Gas Natural Fenosa opens Spain's first LNG station

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Published on Thursday, 23 May 2013 08:05

Last week the head of the Government of Álava, Javier de Andrés, accompanied by the Mayor of Nanclares de la Oca, José Javier Martínez, and the head of Mobility Solutions at GAS NATURAL FENOSA, José Ramón Freire, inaugurated Spain's first LNG fuelling station for road freight.

The station can fuel up to to 200 liquefied natural gas trucks per day, and also has a double supply point of compressed natural gas (CNG) with the capacity to refuel up to 600 vehicles a day.

This service station will initially be used by the transport services company Eurocam.  It will also be able to supply Spanish and international long-haul transport fleets. In the future it could also supply fleets of municipal buses.

The opening of this refueling station forms part of the European project GARneT (Gas as an Alternative for Road Transport) which, promoted by GAS NATURAL FENOSA, will create a network of LNG supply stations serving long-haul vehicles using this fuel.

With a total budget of 3.8 million euros, the project received 1.9 million euros of funding from the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency (TEN-T EA).

The current plan calls for seven LNG service stations, four fixed and three mobile, will be set up in Spain to test the technologies with the greatest potential for roll-out on a European level. 

Dillon Transport To Add 25 Kenworth T800s with New Cummins Westport ISX12 G Heavy Duty LNG Engine

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Published on Wednesday, 22 May 2013 07:39

Kenworth has announced that Dillon Transport will add 25 Kenworth T800 short hood day cabs powered by the new Cummins Westport ISX12 G heavy duty natural gas engine to its 450+ truck fleet starting this summer.

"We're excited to expand our leadership in natural gas trucks by becoming among the first Kenworth customers to select the Cummins Westport ISX12 G engine. The Kenworth T800 is a high quality, rugged and reliable truck that fits well into our green initiatives," said Jeff Dillon, president and owner of Dillon Transport, a leading liquid and dry bulk carrier in Burr Ridge, Ill., with an operational concentration east of the Rockies.

Kenworth stated Dillon Transport plans to operate the 25 T800 tractors from its Dallas, Texas, terminal to haul asphalt, sand and other raw bulk products. The trucks are specified with both a 72- and a 150-gallon LNG tank to provide a range of approximately 650 miles. The trucks are expected to make two 600-mile round trips per day in a driver slip-seat operation. LNG refueling will typically be done twice a day at the Clean Energy station located at Dillon Transport's Dallas terminal.

"The new ISX12 G offers an excellent natural gas option for those regional, refuse and pickup and delivery applications that need a little more power and torque than the 8.9-liter Cummins Westport ISL G," said Andy Douglas, Kenworth national sales manager for specialty markets.

The Cummins Westport ISX12 G engine requires a single fuel source and can run on either LNG or CNG , both of which are cost effective, low carbon, and low emissions fuels. The natural gas engine uses a maintenance-free, three-way catalyst and does not require a diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) tank, diesel particulate filter (DPF) or selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology. Kenworth offers the ISX12 G in ratings to 400-hp and 1,450 ft-lb. torque.

Cummins Westport ISX12 G

First Use of Natural Gas to Power Equipment for Hydraulic Fracturing in Northeastern Pennsylvania

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Published on Tuesday, 21 May 2013 07:38

Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation announced today the use of Marcellus Shale natural gas to fracture wells through dual fuel technology. Cabot Oil & Gas stated this marks the first time "field" gas has been used in northeastern Pennsylvania for this purpose. This successful effort was a partnership with FTS International and Caterpillar Global Petroleum.

"Cabot is continually searching for ways to utilize cutting-edge, environmentally friendly technology during our operations," explained Dan O. Dinges , Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer for Cabot. "We are already converting our vehicle fleet and currently have a drilling rig using natural gas as well, so the next step is to utilize the technology on a hydraulic fracturing site."

In order to operate using natural gas, FTSI's mobile pressure pumping unit at the site was retrofitted with a Dynamic Gas Blending (DGB) kit from Caterpillar. The system enables substitution of diesel fuel with natural gas during high pressure pumping operations and is compatible with field gas, compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

FTSI Chief Executive Officer Greg Lanham said, "This is a terrific example of the oil and gas industry working together to develop and implement innovative technologies that are both environmentally conscious and operationally efficient. FTSI has been evaluating dual fuel conversion technologies for the last year to identify the best solution for our well completion fleets. Our goal is to increase efficiencies for our customers while ensuring the safety and equipment reliability our customers expect from FTSI."

