Cross-border Pipelines Research Articles

Predicting Accident Outcomes in Cross-Border Pipeline Construction Projects Using Machine Learning Algorithms

Predicting Accident Outcomes in Cross-Border Pipeline Construction Projects Using Machine Learning Algorithms

The Cross-Border Gas Pipelines and Energy Security: The Case of Iran

Today, one of the dimensions of national security is energy security. Due to its huge gas resources and its superior strategic location, Iran has a high capacity to ensure its energy security through cross-border gas pipelines. Iran, as an exporter, importer and transit country for gas through cross-border pipelines, faces challenges. The main purpose of this research is to identify these challenges and provide solutions to them. Findings of this study show Iran's main challenges in the field of gas export, import and transit are security of demand, security of supply and security of supply-demand, respectively. To address the demand security challenge of, Iran needs to attract investment and transfer of technical knowledge, enhance readiness to supply in urgent conditions and reduce international disputes over gas supply. Increasing of energy efficiency, enhancing self-sufficiency in energy supply, improvement of energy storage and concluding suspended contracts are solutions of the challenge of supply security. To manage the transit security challenge, Iran should use cross-border pipelines for meeting both energy supply and energy demand.

Hydrogen and the decarbonization of the energy system in europe in 2050: A detailed model-based analysis

The paper aims to address the potential of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen in decarbonizing the European energy system; specifically, reducing emissions by 55% in 2030 compared to 1990, and targeting net-zero emissions by 2050. The methodology relies on a cost-optimization modelling approach using three models complementarily: a detailed European TIMES-type model (MIRET-EU); an aggregated model for the European energy system, allowing endogenous cost reductions based on technology deployment in a dynamic programming formulation for investment strategies (Integrate Europe); and a dedicated model for assessing hydrogen import options for Europe (HyPE). Two policy-relevant scenarios have been developed: Technology Diversification (TD) and Renewable Push (RP). Both lead to climate neutrality in Europe in 2050 but the RP scenario differs by setting new reinforced targets for renewable technologies in Europe. Results show that hydrogen production would increase sharply in the coming decades, exceeding 30 million tons (Mt) by 2030 and more than 100 Mt by 2050 in both scenarios. Polyvalence of hydrogen in decarbonizing the European energy system for certain hard-to-abate energy uses in transport and industry is also observed. European hydrogen production relies on a diverse mix including both renewable and low-carbon technologies. It is complemented by hydrogen imports from neighboring regions, that represent between 10 and 15% of total demand in 2050. Access to existing cross-border pipelines is a critical advantage compared to maritime transport. Notably, there are considerable cost reductions due to technology deployment for solar power and hydrogen production by electrolyzers.

Regional Cooperation in The Utilization of Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipelines: An International Law Perspective

The Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipelines was a project of interconnected cross-border pipelines connecting ASEAN countries in a bilateral manner based on the cooperation stipulated in the Memorandum of Understanding of Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipelines. This paper will identify Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipelines with the two (two) cooperation models already practised worldwide, namely the interconnected model and the unified project model. The method used in this article was normative juridical, including the comparative approach and statute approach, by obtaining data from secondary sources. More specifically, this article would elaborate on which cooperation model could be adopted by Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipelines that would effectively govern the project. The results showed that the cooperation of Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipelines was unlike that practised by countries generally since the project consisted of both cross-border pipelines and regasification terminals. The decision to incorporate regasification terminals into the project was made to provide an alternative to the region's depleting gas supply. The model was not known in the cross-border pipeline regime and therefore could not be identified with the already known two (two) models. Although Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipelines were a series of interconnected pipelines in nature, the implementation was not in accordance with the theory. A cross-border pipeline and terminal regasification should not be put together in the same energy transport project as they both have different characteristics, thus making the governance of the project complicated while a harmonized legal framework plays an essential aspect in cross-border infrastructure. Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipelines will only focus on cross-border pipelines and will follow the model of a cooperative project.

