(August 20, 2018) — In early August, DataOnline (New Providence, N.J.), a global provider of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions, completed its acquisition of Independent Technologies. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed. Independent Technologies, a diversified provider of hardware, software, and services to the telecommunications, oil and gas, and power industries, was founded in 1985.
(August 17, 2018) — One marketing theme that has proven successful for propane marketers is transparency, especially when it comes to price and service, says Ryan Scaife of Senergy Marketing Group.
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“The more transparent a propane company is, the better it will do,” Scaife says. “How straightforward is your pricing structure? How accessible are you on social media? How do you communicate to customers?”
Two midstream transactions by Williams Partners LP (Tulsa) will result in the company’s entry into Colorado’s Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin and the exit of operations from the Four Corners Area in New Mexico and Colorado. Williams and the global investment firm KKR & Co. (New York, N.Y.) have entered into an agreement to purchase Discovery DJ Services from TPG Growth, the middle-market and growth equity platform of the alternative asset firm TPG (San Francisco), for $1.173 billion.
The Gas Technology Institute (GTI) is leading a program at hydraulic fracturing test sites in the Permian Basin, bringing together government and industry to improve recovery, continue enhancing environmentally responsible methods of optimizing production, and lowering costs in the Midland and Delaware basins.
(August 16, 2018) — The Energy Information Administration (EIA) writes that China, India, and Africa, three of the world’s most populated areas, collectively consume about onethird of all global energy. And their energy consumption is projected to grow faster than the rest of the world through 2040. As a result, changes in the Chinese, Indian, and African economies have significant implications for global energy markets.

 

(August 15, 2018) — The Virginia Propane Gas Association recently elected its officers for the 2018-2019 term. Kevin Lloyd of Augusta Petroleum Cooperative will serve as president; Taft Yeatts, Davenport Energy, president-elect; Nicole Sullivan, Anderson Propane, treasurer; and Colin Wood-Bradley, Tarantin Propane, secretary. Elizabeth McCormick of Phillips Energy is past president.
(August 13, 2018) — The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA), citing IHS Markit Waterborne, reports that as Middle East propane exports to Asia fell drastically in June, Asian buyers turned to the U.S. to meet their chemical-demand needs, leading to U.S. exports hitting record highs for the summer months and to a large revision of IHS Markit’s winter inventory outlook.
As American natural gas production increases and demand for energy spikes around the world, the process at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to review the applications for construction of energy export terminals has been stymied by a shortage of highly specialized engineers, assert two members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Bloomberg reports that 2018 has been a banner year for Colorado’s shale drillers, but pumping oil and natural gas may be largely prohibited in the state if a November ballot initiative supported by industry critics is approved. Spurred by a fatal gas explosion last year, the initiative endangers output from one of the country’s most prolific plays. Meanwhile, the electoral contest for governor features an insurgent Democrat, U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, who has made his name in Colorado politics by bankrolling anti-hydraulic fracturing campaigns.
The natural gas spot price spread between the Permian Basin, as priced by the Waha Hub in western Texas and the U.S. national benchmark Henry Hub in Louisiana, has grown considerably in the past year, writes the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Natural gas prices at Waha are nearly a dollar per MMBtu lower than Henry Hub prices. This spread widened as the ability to transport the increased natural gas production in the Permian Basin in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico was constrained by existing pipeline capacity.
According to a report released by the National Wildlife Federation in late July and prepared by London Economics International LLC (LEI), Michigan’s Upper Peninsula does not need to use Enbridge Inc.’s (Calgary) Line 5 for its propane supply. The Upper Peninsula relies on Line 5 for significant volumes, but the report maintains Michigan can source propane exclusively by truck or rail for an estimated additional 5 cents/gal.
The Paris-based International Energy Agency’s (IEA) latest oil market report lauds OPEC oil ministers’ and non-OPEC producers’ commitment to increase crude oil production. Noted is that while volume and timing remains to be seen, there are already indications that leading producers, particularly Saudi Arabia, its Gulf allies, and Russia, are ramping up output and production may reach record levels.
Enterprise Products Partners LP (Houston) is planning to develop an offshore crude oil export terminal off the Texas Gulf Coast. The terminal will be capable of fully loading very large crude carriers (VLCCs), which have capacities of about 2 MMbbl and provide the most efficient and cost-effective solution to export crude oil to the largest international markets in Asia and Europe.
The global natural resources consultancy Wood Mackenzie sees OPEC maintaining its role as a key oil supplier through 2040, although output from non- OPEC producers will help ensure adequate supply in the years to 2030. In its Macro Oils Long-Term Outlook H1 2018 report, Wood Mackenzie says it expects the U.S. Lower 48 to enjoy continued growth through the medium term, with its crude and condensate production reaching a plateau of more than 11 MMbbld in the mid to late-2020s. Once the U.S.
ThompsonGas LLC (Frederick, Md.) said July 11 it had acquired Midsouth Propane, a marketer with operations in Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Details regarding the transaction were not released. The purchase marked the fourth acquisition for ThompsonGas this year. “Needless to say, we are excited to add Midsouth Propane to our operations in the South,” said Thompson- Gas CEO Jeff Kerns. “The Scott family has built a tremendous business and assembled a great team of employees to become a leading propane provider in their region.
Oil production in the Permian Basin in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico, already a major force in global supply growth, will rise nearly 3 MMbbld by 2023—a level of growth exceeding most recent estimates, a new outlook by IHS Markit says. What the report describes as a “stunning” level of growth will comprise more than 60% of net global growth during that timeframe. Total oil production in the Permian will be 5.4 MMbbld in 2023, more than the total production of any OPEC member country other than Saudi Arabia.
The Environmental Partnership organization has now grown more than 50% since its launch last December, with 43 companies from the oil and natural gas sector participating in the initiative, reports the American Petroleum Institute. Participants have committed to implementing environmental performance programs geared toward further reducing emissions, and annual reporting that will be compiled and released to the public.
In the wake of the shale revolution, the U.S. is well on its way to becoming the world’s top oil and gas producer and a major exporter of both products. However, the U.S. will play second fiddle to the developing world, especially Asia, which will shape energy demand for the foreseeable future, according to experts at the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Fossil fuels—petroleum, natural gas, and coal—have accounted for at least 80% of energy consumption in the U.S. for well over a century, notes the Energy Information Administration (EIA). However, the fossil fuel share of total energy consumption in 2017 was the lowest since 1902, at a little more than 80% as consumption decreased for the third consecutive year.
In recent years, as its domestic energy consumption has grown, China has become a more significant destination for U.S. energy exports, writes the Energy Information Administration (EIA). In particular, China has been among the largest importers of U.S. crude oil, propane, and liquefied natural gas.
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) recently released a new video detailing the growth of propane autogas in the school transportation market to coincide with a significant milestone for the industry—the delivery of the 10,000th Blue Bird autogas school bus.
PERC releases new video about growth of propane autogas in school transportation market
The American Trucking Associations (ATA), along with three motor carriers representing the industry, has petitioned a federal court to rule Rhode Island’s truck-only toll program is unconstitutional, arguing it discriminates against interstate trucking companies and impedes the flow of interstate commerce.