont in southeast Texas.

By David Haydon

Related news posts

Argus illuminates the markets by putting a lens on the areas that matter most to you. The market news and commentary we publish reveals vital insights that enable you to make stronger, well-informed decisions. Explore a selection of news stories related to this one.

25/12/15

Aramco Jafurah project still in commissioning: Resend

Clarifies distinction between raw gas and sales gas. Story originally published on 11 December Dubai, 15 December (Argus) — Saudi state-controlled Aramco has begun to commission the first phase of its giant Jafurah natural gas project, but is yet to begin full commercial operations, according to the company's executive vice president of gas Abdulkarim Al-Ghamdi. "Jafurah… we started the commissioning last week," Al-Ghamdi told the Middle East Gas Conference in Dubai on Wednesday. "And that will be commissioned fully now, for production, before year-end." The phase is "on schedule" and "in advanced commissioning", he said. Al-Ghamdi's comments are the first from Aramco since the Saudi finance ministry said production at Jafurah had begun. In its 2026 budget released last week the ministry listed "completion of the first phase of the Jafurah gas plant construction and commencement of production with a capacity of 450mn ft³/d," as one of the country's achievements for 2025. It did not specify a date for the start. Aramco has not made its own start-up announcement. A source close to the project said a formal Aramco announcement regarding Jafurah is likely "soon" ꟷ probably before the end of the year when commissioning is complete, as per Al-Ghamdi's comments. With in-place reserves of 229 trillion ft³ (6.87 trillion m³) of raw gas and 75bn bl of condensate, Jafurah is the largest unconventional gas field in the Mideast Gulf, and constitutes a major pillar of Aramco's ambitious gas expansion plans. The 450mn ft³/d capacity referenced by the ministry reflects the project's initial maximum raw gas processing, which aligns with Aramco's long-held plans for output to begin at 200mn ft³/d as sales gas, rising to 650mn ft³/d of sales gas by the end of 2026. A second phase, which is scheduled to come on stream in 2027, would then gradually lift sales gas production to 2bn ft³/d by the end of the decade. It constitutes part of an ambitious Aramco programme to expand gas production by more than 80pc by the end of the decade, relative to a 2021 baseline of 9.2bn ft³/d. This implies output of at least 16.6bn ft³/d by 2030, with Jafurah delivering just over one-quarter of the increase. Jafurah will also produce about 420mn ft³/d of ethane, and 630,000 b/d of NGLs and condensate as by-products by 2030. Traders told Argus last week that Aramco has offered spot Jafurah condensate for loading in February. Market sources say Jafurah condensate has an API gravity of 49.75° and sulphur content of 0.16pc. The ethane and NGLs will be sent to the Riyas fractionation plant, which is being built as part of the phase two development. The condensate will be sent to the Juaymah terminal, where Aramco is expanding its storage and export facilities. By Nader Itayim Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Japan’s energy demand falls on economic slowdown

25/12/12

Japan’s energy demand falls on economic slowdown

Osaka, 12 December (Argus) — Japan's energy consumption in the April 2024-March 2025 fiscal year fell again from a year earlier, pressured by slower industry activity. The country's 2024-25 final energy use totalled 292mn kiloliters, or 1.84bn bl of oil equivalent (boe), down by 1.7pc from a year earlier, according to preliminary data released on 12 December by the trade and industry ministry Meti. This marks the third consecutive annual decline. Coal use in final energy consumption fell by 3.7pc from a year earlier to 172mn boe in 2024-25, while oil demand declined by 3.7pc to 841mn boe. This came as energy consumption in the manufacturing and transportation sectors declined by 3.2pc to 766mn boe, and by 1.5pc to 445mn boe respectively. But demand for natural gas and city gas rose by 1.5pc from a year earlier to 167mn boe. Power demand also edged up by 1pc to 517mn boe. Coal-fired power generation edged up by 0.9pc to 283.4TWh during the period, while oil- and gas-fired power dropped by 2.7pc to 71TWh and by 2.4pc to 315.7TWh. Zero-emission power supplies, including renewables and nuclear power, rose by 3.9pc to 322.1TWh. Japan's energy-derived CO2 emissions fell by 1.4pc from a year earlier to 908mn t in 2024-25, supported by the increased use of renewable and nuclear power supplies. The 2024-25 emissions represented a 26pc fall compared with the country's 2013-14 baseline, or the lowest level since 1990-91. The lower energy consumption, as well as increased use of domestic renewable and nuclear energy, helped lift Japan's energy self-sufficiency rate to 16.4pc in 2024-25, up by 1.1 percentage points from a year earlier, based on International Energy Agency methodology. By Motoko Hasegawa Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

TotalEnergies ends Papua LNG rebid phase: Correction

25/12/12

TotalEnergies ends Papua LNG rebid phase: Correction

Corrects headline and 'FID' to 'development forum' in last paragraph Sydney, 12 December (Argus) — New engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract offers have been received for the proposed 5.6mn t/yr Papua LNG project in Papua New Guinea (PNG), operator TotalEnergies said, following extensive design revisions for the delayed development. The firm is concluding the rebid phase after receiving new offers at reasonable costs, managing director of TotalEnergies EP PNG Arnaud Berthet told the PNG Resources and Energy Investment Conference in Sydney on 10 December. TotalEnergies relaunched EPC tendering late last year after previously estimated costs were considered too high for the project to proceed. The company expanded the contractor pool to include Chinese firms and reduced the gas pipeline diameter to 30 inches from 40 inches. This change increased the number of vessels able to perform pipelay, Berthet said, increasing competition, while it also routed the condensate pipeline west to a new floating storage and offloading vessel, reducing pipeline length. A development forum is planned for January-March next year, a legal requirement ahead of a final investment decision, which JV partner Australian independent Santos has previously signalled is likely in early 2026 . LNG sales and purchase agreements are under negotiation, and seven export credit agencies along with more than 30 commercial banks are interested in financing the project, Berthet said. By Tom Major Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Australia’s Beetaloo reaches FID on shale gas pilot

