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PLAQUEMINES PARISH, La.— Michael Sabel and his partner, both industry novices, have made a fortune virtually overnight by building from scratch one of the world’s largest gas exporters. They have also made some powerful enemies. Here at this sprawling facility spanning about 630 acres in the wetlands outside New Orleans, Sabel said his company, Venture Global LNG , is on pace to leapfrog competitors and rival Qatar as one of the world’s top exporters of liquefied natural gas by 2030.

Persons: — Michael Sabel, Sabel Organizations: Venture Global, Qatar Locations: PLAQUEMINES, La, New Orleans

☆ US Coast Guard Responds to Oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - The U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday it was responding to an oil discharge near the Main Pass Oil Gathering (MPOG) Co's pipeline system in the Gulf of Mexico, while the main pipeline and several surrounding ones remained shut in. "The reported sheen is being investigated and has not been confirmed to be associated with the November 16 observed initial discharge," the Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard had not yet identified any damage or indication of a leak after surveying the entire length of the pipeline along with 22.16 miles (36 km) of surrounding pipelines. About 3% of the Gulf of Mexico's daily oil production remained shut in after a million-gallon oil spill, the Coast Guard said last week. The main pipeline and several surrounding lines remain shut in and have not been put back into service, the Coast Guard said while leading efforts to mitigate impacts from the spill.

Persons: MPOG, Harshit Verma, Sandra Maler, Stephen Coates Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Coast Guard, Coast Guard Locations: Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi, Plaquemines Parish, New Orleans, Bengaluru

☆ US Coast Guard seeks source of some 1.1 million gallons of crude oil in Gulf of Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday said it was still looking for the source of a leak from an underwater pipeline off the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico that it estimated had released more than a million gallons of crude oil. "Overflight teams observed visible oil Friday moving southwest away from the Louisiana shore," the Coast Guard said, as oil recovery efforts continued and underwater devices surveyed the pipeline to find the leak's source. While the exact volume of discharged oil was not known, the Coast Guard, which was leading the clean-up, said initial engineering calculations placed the volume of the leak at 1.1 million gallons, or 26,190 barrels. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday that the Coast Guard had activated the National Response Team, comprising 15 federal entities responsible for coordinating the response to oil pollution incidents. Third Coast Infrastructure, which owns MPOG, declined to comment on Friday and referred questions to the Coast Guard.

Persons: Jonathan Bachman, Elizabeth Varghese, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency, Coast Infrastructure, Thomson Locations: Mississippi, Plaquemines Parish , Louisiana, Louisiana, Gulf of Mexico, Delta, Plaquemines Parish, New Orleans, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Storms, Rising Seas and Salty Drinking Water Threaten Lower Louisiana
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Jacey Fortin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But the reprieve to New Orleans meant little to those who live south of the sill. The corps shipped fresh water to treatment plants in lower Plaquemines, and parish officials used booster pumps to pull water from upstream. In mid-October, they told residents that the water was finally safe. Ironton’s water is piped from upstream, and like New Orleans, the salt did not reach it this fall. But residents say that after decades of neglect, they avoid drinking the water anyway.

Persons: “, Ms, LeFort, “ I’m, Ike, Isaac, Ida, Wilkie Declouet, Declouet Organizations: Hurricanes, Deepwater Locations: New Orleans, Ironton

She blamed the corrosion on the water piped in from the area's longtime drinking water source: the Mississippi River. As in New Orleans, drinking water in the parish is drawn from the river. Parts of Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin — all part of the vast Mississippi River basin, which touches 31 states — are experiencing extreme drought conditions. New Orleans officials also were working on a plan to build an emergency pipeline. This is the fifth year the Corps has built an underwater structure to slow the salt water flow.

Persons: Monique, Byron Marinovich, ”, Belle Chasse, “ We've, Keith Hinkley, “, —, Stephen Murphy, Cynthia Lee Sheng, Murphy, ” ___ Smith, Mary Katherine Wildeman, Camille Fassett Organizations: ORLEANS, ”, U.S . Geological Survey, Wisconsin —, Tulane University’s School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine, Management, U.S . Army Corps of Engineers, Corps, NOAA’s Center, Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, Associated Press Locations: Mississippi, Plaquemines Parish, New Orleans, Gulf of Mexico, Port Sulphur, Pointe, Plaisance, Marinovich, Belle, ”, Midwest, Vicksburg , Mississippi, U.S, Kansas , Nebraska , Missouri , Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Orleans, Louisiana, Jefferson Parish, Plaquemines, Jefferson, United States, Tampa Bay , Florida, Gulf Coast, Buras , Louisiana, Hartford , Connecticut, Seattle