28 Shifting to Virtual MDT in the COVID-19 Era and Beyond

AimThe COVID19 pandemic has accelerated the need for staff to work remotely. Our aim was to demonstrate how a next-generation digital platform could be used to create a virtual MDT ecosystem in order to manipulate holographic 2D and 3D images in real-time.MethodThis study involved setting up a mock virtual MDT using de-identified DICOM files from a patient who had been treated for colorectal cancer and then subsequently found to have a liver metastasis. The image file was segmented and converted into a 2D and 3D format for visualisation within Microsoft HoloLens 2 ® (smart glasses) using Holocare Solutions ® (Mixed Reality software).ResultsA seamless cross-border pipeline was developed that involved "clinician" training, DICOM segmentation and virtual connection. We successfully performed a virtual MDT with participants able to visualise and manipulate a virtual 3D organ in real-time. The digital network remotely connected sites in England and Norway. The streaming quality was stable and HIPAA compliant. Each participant could observe others as "avatars" interacting with images within the virtual ecosystem allowing image characteristics to be highlighted.ConclusionsWe successfully conducted a virtual MDT using novel hardware and software. Our intention is to conduct a large-scale study to assess the platform's effectiveness in “Real World" MDTs.

Gas Transit Development in Europe and Beyond: In an Era of Geopolitical Influence and Climate Change Pressures

With the background of the political and geopolitical factors that determine where energy players can operate plus the complications that the pandemic has brought to operations and the change in energy demand, the article considers how to tackle gas transit development. In addition, it looks the development in light of the impact of the climate change challenge that conventional energy companies and investors are faced with and the resulting diversification needs. Lender reluctance to finance ‘dirty’ energy projects is changing the dynamics for investment. Gas is still promoted by significant industry players and lenders but as governments move towards their clean energy goals, access to funding for any non-renewable projects is looking to become more limited. Many industry players are still of the view that a renewable track cannot be built without a parallel track of gas supply to add to the energy mix. And indeed, the European Green Deal published in December 2019 introduces new ideas for the usage of existing gas infrastructure and there are still largescale cross-border natural gas pipelines under development and construction. The article addresses the steps that are needed to get a pipeline project from drawing board stage to implementation and operations. This is considered from a legal perspective, including looking at the ways in which to raise finance – through debt, equity and other funding sources. A focus of the article is the European Union Funding available to energy projects and how the policy is shaping the energy landscape. The upcoming regulatory changes relating to European Union financing instruments such as the Trans-European Networks for Energy Regulation (the “TEN-E”) which steers investment away from oil and gas pipelines and will offer financing opportunities for other types of smart grids and hydrogen and CO2 pipelines. It has been indicated that oil pipelines and electricity highways are to be removed as infrastructure categories and thematic areas and will no longer be suitable to be financed by the Connecting Europe Facility (“CEF”). Gas transit geopolitical climate change EU-funding

A rational policy decision or political deal? A multiple streams' examination of the Russia-China natural gas pipeline

After more than twenty years of waiting, the first gas pipeline connecting Russia and China—the Power of Siberia—began transporting gas in December 2019. Although much has been discussed concerning disputes over pricing and the route of this pipeline, the relevant events inside each nation, e.g. China's energy mix transition, its gas pricing reform, the reshuffle of Russia's natural gas industry, etc., that helped catalyze the deal have yet to be fleshed out. This paper analyzes the decision-making behind the deal using the multiple streams framework (MSF) which is well suited for the examination of decision-making under circumstances of ambiguity. Our analysis demonstrates the ambiguous policymaking circumstances for the gas deal and reveals how policy disputes over price and routing paralleled and interacted with the changing political landscapes and shifting problem agendas in both nations before they were coupled together by political leaders in 2014. The insights derived here are also helpful in analyzing other cross-border pipeline deals.

