Will West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Replace Brent Crude As Global Benchmark?
Monday, November 20, 2017
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently estimated that Brent crude, the global benchmark, will trade at an average $2.74/bbl premium to West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the U.S. benchmark, this year. However, a Denver drilling services company CEO believes Brent’s status as the world oil price benchmark is facing head-winds, reports S&P Global Platts.
Treasury Department Withdraws Regs That Made Gift Taxes More Expensive
Monday, November 20, 2017
(November 20, 2017) — In what the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is calling a victory for America’s family-owned small businesses, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has withdrawn regulations to Section 2704 that made estate or gift taxes more costly to family-owned businesses.
Latin American LPG Market Undergoing Transformation
Thursday, November 16, 2017
(November 16, 2017) — IHS Markit writes that the expansion of the Panama Canal, which now allows transport of greater, cheaper volumes of LPG, combined with the opening of the Mexican energy industry to private investment, has dramatically shifted the trade balance and altered how regional LPG companies must compete. LPG is a fuel used primarily for residential and commercial cooking and heating in Latin America and other regions, but also for feedstock in chemical production.
Interior Department Releases Energy Burden Report
Thursday, November 16, 2017
The U.S. Department of the Interior has released a “Review of the Department of the Interior Actions that Potentially Burden Domestic Energy” report, produced in response to President Trump’s Executive Order 13783. The report identifies agency actions that potentially burden the development or use of domestically produced energy resources, with particular attention to oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy resources. Interior oversees U.S.
NGL Energy Partners to Sell Retail Propane Assets to DCC Dublin
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Delaware, MD (November 16, 2017) — NGL Energy Partners LP (Tulsa) has entered into a de nitive agreement with DCC LPG, a division of DCC Plc (Dublin, Ireland), to sell a portion of its retail propane business for $200 million in cash. NGL Energy Partners will retain the business through closing, scheduled for March 31, 2018, and will also retain all profits generated through the closing date.

 

PERC Names Recipients for 2017 Propane Leadership Awards
Monday, November 13, 2017
(November 13, 2017) — The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has named a Pennsylvania equipment dealer and a Louisiana landscape contractor as recipients of its second annual Propane Leadership Award. PERC presented the awards at the GIE+Expo in Louisville, Ky. to R.S. Hollinger & Son Inc. of Mountville, Pa. and Slidell, La.-based Rotolo Consulting Inc. (RCI). Brandt Martin of Rotolo Consulting and Lynn Hollinger of R.S. Hollinger received personalized Louisville Slugger baseball bats.
FERC Regains Ability to Certificate New Pipelines
Monday, November 6, 2017
(November 6, 2017) — The Energy Information Administration commented Oct. 30, 2017, that five new pipeline projects in the Northeast received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in October, the first projects approved since February. FERC regained its quorum in August after the Senate confirmed two new commissioners.
IHS Study Finds U.S. Needs All Existing Power Generation Fuels
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
(November 1, 2017) — Following a report by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that determined a balanced and diverse set of resources was vital to the U.S. electrical power grid, a new study by IHS Markit and cosponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute puts a price tag on how important the current balance of coal, natural gas, nuclear, and renewable energy is.
Tennessee Announces Propane Vehicle Grants
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
(October 31, 2017) — The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Office of Energy Programs has released a notice of intent to issue a second round of funding under the Tennessee Natural Gas and Propane Vehicle Grant Program. The program assists public, nonprofit, and private fleets based in the state with the purchase of natural gas- or propane-fueled vehicles.
Thune, Klobuchar Introduce Bill To Update EIA Supply Report
Saturday, October 28, 2017
(October 27, 2017) — U.S. Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) have introduced legislation sought by the propane industry to improve the accuracy, monitoring, and reporting of propane stocks and days of supply by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) reports the bill would require, not later than 30 days after enactment, “that any data published relating to days of supply of propane inventories in the United States include a calculation of the volume of exports of propane.”
Rice University Scientists Produce Filter to Reclaim Fracturing Water
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
(October 24, 2017) — A new filter produced by Rice University scientists has proven able to remove more than 90% of hydrocarbons, bacteria, and particulates from contaminated water produced by hydraulic fracturing operations at shale oil and gas wells. The work, by Rice chemist Andrew Barron and colleagues, turns a ceramic membrane with microscale pores into a super-hydrophilic filter that “essentially eliminates” the common problem of fouling.