☆ New Orleans saltwater: The toxic reason saltwater intrusion would be a catastrophe for New Orleans
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But it’s a looming catastrophe for New Orleans, where officials estimate that tens of thousands of the city’s water pipes are made of lead. Many residents aren’t even aware they have lead pipes supplying their drinking water, said Jessica Dandridge, executive director of the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans. Dandridge’s organization works both on water quality issues around the city’s lead pipes and stormwater management and flood control, and they are one of BlueConduit’s local partners working to map the pipes. As a result, lead drinking pipes are all over the country; some national estimates say the total number of pipes is around 9.2 million. It’s “almost a sleuthing or detective (work), trying to find out where the pipes are and where they go,” New Orleans City Councilmember JP Morrell told CNN.

Persons: it’s, Chris Granger, don’t, ” Eric Schwartz, Jessica Dandridge, “, Danielle Land, ”, Land, Dandridge, ” Dandridge, Biden, It’s, JP Morrell, Adrienne Katner, Justin Sullivan, ” Schwartz, BlueConduit’s, ” Grace Birch, “ It’s, Jeffrey Thomas, ” Thomas, “ There’s, we’re Organizations: CNN, Army Corps, Engineers, US Centers for Disease Control, US Army Corps of Engineers, The Times, New, University of Michigan’s, Michigan State University, Hurricane, city’s, Water Board, ” New, ” New Orleans City, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New, Army Corp, Biden Locations: Mississippi, New Orleans, Gulf, Mexico, “ New Orleans, Plaquemines Parish, Plaquemines, ”, ” New Orleans, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, Louisiana

☆ The Mississippi River's flow is the weakest it's been in 35 years. Seawater overtaking the river could make New Orleans' drinking water too salty for months.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Saltwater will soon rush into the Mississippi River, which hit its lowest flow rate since 1988. AdvertisementAdvertisementFor the second year in a row, the Mississippi River water level is at an extreme low. AdvertisementAdvertisementThat's because a low flow rate could allow saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico to push into the river and pollute the source of drinking water for thousands. AdvertisementAdvertisementUSACE officials beyond Louisiana are also working to mitigate the effects of low water levels and low flow rates. Ultimately, rain — and a lot of it — is what the Mississippi River will need to reach its average water level and flow rate again, Roe and Dell'Orco both agreed.

Persons: John Bel Edwards, —, We're, Matt Roe, Roe, Joe Biden, Edwards, Lou Dell'Orco, Louis District, Dell'Orco Organizations: Gov, Service, New, US Army Corps of Engineers, USACE, Louis Locations: Mississippi, Louisiana, New Orleans, Gulf, Mexico, Algiers, Plaquemines Parish, Missouri

☆ US Army engineers are dredging the dwindling Mississippi River 24/7 and battling seawater creeping upstream toward New Orleans' drinking water
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Maiya Focht | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

This threatens both the country's international supply chain and national drinking water access. AdvertisementAdvertisementA long stretch of drought in the Midwest has caused the Mississippi River to drop to abnormally low levels. Kevin Dietsch/Staff/Getty ImagesProblem two: Louisiana's drinking water is at stakeAn estimated 18 million people get their drinking water from the Mississippi. For example, it's contaminated the drinking water of roughly 23,515 residents in Plaquemines Parish where residents are advised to only drink bottled water. These aren't permanent solutions, but they buy local communities precious time to prepare to find alternate drinking water sources, Roe added.

Persons: Mother Nature, —, Colin Wellenkamp, Lou Dell'Orco, Louis District, Dell'Orco, they're, John Bel Edwards, Joe Biden, Kevin Dietsch, Biden, Edwards, Matthew Roe, it's, Sills, Roe, she's Organizations: Service, America, Getty, Towns Initiative, Associated Press, Shipping, AP, St . Louis District US Army Corps of Engineers, USACE, US Army Corps of Engineers, Louis, Louisiana's, Louisiana Gov, New Locations: Mississippi, Midwest, Louisiana, Cities, St.Louis, St, Louis, Gulf of Mexico, Plaquemines Parish, New Orleans

The latest hurdle comes from a slow-moving threat — a mass influx of salt water from the Gulf of Mexico that is creeping up the drought-stricken Mississippi River. The issue is forcing farmers to brainstorm other ways to irrigate their crops with fresh water — including storing the little rain water they’ve gotten this summer, hauling in fresh water and establishing makeshift salination treatment facilities. Typically, the mighty flow of the Mississippi is enough to keep mass amounts of salt water from reaching too far inland. While officials believe adult citrus trees will be okay, seedlings are much more sensitive to salt water. Over the years some citrus farmers have focused on seedlings — shipping them to garden centers across the country and as far north as Canada.

