PERC Opens 2016 Propane Farm Incentive Program
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has opened its 2016 Propane Farm Incentive Program, a nationwide research and demonstration initiative offering farmers purchase incentives of up to $5000 toward new propane-powered farm equipment. Sponsored by PERC, the program includes a 10-cent-per-square-foot propane-fueled agricultural heating system incentive, which helps offset the upfront costs of new equipment in exchange for real-world performance data and customer feedback.
MFA Oil Extends Operations Reach into Eastern Kansas
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
MFA Oil Co. (Columbia, Mo.) has acquired S&S Oil and Propane Co. Inc. of Emporia, Kan., a propane, refined fuels, and lubricants retailer. The transaction includes 17 propane storage facilities, five bulk fuel storage terminals, five card refueling locations, and an office in Emporia. Financial details were not released. The deal marked the fourth acquisition for MFA Oil during its current fiscal year.
IRS Releases Guidance for Claiming Forklift Fuel Credit
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released guidance on how to claim the federal alternative fuel tax credit, which was retroactively extended on Dec. 18, 2015 by Congress as part of the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015. The credit allows operators of propane-fueled forklifts and autogas vehicles to claim 50 cents per gallon for every gallon of the alternative fuel they used in 2015.
Port of Longview Rejects Propane Terminal Proposal
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
The Port of Longview, Wash. board of commissioners has unanimously voted to discontinue all discussions with Houston-based Waterside Energy LLC that sought to build the first oil refinery on the West Coast in more than 25 years and construct a propane and butane terminal capable of handling 75,000 bbld. Waterside’s proposal outlined a 30,000-bbld refinery with the capacity to also produce 15,000 bbld of biofuel.
Alliance AutoGas Shows High Growth, Performance in 2015
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Alliance AutoGas said in mid-February that its engineered fuel equipment segments showed highly positive results and a substantial upswing in sales in 2015, including low-emissions nozzle adoption and the number of gallons of gasoline displaced. Stuart Weidie, president of Alliance AutoGas, reports that in 2015 alone the 120 alliance members collectively displaced 45 million gallons of gasoline and produced $54 million in fuel cost savings for the 460 fleets they serve.
New Mexico Defeats Subsidized Natural Gas Expansion Bills
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) notes that across the country the natural gas industry continues to push for subsidized expansion into so-called “unserved or underserved” areas, usually in the name of economic development. However, the New Mexico Propane Gas Association in mid-February achieved a major victory over unfair expansion.
First LNG Cargo Departs U.S. From Sabine Pass Terminal
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Cheniere Energy Partners LP (Houston) said Feb. 24 that the first export cargo of LNG produced from Train 1 at its Sabine Pass terminal in Cameron Parish, La. was departing. LNG was loaded on the carrier Asia Vision, chartered by Cheniere Marketing LLC for transport to Brazil. “Today we will finish loading the first commissioning cargo of LNG from our Sabine Pass LNG terminal,” said Neal Shear, chairman of the board and interim CEO of Cheniere Partners.
Big Oil Gains Only Occur With ‘Bottoms’ Prompting Market Shift
Thursday, February 25, 2016
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil posted a three-day gain of 14.4% the week ended Feb. 20, the biggest three-day gain in about six months for the S&P GSCI index, notes Jodie Gunzberg, global head of commodities
and real assets at S&P Dow Jones Indices. She notes that gains of this magnitude have only happened following near perceived oil price bottoms.
PERC Approves $10-Million Consumer Education Campaign
Thursday, February 25, 2016
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has approved a $10-million consumer education campaign designed to raise awareness of propane and its benefits among homeowners and other consumers. The campaign aims to reach consumers through television, radio, and print advertising and includes a robust digital communications strategy.
IRS Releases New Excise Tax Calculation for Propane
Thursday, February 25, 2016
A legislative alert issued by the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) reports that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Feb. 23 released a new excise tax rate calculation for propane. NPGA advises that, with the revised Form 720, there is a new calculation that claimants must complete to account for the energy content disparity between propane and gasoline.
CETP Certification Changes Adopted by NPGA Board
Thursday, February 25, 2016
The National Propane Gas Association’s board of directors has approved implementation of a new component to the Certified Employee Training Program (CETP) that requires skill evaluators to complete a training course and obtain a registration number. The training course will focus on the administrative aspects of being a skill evaluator, emphasizing the importance of the role and responsibility and the need for the skills to be performed properly.