"Caterpillar is pleased that the Cat Dynamic Gas Blend system has performed exceptionally well and met FTSI and Cabot's expectations," Bart Myers Caterpillar Global Petroleum product director commented.  "The Cat well stimulation DGB system makes no compromise with performance, safety, and reliability while burning a mixture of diesel and natural gas fuels. User feedback has been very positive regarding engine performance, and the integrated safety features of the Cat DGB system." 

Above: In order to operate using natural gas, FTSI's mobile pressure pumping unit at the site was retrofitted with a Dynamic Gas Blending (DGB) kit from Caterpillar. The system enables substitution of diesel fuel with natural gas during high pressure pumping operations and is compatible with field gas, compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG). (PRNewsFoto/Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation)

PacLease, Kenworth Sales Company and Blu LNG to start LNG truck rental program

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Published on Monday, 20 May 2013 07:53

A new truck rental program has been announced through PacLease and Kenworth Sales Company offering LNG-fueled trucks for rent.  PacLease noted in a statement that up until now, many fleets in four western states have wanted to try liquefied natural gas-fueled trucks in their operations. But committing to a purchase or full-service lease agreement without knowing whether they would work in their operations seemed too much of a risk.

Fleets operating along the I-84 and I-15 corridors from Las Vegas, Nev., through Utah, Idaho, and eastern Oregon will be able to rent Kenworth trucks fueled by LNG through a new rental program available from PacLease, its local franchise – Kenworth Sales Company, and Blu LNG. PacLease and Salt Lake City-based Kenworth Sales Company are teaming up with Blu LNG to provide the LNG-fueled trucks and the LNG fuel to power them.

According to PacLease the rental program will offer trucks in four different configurations to meet the needs of most fleets while matching the LNG fueling infrastructure that Blu is currently installing. The trucks are scheduled to roll off the assembly line shortly and will be available in local-delivery, regional-haul, long-haul and heavy-haul configurations. The trucks will be available at select Kenworth Sales Company-PacLease locations throughout the four western states near to where Blu has recently completed construction of LNG fueling stations. The three Idaho locations are in Boise, Idaho Falls and Jerome. In Utah, there are three in Salt Lake City, and one in Salina and one in Washington. There are also locations in Las Vegas, Nev., and Pendleton, Ore.

“We’re excited to be offering private fleets and truck operators a chance to try an LNG-powered truck in areas where such opportunities have never really existed before,” said Olen Hunter, director of sales for PacLease. “For companies involved in regional food and beverage distribution, oil and gas exploration, hauling raw products for the agricultural industry, or finished products for food processors, this will be an opportunity to test natural gas-powered trucks in their specific operations and duty cycles.

“This also offers fleets the opportunity to make sure the fueling infrastructure has been established to meet their needs and routes,” Hunter added. “Additionally, they can determine if the price difference between LNG and diesel fuels offers them enough savings to consider more wide-spread adoption of natural gas-powered trucks into their fleet operations.”

More locations will be available as new Blu LNG stations come online and rental truck equipment capacity is added nationally.

“We’re excited about the synergies created through this joint marketing agreement among Blu, Paclease and Kenworth Sales Company,” said Drew Laing, director of marketing for Blu. “The agreement will provide customers a great opportunity to evaluate the performance and fuel savings of natural gas by using demo trucks within their own unique operations. We are confident this program will provide the transportation industry the assistance needed to effectively adopt this cleaner, domestically produced, and lower-cost fuel.”

All four configurations will feature the Kenworth T800 equipped with one 120-gallon LNG fuel tank, a 15-liter Westport high-pressure direct injection (HPDI) engine and manual transmission in various specifications. The local-delivery configuration will feature a day cab, single drive axle and a weight rating of 65,000 GVW. The regional-haul configuration will feature a day cab, tandem drive axle and a weight rating of 80,000 GVW. The line-haul configuration will feature a 38-inch sleeper, tandem or tridem drive axles and a weight rating of 80,000 GVW. The heavy-haul configuration will feature day cab or 38-inch sleeper, heavy-duty tridem drive axles and maximum weight ratings that meet local state weight laws. PacLease can also provide long-haul units with dual LNG tanks for fleets with longer operating ranges.

