Thursday Commentary 1 20
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Midwest Spikes

The big news was in the Midwest Thursday as postings spiked more than 20 cents in most cases following a 3.8-MMbbl inventory draw for the nation the week ended Jan. 10, 1.5 MMbbl of that at Conway, Kan. That left the Midwest hub with a total of only 11.5 MMbbl, with plenty of winter weather left to go.
Rest Break 1 20b
Sunday, January 26, 2014
FMCSA Publishes Guidance On 30-Minute Rest Break

The safety, regulations, and compliance consultancy J.J. Keller & Associates reports that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has published regulatory guidance regarding the application of the hours of service 30-minute break rule for interstate drivers of commercial motor vehicles. FMCSA’s guidance addresses those who begin their duty days as short-haul drivers exempt from the break rule, but who occasionally exceed the short-haul distance or time limits.
Rest Break 1 20
Sunday, January 26, 2014
FMCSA Publishes Guidance On 30-Minute Rest Break

The safety, regulations, and compliance consultancy J.J. Keller & Associates reports that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has published regulatory guidance regarding the application of the hours of service 30-minute break rule for interstate drivers of commercial motor vehicles. FMCSA’s guidance addresses those who begin their duty days as short-haul drivers exempt from the break rule, but who occasionally exceed the short-haul distance or time limits.
MoveOn 1 20
Sunday, January 26, 2014
MoveOn Launches National Effort to Ban Hydraulic Fracturing

MoveOn.org has launched an initiative to support 100 activist groups that are working to ban hydraulic fracturing in their communities. MoveOn has awarded $50,000 to the so-called “fracking fighters,” along with materials, training, and strategic support, the activist group said in a press release. The initiative seeks to slow down the hydraulic fracturing boom that is anticipated to occur across the U.S. in 2014 and beyond.
Mid Month 12 23
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Mid-Month to Mid-Month: Where’s the Market Headed?

With nary a minute to catch their collective breaths, propane dealers transitioned from strong crop drying demand to an Arctic Vortex that brought prolonged record-breaking temperatures to much of the nation. Without the time to replenish to their depleted supplies, many found themselves waiting in long lines for product, if it was to be had at all, and paying a higher-than-anticipated price. To say the least, this has been an indescribable period for many in the propane industry.
Inventory 1 20
Sunday, January 26, 2014
U.S. Propane Inventories Plunge 3.8 MMbbl
Front Page 1 20
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Midwest Spots Spike on Inventory Draw
Freeport LNG 1 13
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Freeport LNG, IFM Investors Sign Equity Agreement

Freeport LNG Expansion LP and IFM Investors have entered into an agreement to invest about $1.3 billion of equity funding for Freeport’s proposed natural gas liquefaction and LNG loading facility on Quintana Island near Freeport, Texas. The project involves the development of three liquefaction trains.
Cold Refineries 1 20
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Arctic Temperatures Put Chill on Refinery Operations

Genscape, a global provider of data and intelligence for the commodity and energy markets, reports that as people throughout the U.S. continue to be affected by extreme cold temperatures, so do major oil refiners. Since Jan. 6, there have been four incidents at refineries directly linked to the cold weather.
Canada 1 20
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Canadian Inventories Post Steep Fall

Canadian propane inventories fell a sharp 24.1% in December compared to November levels, shedding 240.2 Mcm to stand at 756.2 Mcm—4.8 MMbbl—as of Jan. 1, according to the National Energy Board (NEB). In a year-over-year comparison, stocks were down a steeper 29.4%, or by 314.8 Mcm.
Calculator App 1 20
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Free Energy Calculator App Compares Costs, Emissions

The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has introduced a free energy calculator app that gives construction professionals and propane marketers a faster way to compare fuel emissions and heating costs. The app is now available as a free download for Apple and Android mobile devices.
Various Applications Ahead for CARB-Certified Dual-Fuel Engine
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Michael Avery, CEO of California Clean Air Technologies (CCAT; Menifee, Calif.), noted some important reasons why the company chose stationary farm equipment as the first products to use its Dual Fuel Retrofit System (DFRS), which works with existing diesel engines in combination with propane.
An Entrepreneurial Spirit For 3 Generations
Monday, December 16, 2013
For the past 75 years, three generations of the Nicholson family have worked to make Eastern Propane the thriving propane business that it is today. Like many propane companies that were founded in the 1930s and '40s, it was the result of fulfilling a necessity, whether due to the population expansion that created more homes in rural locales or to facilitate the use of new appliances for cooking and water heating.
Steam Up the Big Muddy, Turn Right at the Ohio
Monday, December 16, 2013
What a voyage. Stillwater, Okla.-based Total Energy's heavy haul division earlier this year barged six 168-ft-long, 350,000-lb ASME propane tanks from Louisiana to Steubenville, Ohio, plowing the Mighty Mississippi River north through St. Louis to Cairo, Ill. where the Big Muddy meets the Ohio River. After hanging a right into the Mississippi's largest tributary, it was another long passage northeast to Steubenville, where the 175,000-gal. containers were offloaded for over-the-road delivery to a midstream operator in eastern Ohio's Utica Shale.
Preparing Bobtails for Winter: A Year-Round Job
Thursday, October 3, 2013
While some propane marketers are now preparing their bobtail trucks for the upcoming winter, Jim Krzywicki’s trucks are already done. Krzywicki, operations manager for Palmer Gas/Ermer Oil Co. (Atkinson, N.H.), starts preparing the trucks for winter earlier. A lot earlier.
He begins preparing his trucks the day after the previous winter ends.

“Things you do to prepare for winter you should be doing year-round for preventive maintenance,” said Krzywicki, who has been with Palmer Gas/Ermer Oil for 37 years.
Vehicle Barrier Protection Among New NFPA 58 Edition Updates
Thursday, October 3, 2013
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) technical committee’s work was complete last January for the 2014 edition of NFPA 58, the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code. The NFPA 58 committee had finished the document, and the appeals process had begun. By April, the committee had acted on all of the changes from the appeals process and finalized the document. The 2014 edition of NFPA 58 was set for publication in early September.
PHMSA Seeks Comments On Railcar Safety Proposals
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administra­tion (PHMSA) is seeking public comment to further enhance the safe transportation of hazardous materials by rail tank cars, including the DOT 111 tank car, a type of non-pressure railcar commonly used in North America.
UTSA Research Integral to Eagle Ford Shale Impact
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Ongoing research at the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Institute for Economic Development (UTSA) is serving as the preeminent resource to state and local officials in forecasting the evolving economic impact of the Eagle Ford Shale. Eagle Ford is a 50-mile-wide by 400-mile long formation running from South Texas to the east.
Court to Review Bans On Hydraulic Fracturing
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
New York State Petroleum Council executive director Karen Moreau is welcoming a decision by New York’s Court of Appeals to hear from local landowners and oil and natural gas representatives who stipulate that bans on hydraulic fracturing in Middlefield and Dryden are standing in the way of needed economic investment, reports the American Petro
Excel Industries Partners With Metro Lawn for Conversions
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Excel Industries Inc. said Aug. 30 it had entered into an agreement with Metro Lawn for propane conver­sions of its Hustler turf equipment and BigDog mowers. Metro Lawn, a division of AmeriGas, provides fuel system kits certified by the Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board for Kawasaki engines.