Certain International Legal Issues of Energy Policy of the European Union

INTRODUCTION. One of the main tasks facing states in the context of growing world population is to satisfy the growing need to provide stable, cheap and environmentally safe energy. These issues can be addressed both through legal regulation and through the introduction of new technologies, including the gradual transition to renewable energy sources. Th European Union can be considered an undisputed leader in this field, which has carried out a major transformation of its internal energy market over the past two decades, resulting in a revision of traditional mechanisms of its functioning. However, the new legal order has led to new challenges, including those of an international nature, which must be addressed exclusively within the framework of international law. In this regard, this article analyzes current legal issues related to functioning of the EU energy market and their relationship with international law, including obligations arising from the WTO agreements, the UNCLOS as well as environmental treaties. In particular, special attention is given to the analysis of the main gas-related provisions of the Third Energy Package as well to the implementation of the cross-border gas pipeline project Nord Stream 2. Finally, the article covers the key points of the recently adopted Clean energy for all Europeans package.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The study is based on multilateral international treaties as well as legal acts and other offi al documents adopted within the European Union. The study is also based on the teachings of domestic and foreign researchers. The authors use general scientific methods as well as special methods such as historical, systematic, formal and comparative.RESEARCH RESULTS. The study shows that the acts adopted within the European Union in the field of energy may be in conflict with certain international rules, enshrined in the WTO agreements and the UNCLOS. In addition, the authors show that the implementation of the Third Energy Package by the EU Member States should be carried out taking into account the compatibility of the adopted norms with international legal standards on environmental protection.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. Th authors conclude that despite the severity of the European legislation, it should be based on international law, which can restore the broken balance in relations with involved parties, primarily with Russia. The authors also propose to develop and adopt a number of instruments on environmental protection from damage caused by energy activities, including the prevention of transboundary air pollution over long distances and in the course of development and production of fuel and energy resources of the seabed.

Oil, risk, and regional politics in East Africa

Resource nationalism, political disputes between national and local authorities over revenue sharing, and insecurity, are common country level political risks in Africa's oil and gas industries. But the boom decade gave new significance to regional risk. High international oil prices between 2004 and 2014 incentivized exploration and development in frontier countries and led to new oil and gas discoveries across the continent. In East Africa, regional cooperation and cross-border pipeline infrastructure is necessary to monetize landlocked resources far from large consumer markets. This article examines how oil and politics produce regional risk to influence the competitive positions of international oil companies and development of oil industries in South Sudan, Uganda, and Kenya. It shows how international oil companies harness market and political resources to manage and mitigate not only country level risks, but also to shape regional affairs to advance their competitive positions.

Assessing the Impact of Investments in Cross-Border Pipelines on the Security of Gas Supply in the EU

The European Union (EU) is highly dependent on external natural gas supplies and has experienced severe gas cuts in the past, mainly driven by the technical complexity of the high-pressure natural gas system and political instability in some of the supplier countries. Declining indigenous natural gas production and growing demand for gas in the EU has encouraged investments in cross-border transmission capacity to increase the sharing of resources between the member states, particularly in the aftermath of the Russia–Ukraine gas crisis in January 2009. This article models the EU interconnected natural gas system to assess the impact of investments in the gas transmission network by comparing the performance of the system for scenarios of 2009 and 2017, using a mathematical optimization approach. The model uses the technical data of the infrastructures, such as production, storage, regasification, and exchange capacity through cross-border pipelines, and proposes an optimal collaborative strategy which ensures the best possible coverage of overall demand. The actual peak demand situations of the extreme cases of 2009 and 2017 are analyzed under hypothetical supply crises caused by geopolitical or commercial disputes. The application of the proposed methodology leads to results which show that the investments made in this system do not decongest the cross-border pipeline network but improve the demand coverage. Countries such as Spain and Italy experience a lower impact on gas supply due to the variety of mechanisms available to cover their demand. Furthermore, the findings prove that cooperation facilitates the supply of demand in crisis situations.

