Energy, Energy Efficiency Sectors Employ 6.8 Million Workers
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
The U.S. energy and energy efficiency sectors currently employ 6.8 million workers, and added 120,300 new jobs in 2019, more than 7% of all newly created jobs nationwide.

So says the 2020 U.S. Energy & Employment Report (USEER) published March 23 by the Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO). This is the fifth annual in-depth survey of the U.S. labor force and skill trends in five energy sectors across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Shale Production Could Contract 1.0 mmbbld Within the Year
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
As a price-elastic source of supply, U.S. shale production will respond relatively quickly to the steep drop in oil prices, ESAI Energy LLC reported March 16. Already, U.S. exploration and production (E&P) companies are reporting further reductions to their 2020 spending guidance and cutting back on drilling activity. “A new-normal is here, with fiscal discipline and strong balance sheets even more important to weather current and future price volatility,” the firm explained.
Customer Satisfaction With Energy Utilities Dips
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Customer satisfaction with the energy utilities sector has taken a hit, dropping 1.5% to a score of 72.1 (on a scale of 0 to 100), according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index Energy Utilities Report 2019-2020. This is the second straight year customer satisfaction with energy utilities has faltered.
Canadian Propane Inventories Slumped 13.0% in February, Butane Dips
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Canada’s primary underground propane inventories fell 13.0% in February to 395.4 Mcm, the equivalent of 2.5 MMbbl, according to the Canada Energy Regulator (CER). The draw represented a month-to-month loss of 59.3 Mcm. Compared to a year earlier, stocks stood 166.1 Mcm lower, off 29.6%.
Markets Worldwide Continue to Decline
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
As product markets fell to their lowest levels in three years or more, S&P Global Platts provided an overview of the European refined product markets on March 16. The Russia-Saudi price war and coronavirus concerns continued to weigh heavily on demand. Products were taking their lead from crude, as the consultancy reported dated Brent at $27.945/bbl, off $3.90/bbl.
DOT Publishes Notice of CBD Products
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recently published a Policy and Compliance Notice regarding treatment of cannabidiol (CBD) products, the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) reports. According to the Notice, DOT does not distinguish between the use of CBD products and any other marijuana use by safety-sensitive employees, including drivers transporting hazardous materials, the association explains. Therefore, propane drivers who use CBD products may test positive for marijuana on drug exams.
Oil Surplus to Push Prices Lower
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
On March 16, 2020, IHS Markit reported the current crude oil situation points to the possible buildup of the most extreme global oil supply surplus ever recorded. It estimates that, if the price war continues amid a global recession and coronavirus crisis, the surplus could range from 800 MMbbl to 1.3 Bbbl in the first six months of 2020. Since 2000, the largest six-month global surplus had been during late 2015 to early 2016, when it was a cumulative 360 MMbbl.
Offen Petroleum Increases Presence in Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Offen Petroleum (Commerce City, Colo.), an independent fuel distributor, has signed an agreement to acquire the business assets of Bosselman Energy, a fuel distributor, and Bosselman Carriers, a trucking company, both based in Nebraska. Details of the transaction were not provided.
No Hydraulic Fracturing Waste Found in Streams, Study Finds
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
A new federal study found no evidence oil and gas production in northern Pennsylvania has contaminated the State Forest Service’s rivers and streams, Kallanish Energy reports. The study, published in February in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, or PNAS, concluded there were no signs wastewater from hydraulically fractured wells had entered any of more than two dozen streams running through the Marcellus Shale.
International Roadcheck Set for May 5-7
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) International Roadcheck will take place May 5-7, 2020. The International Roadcheck is a high-volume, high-visibility three-day enforcement initiative that highlights the importance of commercial motor vehicle safety through roadside inspections. Over that 72-hour period, commercial motor vehicle inspectors in jurisdictions throughout North America will conduct inspections on commercial motor vehicles and drivers.
U.S. Imports into China Won’t Deter Flow from Canada
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Following the recent tariff exemption granted by the Chinese government, industry sources have noted the resumption of U.S. LPG imports into China the will not hamper the flow of other Western cargoes, including those from Canada, into the region. The Chinese government approved tariff exemptions for many propane dehydrogenation plant operators, including Wanhua Chemical and Oriental Energy, as well as retail distributors like CNOOC and ChinaGas, for importing U.S.