Persons: They’re, ”, Joey Breaux, John Bel Edwards, Joe Biden, ” Biden, Belle Chasse, satsumas, Anna Timmerman, Louisiana State University AgCenter, Timmerman, “, ” Timmerman, Kim Dillon, Ben, Ben Becnel Organizations: Army Corps of Engineers, Orange Festival, Louisiana State University, Inc Locations: BATON ROUGE, La, Louisiana, Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi, Belle, Plaquemines Parish, Florida, California, Belle Chasse, Canada

☆ New Orleans residents brace for salt water intrusion as Biden declares national emergency
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

An aerial view of New Orleans can be seen from a drone above the Mississippi River on April 1, 2023 in New Orleans, La. Ricky Carioti | The Washington Post | Getty ImagesPresident Joe Biden on Wednesday declared a federal emergency for a saltwater intrusion in the Mississippi River, which is threatening New Orleans' water infrastructure. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects that two New Orleans water treatment plants will be affected by the end of October: the Algiers Water Treatment Plant on Oct. 22 and the Carrollton Water Treatment Plant on Oct. 28. Solutions under considerationAt a New Orleans City Council meeting on Wednesday, councilmembers, officials from the SWBNO and from the Department of Homeland Security discussed possible response strategies. Some New Orleanians are wondering why the city is always playing defense, despite the warning signs of saltwater intrusion in years past.

Persons: Ricky Carioti, Joe Biden, John Bel Edwards, Biden, Jesse Keenan, Mia Miller, Miller, Joseph Giarrusso, SWBNO, Councilmember Lesli Harris, Councilmember, there's, We're, Bywater, Stephen Murphy, bode, Murphy Organizations: Washington Post, Getty, Wednesday, Louisiana Gov, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Biden's, U.S . Army Corps of Engineers, Board, New, New Orleans City Council, U.S . Army Corps of Engineers New, Water Board, Tulane University, New Orleans City, Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, Tulane University's Disaster Management Locations: New Orleans, Mississippi, La, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, U.S . Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans, Algiers, Carrollton, Bywater, councilmembers

☆ New Orleans braces for drinking water emergency from drought-stricken Mississippi River
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Denise Chow | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell signed an emergency declaration Friday in response to concerns that salt water encroaching upriver could affect the availability of safe drinking water in the coming weeks. Treasure hunters comb the shoreline of the Mississippi River after it was exposed by low water levels on October 18, 2022 near Portageville, Missouri. Around 2,000 residents in Plaquemines Parish, south of New Orleans, were already relying on bottled water this summer after salt water infiltrated the area's water systems. The mouth of the Mississippi River sits substantially below sea level, which means some salt water from the Gulf of Mexico naturally creeps inland. Salt water is denser than fresh water, so it flows like a wedge along the riverbed underneath the fresh water of the Mississippi.

Persons: Stephen Murphy, LaToya Cantrell, Murphy, we've, John Bel Edwards, Nature, Col, Cullen Jones, We've Organizations: Tulane University's School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine, Louisiana Gov, Army Corps of Engineers, Army Corps, Corps, New, New Orleans District Locations: Mississippi, Tiptonville, Tenn, New Orleans, Louisiana, Gulf, Mexico, Portageville , Missouri, Belle Chasse, Plaquemines Parish, Lower Mississippi

Many communities in south Louisiana rely on the Mississippi’s fresh water, with their water intake treatment facilities located along the river. Unimpeded salt water continues to creep upriver and threatens municipal drinking water. Edwards warns that other parishes may soon be affected by the salt water, including Orleans, St. Bernard and Jefferson. Instead, residents will be notified in advance if salt water will affect their area. And not just in Louisiana, but further north to strengthen the river’s flow,WILL THE SALT WATER AFFECT OTHER THINGS?

Persons: Mark “, Cognevich, ” Cognevich, Matt Roe, Edwards, Bernard, Jefferson, Louisianans, “, ” Edwards Organizations: U.S . Army Corps of Engineers Locations: BATON ROUGE, La, Louisiana, Plaquemines Parish, Mississippi, Gulf, Mexico, New Orleans, Minnesota, United States, Orleans, St, Port of South Louisiana

☆ Home values could collapse as rising climate dangers wreak havoc on insurance markets, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US home values could collapse as climate change boosts insurance costs, a study from First Street Foundation said. First Street estimated that 39 million homes are still insured at prices that don't match the climate risks they face. Either way, insurance costs are rising, and First Street estimated the impact they will have on a home's value by way of its income potential. For example, a home in California currently valued at $296,000 would see a 39% drop after repricing for estimated insurance risk. Still, despite the climate risks, the housing affordability crisis has boosted migration to areas vulnerable to floods, wildfires, and extreme heat.

