This Week in Chemical Engineering - Fuels & Petrochemicals Spotlight: May 22, 2018 | AIChE

This Week in Chemical Engineering - Fuels & Petrochemicals Spotlight: May 22, 2018

Don't miss out on the latest business and technology news for chemical engineers, featuring select items in relation to Fuels & Petrochemicals.

LNG exports might affect US prices, CFTC says

US liquefied natural gas exports could cause domestic prices to increase as much as 20%, according to a Commodity Futures Trading Commission report. Estimating how much LNG exports affect domestic prices is difficult, the CFTC says, but "generally these estimates suggest that there is a potential for US domestic natural gas markets to be influenced by global supply-demand factors."

Pipeline companies to consolidate MLP subsidiaries amid tax changes

Pipeline companies Williams Cos., Cheniere Energy and Enbridge on Thursday unveiled plans to buy out their subsidiaries organized as master limited partnerships in the wake of a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ruling that eliminated some tax benefits for MLPs. "Under the newly changed FERC tax policy, holding certain interstate pipelines in MLP structures is highly unfavorable to unitholders and is no longer advantageous," said Enbridge, which will pay $8.85 billion to purchase its independent units, including Spectra Energy Partners and Enbridge Energy Partners.

Pipeline company continues construction despite court ruling

The 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the US Fish and Wildlife Service did not provide enough information about the Atlantic Coast Pipeline's impact on endangered wildlife. The company behind the project, Dominion Energy, said the order does not force it to halt construction, but environmental groups who filed the motion argue work should stop.

NAFTA talks could extend into 2019, Mnuchin says

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says talks with Mexico and Canada to update the North American Free Trade Agreement might extend into 2019. He adds that negotiators are "still far apart" on aspects of the agreement.