25/12/12

Australia’s Beetaloo reaches FID on shale gas pilot

Sydney, 12 December (Argus) — Australian shale gas developer Beetaloo Energy has made a final investment decision to build its 25 TJ/d (668,000 m³/d) Carpentaria pilot project in the Beetaloo subbasin in Australia's Northern Territory (NT), ahead of first gas targeted for mid-2026. Civil construction and upgrade works on the Carpentaria plant have already started, chief executive Alex Underwood said on 11 December, which involves the tie-in of up to 10 wells located in exploration permit 187. The decision comes after the firm this week received NT government approval to sell appraisal gas from Carpentaria. This is the second pilot project to reach FID in the untapped shale gas basin after Tamboran Resources' 40 TJ/d Shenandoah South pilot project, also targeting first appraisal gas in mid-2026. The NT government has agreed to purchase the entirety of gas from both projects via an ex-field take-or-pay basis, to supply government-owned Power and Water Corporation. If the basin's reserves prove economically viable Tamboran is eyeing LNG exports in the longer-term, potentially via Australian independent Santos' Darwin LNG project . By Tom Major Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

German cabinet passes EU RED III

25/12/10

German cabinet passes EU RED III

Hamburg, 10 December (Argus) — The German cabinet on 10 December approved legislation to implement the EU's Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) into national law. This will adjust the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction quota and abolish double counting of advanced fuels from 2026. But it is unlikely to pass remaining legislative processes in time for the EU's 1 January deadline. The bill passed by the cabinet largely follows a draft dated 29 October that was leaked in November. The overall quota level will rise to 59pc by 2040. Aviation and marine fuels are exempt from the quota obligation. The law will end the eligibility of palm oil products, most notably palm oil mill effluent (Pome), for compliance towards the GHG quota. This exclusion, and a requirement for fuel producers to allow on-site audits, will not come into effect until 2027, leaving 2026 as a transitional year. The end of double counting for advanced biofuels removes a key point of market uncertainty. Under current rules, advanced biofuels can be counted as twice their energy value towards the GHG quota, provided the minimum sub-mandate for advanced fuels has been met. But the change to end double counting will apply to the entire compliance year and all subsequent years, meaning it will be retroactive to 1 January. The only exception is for fuels supplied prior to 1 January 2026. The law will enter into force on the second day after publication in the Federal Law Gazette, with selected sections taking effect a day earlier for procedural reasons. Before that can happen, the bill must be submitted to the Germany's lower and upper parliaments for debate. The lower house's approval is not required, and the upper house could initiate changes. The bill can only be submitted to the Federal President for his signature once the upper house has given approval. This process is likely to conclude in the first quarter of 2026. Changes to sub-quotas, RFNBOs, biomethane The sub-mandate for advanced biofuels, made from feedstocks listed in Annex IX of RED III, will rise to 9pc by 2040. The mandate for renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs) — such as e-fuels and green hydrogen — is higher will rise to 2.5pc of an obligated company's energy mix in 2034, and then to 8pc in 2040. The penalty for non-compliance is €120/GJ. Imported biomethane can be counted towards the GHG quota, provided it meets certain conditions, such as a connection to the EU gas grid. The baseline emissions value is 94kg CO2e/GJ, aligned with the rest of the EU. The registration deadline with the main customs office is 1 June. The market for GHG certificates reacted immediately. Other certificates for 2025 are trading around €20/t CO2e higher than the previous day, and prices for 2026 certificates are rising. Prices for 2025 certificates are rising, although they are unaffected by the change. They are seen as a substitute for 2027 certificates because excess 2025 compliance will be carried over. Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) could now play a central role in meeting the GHG quota, which can influence certificate prices. Demand for advanced HVO could increase significantly, as it can be counted without limit towards the GHG quota as a blending component and as a pure fuel and can be used in most of the existing diesel vehicle fleet. The end of double counting could increase demand for non-advanced biodiesel grades, such as rapeseed-based RME and used cooking oil-based Ucome. Although the eligibility of these is capped to a certain percentage of a company's energy mix, this limit has not always been fully utilised in the past. by Max Steinhau and Chloe Jardine Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Business intelligence reports

Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.

Learn more

Permian gas line expansions to begin coming on line

Related news posts

Aramco Jafurah project still in commissioning: Resend

Aramco Jafurah project still in commissioning: Resend

Japan’s energy demand falls on economic slowdown

Japan’s energy demand falls on economic slowdown

TotalEnergies ends Papua LNG rebid phase: Correction

TotalEnergies ends Papua LNG rebid phase: Correction

Australia’s Beetaloo reaches FID on shale gas pilot

Australia’s Beetaloo reaches FID on shale gas pilot

German cabinet passes EU RED III

German cabinet passes EU RED III

Argus North American Long-Term Electricity Forward Curves

Argus North American Long-Term Electricity Forward Curves

Argus North American Long-Term Electricity Forward Curves

Argus North American Long-Term Electricity Forward Curves

Argus Carbon

Argus Low Carbon Hydrogen Strategy Report

Argus Hydrogen and Future Fuels

Business intelligence reports