A new rental program available from PacLease, its local franchise – Kenworth Sales Company, and Blu LNG will feature LNG-fueled Kenworth T800s in four configurations equipped with one 120-gallon LNG fuel tank, a 15-liter Westport high-pressure direct injection (HPDI) engine and manual transmission in various specifications.

Chantier Davie Canada Inc. announce two LNG ship orders

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Published on Thursday, 16 May 2013 16:22

Chantier Davie Canada Inc. today announced the conclusion of a two ship orders from La Société des traversiers du Québec ("STQ").

The two dual-fuel LNG Ro-Pax ferries will operate on the St. Lawrence River on the Tadoussac-Baie-Sainte-Catherine route and plan to enter service in 2015. At 92 m long, each vessel will have over 625 lane meters across two decks, allowing the transport of over 115 vehicles and 10 heavy goods vehicles.

Alan Bowen, CEO of Davie commented "This project has been a long time in the planning and we are very excited to now begin construction. The dual-fuel LNG engines are a perfect fit with Davie's specialization in advanced propulsion and vessel maneuvering systems. The ferries will provide an environmentally friendly solution for the province of Quebec for many years to come".

Image Source: Chantier Davie Canada Inc.

China's King Long Delivers LNG Buses to Dongguan Bus Company

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Published on Tuesday, 14 May 2013 08:05

King Long United Automotive has announced 100 King Long XMQ6106G LNG buses and 110 King Long XMQ6931G LNG buses were recently delivered to the Dongguan Bus Company in Guangdong Province.  The buses have now been put into operation. 

In 2013, Dongguan Bus Company purchased 262 LNG buses and coaches from King Long.  These new LNG fueled buses will replace the diesel buses used by the Dongguan Bus Company in order to improve air quality in the area.

According to King Long by the end of 2015  Dongguan City plans to eliminate all diesel emission buses. On Janurary 13th 2013, the local government in Dongguan City started a subsidy program for the new LNG buses. Each bus will get a 70,000 Yuan subsidy.  According to a King Long statement, Dongguan City plans to invest 800 million Yuan in subsidies in order to eliminate the diesel buses by the end of 2015.

Founded in 1988, Xiamen King Long United Automotive Industry Company specializes in bus and coach R&D, manufacturing and sales. 

Image: King Long 

Vard Holdings contract with Simon Møkster Rederi for Platform Supply Vessel

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Published on Tuesday, 14 May 2013 07:33

In April Vard Holdings signed a Letter of Intent for a Platform Supply Vessel with Simon Møkster Shipping. Vard Holdings has now announce that it has entered into a contract with Simon Møkster Rederi for the design and construction of the Platform Supply Vessel (PSV).

The vessel, of VARD’s PSV 06 LNG design, is scheduled for delivery in 1Q 2015 from Vard Aukra in Norway. The hull will be delivered from VARD in Romania.

According to Vard Holdings the PSV 06 LNG is a new innovative design developed by Vard Design. The vessel will be a Clean Design environmentally friendly dual-fuel LNG / diesel-electric ship with focus on low fuel consumption and low emissions of greenhouse gases. The vessel will be approximately 94 meters long and 20 meters wide, and is designed to meet the requirements for support to the Goliat oil and gas field in the Barents Sea.

Simon Møkster Shipping has been awarded a charter contract by oil major Eni Norge for the operation of the vessel. In addition to regular PSV duties, the vessel is equipped for emergency operations like rescue, emergency towing, firefighting and oil recovery. At the stern of the vessel, a hangar will be fitted to accommodate an emergency towing winch, NOFO oil recovery equipment and a slipway for launch and recovery of rescue crafts.

Simon Møkster Shipping operates a large fleet of ships from its main office in Stavanger, Norway, and VARD has built several of these vessels in the past.

image: Vard Holdings Limited

Applied Natural Gas Fuels, Inc. appointment of David B. Kilpatrick to Board of Directors

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Published on Tuesday, 14 May 2013 06:25

Applied Natural Gas Fuels, Inc. announced today the appointment of David B. Kilpatrick to its Board of Directors. Mr. Kilpatrick has over 30 years of executive, management and operating experience in the oil and gas industry. Since 1998, David has been the President of Kilpatrick Energy Group, a consulting firm to oil and gas companies. From 1996 to 1998, Mr. Kilpatrick served as the President and Chief Operating Officer for Monterey Resources, Inc., an independent oil and gas company in California. Prior to Monterey Resources, David held various managerial positions at Santa Fe Energy Resources, an oil and gas production company.

