In Memorium — Dan Blake, 40-year industry veteran
Thursday, July 7, 2016
(Warren, Michigan) July 7, 2016 – It is with profound sadness that we inform you that our longtime friend, colleague and mentor, Dan Blake, passed away suddenly on June 25, 2016. Dan was vice president of Jomar Group and a well-known figure in the propane industry. He travelled the country for nearly 40 years, not just calling on customers but also his friends.
Dan Blake
Modest Changes Expected After Expanded Panama Canal Opens
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
On Tuesday, June 26, 2016, the Panama Canal Authority opened a third set of locks that will double its capacity and allow the transit of larger ships, the first such expansion since the canal was completed in 1914, notes the Energy Information Administration (EIA). However, because of the economics of shipping, trade patterns, and the types of ships used to transport crude and petroleum products, the latest expansion is expected to have limited effect on most petroleum markets.
Look to Veterans Transitioning to Civilian Jobs as Source for Drivers
Friday, June 24, 2016
The propane industry has been experiencing a shortage of qualified bobtail drivers for years, a trend that is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, writes Stuart Flatow, vice president of safety and training at the Propane Education & Research Council. The propane industry is not alone. In fact, there is, and has been, a shortage of all kinds of qualified over-the-road drivers nationwide.
Affiliate of Enterprise Selling Western U.S. Infrastructure
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
An affiliate of Enterprise Products (Houston) is selling rail terminals located in the Western U.S. Details of the transactions were not released. United Pacific Energy (Reno, Nevada) has entered into an agreement for the purchase of Enterprise’s Bakersfield, Calif. LPG rail terminal.
U.S. Remains Top Producer Of Petroleum and Natural Gas
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
The U.S. remained the world’s largest producer of petroleum and natural gas hydrocarbons in 2015, according to Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates. U.S. petroleum and natural gas production first surpassed Russia in 2012, and the nation has been the world’s top producer of natural gas since 2011 and the largest producer of petroleum hydrocarbons since 2013.
Research In Biosynthesis of Renewable Propane Moves Step Closer
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Researchers at the University of Manchester and Imperial College in England have edited the genome of an algae enzyme and produced propane. e researchers are reported to have made signi cant advances in the search to develop a way of making renewable propane through bioengineering, a promising economic prospect that is also good for the environment.
Recall of Pressure Relief Devices Expanded by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued a safety advisory regarding pressure-relief devices that were not manufactured or intended for use on cargo tank motor vehicles. In 2013, Emerson Process Management Regulator Technologies Inc. issued a voluntary recall on Fisher pressure-relief device models H732 and H832. In 2014, the recall was expanded to include models H282, H882, H5112, and H8112.
New Propane Industry-Related Products Announced
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
VERTICAL DISPENSER TANK. The new vertical Trinity Dispenser Tank from Bergquist Inc. provides numerous advantages that a traditional horizontal tank can’t offer, Product Bergquist 1according to the company. The skid-mounted unit requires less space, giving marketers more room for additional tanks and other propane accessories.
Propane Industry People "On The Move" and "In Memorium"
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
People CampRandy Camp, manager of CoEnergy Propane (Albany, Ore.), has been appointed to the Linn-Benton Community College (LBCC) Board of Education. Camp has been a member of the LBCC Foundation Board, and was involved in helping LBCC’s Advanced Transportation Technology Center to obtain the equipment and funds to move forward.
Colorado High Court Strikes Down Hydraulic Fracturing Bans
Friday, May 6, 2016
The Colorado Supreme Court May 2 blocked efforts by some Front Range cities to impose limits, moratoriums, and bans on energy development through hydraulic fracturing, ruling the state holds ultimate regulatory authority and trumps local legislation, which the court characterized as “invalid and unenforceable.” The court rejected a five-year moratorium on hydraulic fracturing passed by the city of Fort Collins, concluding the measure operationally conflicted
Strong El Niño Reduces U.S. Winter Heating Demand, Prices
Friday, May 6, 2016
Acknowledging what is already widely known among propane marketers, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that above-normal temperatures during the 2015-2016 winter were a key factor in lowering heating demand and winter fuel expenditures. Compared with the 2014-2015 winter, propane demand fell 16% and fueloil by 45%. Residential electricity demand decreased 6%.