Organizations: First Street Foundation, First, Service, Foundation Locations: Wall, Silicon, California, West Palm Beach , Florida, Louisiana, Plaquemines Parish

CNN —Millions of American homeowners could see insurance rates surge in the coming years in part due to worsening climate disasters, new data shows. It’s another alarming sign for the future of America’s homeowners’ insurance market. “We’re still kind of at the forefront of the insurance industry pricing in climate risk into the real estate market,” Porter told CNN. Premiums are at risk of surging to a lesser extent in cities across the country, First Street data shows. “I know where the places are where people are dropping their insurance — it’s Florida, Louisiana, California and Colorado,” Bach told CNN.

Persons: ”, David Jones, Jeremy Porter, “, ” Porter, Hurricane Ian, Matias J, Jones, ” Jones, Amy Bach, Bach, ” Bach, Kyle Grillot, Reuters Jones, Porter, ‘ I’m, it’s Organizations: CNN, Foundation, UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy, Hurricane, Miami Herald, Tribune, Service, Los, National Flood Insurance, FEMA, United, Residents, Reuters Locations: California , Florida, Louisiana, California, Matlacha , Florida, Florida, Texas, Vermont, Montpelier . Kentucky, West Virginia, Miami, Jacksonville, New Orleans, East Coast, Atlantic City , New Jersey, Virginia Beach, Norfolk , Virginia, Wilmington , North Carolina, Charleston , South Carolina, Savannah , Georgia, New York City, Phoenix, Chicago , Pittsburgh, Louisville, Cincinnati, West Coast, Riverside , California, Los Angeles, Gulf Coast, Plaquemines Parish , Louisiana, Collier County , Florida, Colorado, Wrightwood , California

HOUSTON, July 10 (Reuters) - A coming wave of North American liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects faces staffing challenges that are prompting some of the biggest developers to expand training and coordinate projects to keep construction workers. WORKERS NEEDEDAt present Bechtel has more than 3,000 professionals working on its LNG projects. Two other projects - Golden Pass LNG and Plaquemines LNG - have added workers and are moving to 24-hour work schedules. Cheniere and Bechtel are training workers using virtual simulations or via partnerships with local schools. Venture Global LNG stitched together 18 liquefaction units in its highly modular Calcasieu Pass LNG plant, allowing it to open the facility in what it said was record time.

Persons: Paul Marsden, Marsden, Alex Munton, Bechtel, Corey Grindal, Grindal, Cheniere, Jason Klein, Klein, Paul Varello, Curtis Williams, Nia Williams, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Bechtel Corp's Energy, Labor, Rapidan Energy, Bechtel, Cheniere Energy, Corpus, Plaquemines, Canada, Reuters, Commonwealth LNG, Venture, Columbia, Thomson Locations: U.S, Port Arthur, Christi, Kitimat, British Columbia, China, Calcasieu, Houston

After a dearth of plant approvals last decade, developers have secured dozens of long-term contracts to finance new multibillion-dollar LNG plants. The United States was long an importer of LNG, but natural gas discoveries and production from the shale revolution flipped the country into an LNG exporter in 2016. U.S. LNG exports hit 10.6 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2022, making the country the second biggest LNG exporter behind Australia. But their production volumes will allow the United States to remain ahead of output from Australia and Qatar. The seven U.S. export plants already in service, including Freeport LNG, can turn about 13.8 billion cubic feet of gas into LNG each day.