Политические аспекты реализации проекта «Северный поток – 2»

The research featured the political role of the Nord Stream 2 project in Russian foreign policy and in building constructive relations with Russia's partners in the European Union. The paper describes the strategy, tactics, forms, and methods involved in the cross-border pipeline project implemented by Russia and its foreign partners. The focus is on the political relations between the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian state-owned corporations, foreign governments, and foreign multinational corporations, i.e. the negotiations within the international consortium. The research objective was to identify the role of cross-border pipeline projects in Russian foreign policy in Europe. The methodological basis included system and comparative-political approaches, as well as the methods of analysis, synthesis, induction, and deduction. The methods of political comparativistics revealed how the competing parties were able to affect the negotiations and implementation of Nord Stream 2. The method of system analysis made it possible to examine the interactions between the state structures and the oil and gas companies. The authors identified the conflict directions between the supporters and the opponents of the project, as well as between the Russian Federation and the United States of America. The paper describes the political tools that promote the interests of the project in conditions of acute rivalry in the energy area. The Russian Federation and Gazprom managed to bring the project to its final stage. However, the success would have been impossible without the help of their European partners.

Future of cross-border pipeline projects in AMLO’s Mexico: what’s the risk?

ABSTRACT Upon the election of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) on 1 July 2018, the vitality of Mexico’s recent Energy Reform came under fire from investors, policy makers and industry professionals. This paper evaluates the risks posed to investors in cross-border pipeline projects as a result of this regime shift. Risk is evaluated by the present factors that affect investment conditions as well as projections into the future state of the Mexican Energy Reform. An evaluation of the current Mexican natural gas policy and Mexico’s natural gas relationship with the United States demonstrate a high demand for cheap natural gas flowing across the U.S.-Mexico border. While factors such as social insecurity, theft, environmental concerns, and political volatility slowed the development of several cross-border pipeline projects, the presence of newly minted projects on the horizon are a sign that the expansion of Mexico’s pipeline infrastructure is likely to endure.

Cross-Border Pipelines in South Asia: Some Reflections on Law and Policy

Cross-Border Pipelines in South Asia: Some Reflections on Law and Policy

Trans-ASEAN gas pipeline and ASEAN gas market integration: Insights from a scenario analysis

In order to promote ASEAN gas market integration, this paper offers four scenarios to renew momentum towards continuing with the marginalised Trans-ASEAN gas pipeline (TAGP) and further development of cross-border pipeline gas trading. The four subregional and regional market integration scenarios could be used as stepping-stones to achieve ASEAN gas market integration. The impact of each scenario was estimated with the least cost world gas market model and the impact is indicated by the difference between each integration scenario and the baseline scenario, respectively. The simulations suggest that integrated gas markets in ASEAN are beneficial through the reduction of total procurement costs for ASEAN and the World. The TAGP is also beneficial in terms of incentivising ASEAN production that can be transported cost-effectively to demand centres within the region. The development of marginal production due to the availability of lower cost transportation is in line with ASEAN's goals for resource optimisation and energy security enhancement. The paper suggests that ASEAN should advocate the gas market integration, and that ASEAN member states could take various institutional measures to achieve higher levels of integration.

A Legal Inquiry into the Sustainability of the West African Gas Pipelines Project

The history of cross border and transit oil and gas pipelines suggests a tendency to cause conflict and discrepancy which do result in the interruption of output. It is inviting to link this to poor political relations between neighbor countries. The concern with transit and cross-border pipelines has a significant legal implication. The intricacies of the legal and regulatory frameworks for the regional pipeline project together with the issues of multiple jurisdictions require well-articulated dispute settlement regime. This is necessary in view of the disorganized judicial systems throughout the West African region – disputes in the Nigerian and Ghanaian courts have the tendency to drag on for years without determination. In the face of the disparity in the legal systems of the contracting nations, this study critically examined the legal sustainability of the West African Gas Pipeline Project.