U.S. and Canada to Require $546 Billion in Infrastructure
Friday, May 6, 2016
The United States and Canada will require annual average midstream natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids midstream infrastructure investment of about $26 billion a year, or $546 billion over the 21-year period from 2015 to 2035, a new study finds.
Attendance Record Set at NPGA Nashville Convention
Thursday, May 5, 2016
The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) reports more than 4100 were in attendance at its 69th Southeastern Convention & International Propane Expo in Nashville, Tenn. April 8-10. The tally broke a previous record set in 2006 and resulted in the ninth consecutive increase for the annual event, held this year at Music City Center. Attendance by propane marketers grew by more than 35%, while supplier participation was up by 22%.
House Panel Approves Study Of Community Propane Systems
Thursday, May 5, 2016
The House Energy & Commerce Committee April 27 approved an amendment to H.S. 5050, the Pipeline Safety Act of 2016, to include a study of regulations affecting propane jurisdictional systems, reports the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA). The amendment, offered by committee chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and ranking member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), was approved by a voice vote and included in the passage of H.R. 5050.
U.S. Oil Producers Strike Back With Call for Import Quota Plan
Thursday, May 5, 2016
The Texas Panhandle, a center of American oil since early in the 20th century, is answering OPEC and Saudi Arabia with a call for a presidential proclamation to establish quotas on imports of foreign oil. Supporters of such quotas are calling their campaign a counter to the recent Doha meeting of world producers that resulted in no output limitation agreements and a “line in the sand” against further price and supply wars by foreign suppliers.
AHRI Calls on DOE to Follow Its Own Rules in Rulemaking
Thursday, May 5, 2016
The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) is calling on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to follow its own procedures when promulgating rules, and is seeking suspension of a current rulemaking for revising commercial boiler efficiency standards until the established process is followed.
February Propane Exports Decline, Imports Move Higher
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Propane exports from the U.S. dipped 4.5% in February to stand at 25,650,037 bbl, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), 1,194,945 bbl lower than the January total. Compared to the previous year, exports declined 0.3%, or 75,798 bbl, from the 25,574,239 bbl that left the nation’s shores.
Warm Weather Slows Demand
Thursday, April 21, 2016
The North Sea oil and gas industry has suffered a further blow after U.S. energy giant Conoco Phillips threatened to pull the plug on a key pipeline. The future of the Lincolnshire gas pipeline and the Theddlethorpe gas terminal have been thrown into doubt after Conoco Phillips announced it was reviewing the two operations.
Shale Gas Expansions Drive U.S. Bulk Chemical Exports
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Despite low crude oil prices, new U.S. shale gas-derived chemical expansions continue to move forward, and more than 100 million metric tons (MMT) of new capacity will be added in the U.S. chemical industry by 2025. Much of that new capacity will be converted to plastics, significantly increasing the U.S. net export position for these materials, according to new research by IHS. Major U.S.
Mountaineer NGL Hosting Nonbinding Open Season
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Mountaineer NGL Storage LLC (Denver) is hosting a nonbinding open season for up to 1.6 MMbbl of initial storage capacity with more than 25,000 bbld of load-in and load-out. The storage will be made available through a natural gas liquids storage facility, the Mountaineer NGL Storage Project, in Monroe County, Ohio near Clarington along the Ohio River.
Logistical Challenges Lead to Ship-to-Ship Propane Transfers
Thursday, April 21, 2016
U.S. propane exports have increased significantly over the past three years, but only after market participants overcame several transportation challenges to reach export customers, notes the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The first challenge was to build sufficient export capacity, which has mostly already taken place.