Mid-Month to Mid-Month: Again, Propane Prices Seek Solid Footing
Thursday, March 12, 2020
(March 12, 2020) — As the scourge of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) strikes more countries and regions of the globe daily, economic stability is on precarious footing as witnessed by the recent volatility of the stock markets worldwide. In addition, the outcome of the March 6 OPEC meeting, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), added more concern as the agency now forecasts that OPEC will target market share instead of a balanced global oil market.
MAKEEN Energy Acquires Gas Equipment Co.
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Kosan Crisplant (Denmark), the daughter company of MAKEEN Energy, signed an agreement on March 6 to acquire Gas Equipment Co. (GEC; Dallas). Details of the transaction were not revealed, but closing is expected before the end of March. The acquisition is set to strengthen the global business and network of the group’s trading division, KC ProSupply.
Team Drive-Away Makes Several Acquisitions in Midwest
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Team Drive-Away (TDA; Olathe, Kan.), a leading truck transport provider in North America, recently acquired the drive-away businesses of IXT Logistics LLC (Kansas City, Kan.) and Transportation Booking Services (TBS; Kansas City, Mo.). Terms of the deals were not disclosed.
USPS Contractor Chooses Propane For Parcel Deliveries
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
For the first time ever, some U.S. Postal Service packages are being delivered by emission-reducing propane autogas trucks. McAbee Trucking, a freight shipping and trucking company based in Blacksburg, S.C., purchased eight Ford F-750 delivery trucks fueled by propane autogas. The vehicles are used for contracted parcel delivery routes between USPS locations in North and South Carolina.
WLPGA Wins GREEN4SEA Initiative Award
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
The World LPG Association (WLPGA; Paris) has won the prestigious GREEN4SEA Initiative Award in recognition of significant contributions to greener shipping. The association was recognized for adding value to the maritime industry by addressing the benefits of using LPG as a marine fuel. The annual award, given during the awards ceremony during the GREEN4SEA annual conference in Athens, Greece, acknowledges serious contributions to greener shipping.
Hydrocarbon Gas Liquids (HGLs), Ethanol Consumption Grows
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
The latest Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) forecasts that in 2021, U.S. consumption (as measured by product supplied) of total petroleum and other liquid fuels will average 20.71 MMbbld, surpassing the 2007 pre-recession level. However, since the 2007–09 recession, the fastest-growing components of U.S.
DOI Managed Leases Surpass 1 Bbbl for First Time in History
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) said in February that more than 1 Bbbl of oil were produced in fiscal year 2019 from leases on federal and tribal lands and offshore areas, a historic milestone. The production level marked a more than 29% increase in production compared to the end of the previous administration when output totaled 808.7 MMbbl in 2016. Production was also up 122.5 MMbbl compared to 2018.
Meritage Doubles Powder River Basin Processing Capacity
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Meritage Midstream Services II LLC (Denver) recently reported that its subsidiary, Thunder Creek Gas Services LLC, has completed commissioning of the Steamboat I processing plant in Converse County, Wyo., near the town of Douglas. The Steamboat plant more than doubles Meritage’s natural gas processing capacity in the Powder River Basin.
EIA Reports U.S. Emissions Flattening Through 2050
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Under the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook 2020 reference case, which assumes no new laws or regulations, U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions decrease through the early 2030s before rising to 4.9 billion metric tons in 2050. If realized, U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions in 2050 would be 4% lower than 2019 levels. Changes in the fuel mix for electricity generation and increasing activity in the industrial and transportation sectors are the main drivers of EIA’s U.S. CO2 projections.
Shale Changes Producer, Midstream Relationships
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
The oil and gas shale revolution has changed the way producers and midstream operators collaborate as timeframes and demands have been altered by the pace of production. S&P Global Platts reports the issue was the subject of a panel discussion at the NAPE Global Business Conference in Houston, where participants agreed that the pace at which producers can drill in unconventional plays makes it difficult for midstream companies to keep up.