Washington, DC (April 10, 2018) — The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has published procedures for excluding products from the recently announced tariffs on steel and aluminum product imports. As directed by President Trump, the department has published the procedures in the Federal Register and has started accepting exclusion requests from U.S. industry. “These procedures will allow the administration to further hone these tariffs to ensure they protect our national security while also minimizing undue impact on downstream American industries,” said DOC Secretary Wilbur Ross. “Starting [March 19], domestic industry will be able to apply for exclusions through a fair and transparent process run through Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security.” Ross, in consultation with other administration officials, will evaluate exclusion requests, taking into account…

(April 2, 2018) — ThompsonGas (Frederick, Md.) has acquired North Shore Oil & Propane, a heating fuel provider in northern Minnesota. Details of the transaction were not released. ThompsonGas said it is proud to welcome the company and is committed to serving the residential, commercial, and industrial customers who have valued North Shore’s presence in the region for more than 50 years. Founded in 1977, North Shore serves customers in Silver Bay, Minn. and the surrounding area and is a one-stop shop for heating, plumbing, and automotive needs. “Wade Leblanc built a company with strong values and a commitment to customer service,” said Derek Ashmore, regional vice president of ThompsonGas. “The opportunity to carry on his legacy with North Shore Oil & Propane is truly…

(March 26, 2018) — Nutrient-rich ash from an enormous flare-up of volcanic eruptions toward the end of the dinosaurs’ reign kicked off a chain of events that led to the formation of shale gas and oil fields from Texas to Montana. That’s the conclusion of a new study by Rice University geologists that appears in Nature Publishing’s online journal Scientific Reports. “One of the things about these shale deposits is they occur in certain periods in earth’s history, and one of those is the Cretaceous time, which is around the time of the dinosaurs,” said study lead author Cin-Ty Lee, professor and chair of Rice University’s Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences. “This was about 90 million to 100 million years ago, which is…

Supporters of Louisiana’s oil and gas economy recently launched Louisianians for Energy, a grass-roots effort to defend the state’s energy industry and the broad array of economic benefits it creates for local community members. Louisianians for Energy’s initial members include the Louisiana Propane Gas Association (LPGA) and more than 2300 online supporters. Louisianians for Energy will advocate for investment in the state’s oil and gas resources. The coalition explains that Louisiana’s energy industry requires timely investments in its infrastructure in order to continue operating safely and efficiently. Further, energy has long been a pillar of the state’s economy, providing good-paying jobs, generating millions of dollars in revenue for local economies, and producing the energy resources that consumers across the country rely on each and every…

(March 21, 2018) — Chicago, Illinois-based Energy Distribution Partners (“EDP”) is pleased to announce that David R. Stroupe has joined the company as Vice President of Corporate Development. Stroupe has approximately 30 years of propane industry experience in a variety of senior level management, operations and business development positions. Stroupe began his career in the propane industry with Green Mountain Propane where he served as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He later worked in business development and operations positions for major marketers including Heritage Propane and AmeriGas Partners. Most recently Stroupe served as President of Yankee Propane for approximately five years until he successfully negotiated the sale of Yankee Propane to Superior Plus Energy Services. Stroupe graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, MA with…

The Colorado Petroleum Council (CPC) is applauding the Colorado Senate for recently voting down an anti-energy bill it maintains would have slowed, or even potentially halted, energy development in the state. CPC had testified in opposition to H.B. 18-1071. The legislation was rejected by a Senate committee with bipartisan support. “Democrats and Republicans in the state Senate were right to reject this destructive bill as it would circumvent our judicial system and erode the checks and balances that underpin our state’s democracy,” CPC executive direcdirector Tracee Bentley said. “This bill also would have threatened the fiscal health of our state with substantial financial impacts, which are not reflected in the current fiscal note. “Our state should not rewrite the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission’s…