Propane People "In The News"
Friday, October 20, 2017
(November 24, 2017) — Cavagna North America Inc. (Somerset, N.J.) recently promoted two senior managers. Peter Dwyer has been named vice president of sales and business development of the LPG division, and David S. Ellis has been promoted to vice president of sales and business development of the Compressed Gas division.
North Dakota Natural Gas Output Hits Record High
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Argus Media reports that North Dakota’s natural gas production reached a record high in July 2017, tracking higher crude oil output. Gas production averaged 1.88 Bcfd, 1.3% higher from June and up 10.5% from July 2016, according to the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources.
Sierra Club Accuses EPA of Failing To Respond to Its FOIA Requests
Friday, September 29, 2017
The Sierra Club said Sept. 18, 2017 it is taking the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to court to hold the agency accountable for its failure, under administrator Scott Pruitt, to respond to basic Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests within the timeline required by law, or to provide estimates of when such requests might be addressed. The environmental group has led a suit with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Overtime Rule Victory; Now Tax Reform Tops NFIB Priority List
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
(September 20, 2017) — The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is applauding a decision by a federal judge in Texas to strike down the Department of Labor’s overtime rule, which the association asserts would have overburdened small businesses with heightened labor expenses by making millions of workers qualify for overtime pay. In an expedited summary judgement, the ruling made permanent the temporary injunction the court had imposed last November.
Ohio Natural Gas Output Rises 16% Year on Year
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
(September 19, 2017) Ohio’s horizontal shale wells produced 4,044,072 bbl of oil and 388,560,451 Mcf of natural gas over the second quarter of this year, reports the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). While crude production was 17% lower year over year, natural gas production climbed more than 16%.
BP Makes Major Discovery in New Mexico’s Mancos Shale
Friday, September 15, 2017
In August 2017, BP said it had brought online a highly productive natural gas well in the Mancos Shale, highlighting the potential of the New Mexico field to be a significant new source of U.S. natural gas supply. Early production rates at the well in San Juan County are the highest achieved in the past 14 years within the San Juan Basin, a large oil- and gas-producing area covering southwest Colorado and northeast New Mexico that includes the Mancos Shale. The well achieved an average 30-day initial production rate of 12.9 MMcfd per day.
Wyoming, Texas, Pennsylvania Rank as Top Energy Suppliers
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
(September 11, 2017) — The Energy Information Administration (EIA) ranks Wyoming, Texas, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and North Dakota as the top five net suppliers of energy in 2015. Overall, 12 states produced more primary energy than they consumed, while 38 states and the District of Columbia were net recipients of energy.
U.S. Will Have Buffer Against Severe Weather Events As Oil Exporter
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
(September 11, 201) — As a net oil exporter, the U.S. will have a larger buffer against any extreme weather events, as seen with Hurricane Harvey, notes Paul Sheldon, senior oil analyst at S&P Global Platts Analytics’ Pira Energy. According to the latest Pira Energy August 2017 special report, the U.S. is set to become a net oil exporter by 2023, as rising shale liquids output continues to outpace oil demand growth.
Propane Products "In The News"
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Product ADD 082017(August 24, 2017) — MOBILE FLEET FUELER. Advanced Digital Data Inc. (ADD Systems) has introduced the new Raven Companion and Raven Fleet Fueler mobile, pocket-sized products to help streamline the delivery process and to make it more efficient and error-free. The Raven Companion works with the Raven Tablet mobile solution to bring the functionality of the tablet to the hand of the driver on a small Android device.
Study Finds 10.3 Million U.S. Jobs Supported by Energy
Monday, August 21, 2017
The American Petroleum Institute (API) has released a study that finds the natural gas and oil industry supported 10.3 million U.S. jobs and added $1.3 trillion to the nation’s economy in 2015. The study found that jobs supported by the energy industry grew by 500,000 since 2011 and showed that all 50 states, whether producing or non-producing, continued to benefit from the industry.
Energy Infrastructure Must Keep Pace with Growing Production
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Railroad Commission of Texas chairwoman Christi Craddick in July 2017 led a discussion with industry experts on the importance of keeping the development of the nation’s energy infrastructure on pace with thriving domestic oil and natural gas production. The discussion took place at the Aspen Institute’s 2017 Global Energy, Economy, and Security Forum in Aspen, Colo.