 “David brings a tremendous amount of energy experience and wisdom to our Board,” said Cem Hacioglu, President and CEO of Applied Natural Gas Fuels. “I look forward to working closely with David and benefiting from his insights as we continue to build our production and distribution platform throughout the country,” added Mr. Hacioglu.

Mr. Kilpatrick remarked, “Applied Natural Gas Fuels, Inc. represents a unique growth platform in the exciting natural gas fuels industry. I look forward to contributing to its continued development.”

Mr. Kilpatrick currently serves as an Independent Director of Cheniere Energy Inc., a Director of the California Independent Petroleum Association, the Independent Oil Producers Agency, and BreitBurn Energy Partners, L.P., a publicly-traded independent oil and gas limited partnership. Previously, Mr. Kilpatrick served as a Director of PYR Energy Corporation and Whittier Energy Corporation, both publicly-traded oil and gas production companies.

Mr. Kilpatrick received a B.S. in petroleum engineering from the University of Southern California and a B.A. in geology and physics from Whittier College. He currently resides in Newport Beach, CA.

Linde to showcase LNG as fuel at 2013 Appalachian Basin NGV Expo and Conference

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Published on Monday, 13 May 2013 08:40

Linde North America announced today they will be highlighting their expertise across the LNG supply chain at the 2013 Appalachian Basin NGV Expo and Conference to be held in at the Charleston Civic Center in Charleston, West Virginia, May 13-15.

Linde noted they can supply  the fuel, equipment, personnel and services to set up safe LNG fueling programs. The Appalachian Basin NGV Expo and Conference is sponsored by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin and the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association.

Earl Lawson , vice president, Energy Solutions for Linde North America , said "For years, Linde has brought its cryogenic expertise to develop the merchant LNG market by building plants at various commercial scales to produce LNG from virtually any methane source. At the conference, we plan to discuss how Linde technology and experience can enhance the economics and environmental impact of companies in the oil and gas industry."

Expo attendees are invited to visit booth # 16 to meet with Linde LNG fueling experts to explore the benefits of using LNG to power drilling and completion equipment as an alternative to diesel and electricity. "We are pleased to discuss how LNG can deliver both cost savings and reduced emissions," Lawson said. Linde specialists will also be available to review the benefits of converting to LNG for trucking fleets supporting the oil and gas industry.

Interlake Steamship Moves Toward Upgrading Fleet to LNG

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Published on Wednesday, 08 May 2013 07:16

The Interlake Steamship Company has announced that it has reached an agreement in principle with Shell to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG)  to support Interlake’s conversion of its vessels to LNG as the main propulsion fuel.  According to Interlake when converted the ships are expected to be the first LNG-powered ships on the Great Lakes and among the first in the U.S. With a goal of converting the first vessel by the spring of 2015, Interlake is already working through engineering and design, seeking regulatory approval and securing financing. Shell would be Interlake’s exclusive supplier of LNG for each converted vessel.

Interlake stated the conversion of vessels from heavy fuel oil burning engines to engines that operate on LNG will require them to make significant capital investments in its fleet.  Those investments are expected to result in significant environmental benefits. Interlake anticipates that the conversion to LNG will result in significant reductions of carbon dioxide, sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter.

“This move takes our dedication to environmental stewardship to the next level,” explains Mark Barker, President of Interlake.  “While the marine mode of transportation is already by far the most environmentally friendly way to move goods throughout the Great Lakes region, operating on LNG would further reduce our vessels’ environmental impacts.  We not only respect the needs of our customers, but work to minimize the impact on the waterways which we operate.”

The move to LNG allows Interlake to use a fuel that is sourced, produced and distributed entirely in North America, reducing the use of and reliance on imported fossil fuels.

“The marine transportation industry already supports thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in wages throughout the Great Lakes,” adds Barker.  “We are now evolving in a way that would allow Interlake to participate in the long-term growth and economic prosperity of the region that it has served for 100 years. This move allows us to back the growing natural gas industry, which is also creating valuable jobs here in the U.S.”

Shell announced plans last month to invest in a liquefaction unit at its Sarnia Manufacturing Centre in Ontario, Canada. Once operational, this project will supply LNG fuel throughout the Great Lakes, their bordering U.S. States, Canadian provinces and the St. Lawrence Seaway.