Louisiana parishes (which are similar to counties) have pretty consistent borrowing limits for mortgages. As a result, you can compare potential new homes in two distinct parishes without factoring in borrowing limits as much. Louisiana borrowing limits in 2023 by parishesParish Conforming mortgage borrowing limit (single-family home FHA mortgage borrowing limit (single-family home) Acadia Parish $726,200 $472,030 Allen Parish $726,200 $472,030 Ascension Parish $726,200 $472,030 Assumption Parish $726,200 $472,030 Avoyelles Parish $726,200 $472,030 Beauregard Parish $726,200 $472,030 Bienville Parish $726,200 $472,030 Bossier Parish $726,200 $472,030 Caddo Parish $726,200 $472,030 Calcasieu Parish $726,200 $472,030 Caldwell Parish $726,200 $472,030 Cameron Parish $726,200 $472,030 Catahoula Parish $726,200 $472,030 Claiborne Parish $726,200 $472,030 Concordia Parish $726,200 $472,030 De Soto Parish $726,200 $472,030 East Baton Rouge Parish $726,200 $472,030 East Carroll Parish $726,200 $472,030 East Feliciana Parish $726,200 $472,030 Evangeline Parish $726,200 $472,030 Franklin Parish $726,200 $472,030 Grant Parish $726,200 $472,030 Iberia Parish $726,200 $472,030 Iberville Parish $726,200 $472,030 Jackson Parish $726,200 $472,030 Jefferson Parish $726,200 $472,030 Jefferson Davis Parish $726,200 $472,030 Lafayette Parish $726,200 $472,030 Lafourche Parish $726,200 $472,030 La Salle Parish $726,200 $472,030 Lincoln Parish $726,200 $472,030 Livingston Parish $726,200 $472,030 Madison Parish $726,200 $472,030 Morehouse Parish $726,200 $472,030 Natchitoches Parish $726,200 $472,030 Orleans Parish $726,200 $472,030 Ouachita Parish $726,200 $472,030 Plaquemines Parish $726,200 $472,030 Pointe Coupee Parish $726,200 $472,030 Rapides Parish $726,200 $472,030 Red River Parish $726,200 $472,030 Richland Parish $726,200 $472,030 Sabine Parish $726,200 $472,030 St. Bernard Parish $726,200 $472,030 St. Charles Parish $726,200 $472,030 St. Helena Parish $726,200 $472,030 St. James Parish $726,200 $472,030 St. John the Baptish Parish $726,200 $472,030 St. Landry Parish $726,200 $472,030 St. Marin Parish $726,200 $472,030 St. Mary Parish $726,200 $472,030 St. Tammany Parish $726,200 $472,030 Tangipahoa Parish $726,200 $472,030 Tensas Parish $726,200 $472,030 Terrebonne Parish $726,200 $472,030 Union Parish $726,200 $472,030 Vermilion Parish $726,200 $472,030 Vernon Parish $726,200 $472,030 Washington Parish $726,200 $472,030 West Baton Rouge Parish $726,200 $472,030 West Carroll Parish $726,200 $472,030 West Feliciana Parish $726,200 $472,030 Winn Parish $726,200 $472,030Note: You'll need to get a jumbo loan if you want to borrow more than $726,200, regardless of where you want to live in Louisiana. How to determine which mortgage is right for youYou may want to consider an FHA mortgage if you don't think you'll meet the requirements for a conforming mortgage. A conforming mortgage may be a good choice if you plan on getting a home that costs more than the FHA borrowing limit in your county.

That outage dropped the United States behind top exporter Australia as global demand for the fuel boomed. In 2022, U.S. exports of natural gas as LNG rose 8% to 10.6 bcfd, just shy of Australia's 10.7 bcfd. The United States remained ahead of Qatar, which in third place shipped 10.5 bcfd, according to data provider Refinitiv. CROWN WITHIN SIGHTHowever, the loss of Freeport LNG's supply at mid-year took away the U.S. chance to take the crown as top exporter in 2022. In 2021, when prices in Asia were higher, just 35%, or about 3.3 bcfd, of U.S. LNG exports went to Europe.

☆ The US Army Corps of Engineers is dredging the Mississippi River and racing to keep the sea from contaminating drinking water
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Mississippi River is at record low levels, stranding barges and allowing sea water to move in with no end in sight. The US Army Corps of Engineers is emergency dredging to keep the channel open to supply barges. Barges, stranded by low water, sit at the Port of Rosedale along the Mississippi River on October 20, 2022 in Rosedale, Mississippi. USACE is racing to build a 1,500-foot-wide, 35-foot-tall underwater levee to prevent saltwater from creeping further up the river, where it could contaminate drinking water. An underwater sill is constructed near the mouth of the Mississippi River to block seawater pushing up river, on October 18, 2022.

☆ Photos show the Mississippi River is so low that it's grounding barges, disrupting the supply chain, and revealing a 19th-century shipwreck
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The Mississippi River is receding to historic lows amid drought across the Midwest. A barge tow floats past the exposed banks of the Mississippi River in Vicksburg, Louisiana, on October 11, 2022. Drought is drying the Mississippi River to record lowsA passenger paddle wheeler passes between the river bridges in Vicksburg, Mississippi, on October 11, 2022. Rogelio V. Solis/AP PhotoJust a few months ago, the Mississippi River basin was flooding. In early October, low water levels revealed the old sunken ship along the banks of the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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