Japan Steps Up U.S. LPG Purchases; Fallout from Sino-U.S. Trade Conflict
Monday, August 27, 2018
Reuters reports that Japanese utilities and industrial companies are snapping up U.S. cargos of LPG that are seeking a new home after Chinese buyers started to shun them amid an escalating trade war between Washington and Beijing. Taking in fuel that would otherwise be heading for China means Japanese imports of U.S. LPG are set to stay strong after already hitting record levels earlier this year.
Maxed-Out Export Infrastructure To Strand U.S. LPG This Winter
Monday, August 27, 2018
(August 27, 2018) — The growth of U.S. LPG exports will outpace terminal capacity this winter, constraining shipments, according to ESAI Energy’s webinar U.S. Growing Pains to Upend LPG Trade & Demand, and as reported by Oil-Voice. The export constraint will temporarily cause scarcity in Asia and in the international market, driving up LPG prices relative to naphtha and causing feedstock switching in the petrochemical sector. Meanwhile, stranded LPG in the U.S.
ArcLight Acquires Midstream Assets Of Enbridge’s Midcoast Operating LP
Monday, August 27, 2018
Boston-based ArcLight Capital Partners has acquired Midcoast Operating LP from Enbridge Inc. (Calgary) for about $1.1 billion in cash. Midcoast owns and operates three natural gas gathering and processing systems in Texas and Oklahoma; a long-haul NGL transmission system delivering from multiple supply areas, including the Denver-Julesburg and Permian basins to Mont Belvieu; and a marketing and logistics business.
China Hits U.S. Oil Products, LPG with Tariffs, But Backs-Off Oil
Thursday, August 23, 2018
(August 23, 2018) — China rolled out retaliatory tariffs on an additional $16 billion worth of U.S. imports in early August, including oil products, LPG, and coal in a new list of affected goods, but left off widely expected duties on U.S. crude, writes S&P Global Platts. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce’s latest list imposes 25% tariffs on a swath of energy commodities from Aug. 23, including asphalt shale, oil shale, and tar sand.
DataOnline Acquires Independent Technologies/WESROC
Monday, August 20, 2018
(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.
Transparency, Outreach Highlight Successful Marketing Activities
Friday, August 17, 2018
(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?”
Williams Transactions Pave Way for Entry into Denver-Julesburg Basin
Thursday, August 16, 2018
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.
GTI Test Seeks to Promote Efficiency, Cut Costs, and Protect Environment
Thursday, August 16, 2018
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.
China, India, Africa Energy Use Expected to Lead Consumption
Thursday, August 16, 2018
(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.
Propane People "In The News"
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
(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.
U.S. Propane Exports Run At Record Summer High
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
(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.
Representatives Introduce Bill To Address Backlog at FERC
Monday, August 13, 2018
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.
Energy Industry Critics Push Drilling Ban on November Ballot
Monday, August 13, 2018
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.
Permian Natural Gas Prices Fall as Production Grows
Monday, August 13, 2018
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.
Report Says Michigan Does Not Need Line 5 for Propane Delivery
Friday, August 10, 2018
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.
IEA Welcomes Increased Output From Saudi Arabia and Russia
Wednesday, August 8, 2018
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 to Build Offshore Crude Oil Export Terminal
Friday, August 3, 2018
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.
Consultancy Sees OPEC as Key Oil Supplier Through 2040
Friday, August 3, 2018
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 Acquires Midsouth Propane, Marks 4th Purchase This Year
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
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.
Permian Basin Oil Production Seen Doubling Through 2023
Sunday, July 29, 2018
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.
Environmental Partnership Grows To More Than 40 Participants
Sunday, July 29, 2018
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.
Asia, Not U.S., to Shape Energy Demand for Foreseeable Future
Sunday, July 29, 2018
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.