ExxonMobil Outlook Projects Energy Demand Increase, Carbon Decline
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Global energy demand will increase 25% between 2014 and 2040, driven by population growth and economic expansion, ExxonMobil (Irving, Texas) said Jan. 25 in the 2016 edition of its “The Outlook for Energy” report. At the same time, energy efficiency gains and increased use of renewable energy sources and lower-carbon fuels such as natural gas are expected to help reduce by half the carbon intensity of the global economy.
December Propane Exports Rise 43.7% for Year
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Propane exports from the U.S. in December stood at 23,268,338 bbl, according to the Department of Commerce (DOC), 14.8%, or nearly 3 MMbbl, higher than the November total and up a steep 43.7%, or more than 7 MMbbl, from a year earlier when export volumes stood at 16,196,996 bbl. December propane imports totaled 5,078,134 bbl for a 29.3%, or 1,150,988 bbl, gain over November.
ITA Reports Record-Breaking 2015 North American Sales
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
The lift truck market in North America is at an all-time record high in the material handling industry, reports the Industrial Truck Association (ITA). Total retail orders in all classes, excluding exports, totaled 225,534 units in 2015. It was the first year lift truck sales were higher than the industry’s pre-recession level of 215,000 units in 2006, the association observes.
Crescent Point Energy Recalls 118 Million Gallons
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Crescent Point Energy Corp. (Calgary) is recalling about 118 million gallons of propane due to insufficient levels of odorant, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports. The recall involves propane delivered to consumers for use in storage tanks or sold at retail locations for use in portable refillable tanks. The fuel was also sold to businesses for commercial and industrial use.
NPGA Clarifies Revised OSHA Label Compliance Requirements
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has revised requirements regarding propane distribution containers. As of Dec. 1, 2015, containers must bear labels that are compliant with the agency’s new Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), advises the National Propane Gas Association. NPGA notes it has received several inquiries regarding the company identification component of the labeling requirement.
NPGA Clarifies Revised OSHA Label Compliance Requirements
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has revised requirements regarding propane distribution containers. As of Dec. 1, 2015, containers must bear labels that are compliant with the agency’s new Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), advises the National Propane Gas Association. NPGA notes it has received several inquiries regarding the company identification component of the labeling requirement.
People In The News - In Memorium
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Maskey Martin Heath, 70, who worked for Superior Propane in California and served in the propane industry for more than 50 years, died Dec. 12, 2015. His parents owned a propane business, and early in his career he worked for Loma Linda Gas in California, which later became Superior Propane and was sold in the mid-1990s. He and his wife, Paula, remained in the propane industry leasing tanks throughout the U.S. In 2004, the Heaths purchased Pacific Propane in Monterey County, Calif.
People In The News
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Bob Bailey has been appointed president and CEO of Teeco Products Inc. (Irvine, Calif.), effective Jan. 1, 2016. He has been with Teeco for 26 years, and in the propane industry for 41 years. Bailey started his career with Teeco when the company acquired PACA in 1989, where he was serving in the position of general manager. Since September 2012, Bailey has been executive vice president and COO of Teeco. Hank Weeks, Teeco chairman of the board, has been acting as interim president.
Bergquist Inc. Announces New Online Storefront
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Bergquist Inc. recently introduced a mobile-optimized storefront version of its website. The new mobile site allows customers to access thousands of products from any mobile device, check product availability, view order history, invoices, and additional information. New "Bergquist Academy" training videos are accessible via mobile, as are product spec sheets, service guides, and more. Upgrades to the mobile ordering process were undertaken to enhance customer experience and orders are typically shipped the same day.
www.bergquistinc.com
Calls for Comment on Proposed PERC Consumer Education Campaign
Monday, February 1, 2016
(Feb. 1, 2016) By rule, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) must solicit comments before approving any proposed project costing $1.5 million or more. Members of the propane industry and the public are invited to comment on the following funding request:
U.S. Propane Inventories Sink by 6.2 MMbbl
Friday, January 29, 2016
U.S. propane stocks the week ended Jan. 22 fell by 6.2 MMbbl to stand at 83.7 MMbbl, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) “This Week in Petroleum” report. As of that reporting period, inventories were 14.4 MMbbl, or 20.8%, higher than a year ago. Gulf Coast volumes dropped by 4 MMbbl, the Midwest 1.7 MMbbl, the East Coast 0.4 MMbbl, and the Rocky Mountain/West Coast 0.1 MMbbl.