Uncovering the Domestic Factor in the Sino-Russian Energy Partnership

ABSTRACT What explains the differences in the Sino-Russian oil and gas cooperation? Overall, I suggest, the several trajectories are explained by the dissimilarities of oil and gas as commodities and potential foreign policy tools. These differences, along with other factors, such as corporate culture and individual personalities, shed light on the strategies of Russia’s gas conglomerates, Gazprom and Rosneft. Yet, if a more nuanced understanding of variation within these energy markets illuminates the reasons behind the sequencing of oil and gas cross-border pipeline projects, what explains the particular timing of the landmark 2014 gas deal? Why after 15 years of stalemate in the Sino-Russian gas cooperation did breakthroughs occur in 2014? And what explains the modesty of the record in gas cooperation to date? Many factors are undoubtedly involved, both economic and political; however, I contend that the conclusive factor can be found in underlying domestic politics. The article outlines the role of national narratives in driving both Russia and China’s energy foreign policy and goes on to argue that the Sino-Russian gas breakthrough in 2014 was due to the peculiar way in which domestic factors paired with international circumstances to produce the outcome at that particular moment.

Analysis of Turkey’s role as a possible energy hub

Turkey is currently one of the significant oil transit countries in the world. The country is also increasingly involved in gas pipeline projects and thereby boosts its importance in the gas transit. Turkish leaders strive for turning the country into an energy hub as becoming such a hub offers certain economic and geostrategic advantages. First of all, it would enable the country to diversify its oil and gas suppliers and as a result increase the security of its oil and gas supplies. It would also give the opportunity of using the transit role as leverage against involved parties to maximize Turkey’s national interests, expanding its importance in energy geopolitics and thereby contributing to its regional power. But, the country has not managed to become an energy hub due to a number of reasons, including the instability in its region, its increasing energy demand, the lack of necessary internal energy infrastructure, insufficient liberalization in the Turkish energy sector and the failure of the implementation of considerable number of cross-border pipeline projects. Through scrutinizing Turkey’s role and potential as an energy hub in the framework of Realism and Liberalism, this paper aims at providing a comprehensive and framed explanation of Turkey’s role in the energy transit.

Presidential Permitting for Pipelines: Constitutionality and Reviewability

Federal oversight of cross-border pipelines occurs during the presidential permitting process. Pursuant to Executive Order 13337, the Department of State is authorized to review applications and grant permits to projects that “serve the national interest.” Scholars and litigants have questioned the constitutionality of this process and reviewability under the Administrative Procedure Act (“APA”). This Note argues that the permitting process is constitutional and derives legitimacy from both the executive powers explicitly enumerated in the Constitution as well as an implicit sanction from the legislative branch. Further, this Note argues that APA review is appropriate for at least one component of the process. Specifically, the State Department’s environmental analysis as required by the Department’s own regulations is a “final agency action” subject to judicial review under the APA.

Mitigating Debt Risk with Economic Corridor Projects Through Treaties and Sequenced Financing

“The purpose of this note is to narrowly examine the role of banks in the debt financing of projects along an economic corridor such as cross-border pipelines, and the use of multilateral treaties and “debt sequencing” to mitigate risk in the development of such projects. There are many tools and strategies available to banks and lending institutions to mitigate risks to debt service, from the use of guarantees and long-term bonds, to insurance coverage. This note will narrowly focus on just two innovative approaches that can be applied in the context of multiple country mega-projects.”

Organizational and Legal Features of the Implementation of Cross-border Pipeline Construction Projects in Modern Conditions

The article raises questions of the implementation of the strategic priorities of development of the national economy. Their relationship and dependence on the successful implementation of transcontinental and cross-border projects are due to the possibility of realization of transit potential of a country, as well as broad prospects of cooperation with neighboring countries in Europe and Asia. The solution of organizational and legal problems of pipelines construction on the territory of countries - participants of such projects as the “Nord Stream”, etc., requires a search for the optimal combination of international law and national regulatory procedures. The success of the implementation of cross-border projects is linked by the authors to the development of regulations, as one of the most effective forms of practical implementation of the technology of the interface of economic interests of the countries - participants. Being a kind of institutional arrangements, regulations will let to resolve contradictions of international requirements and national procedures promptly.