Sunday, May 15, 2011

Biggest Energy Story of the Week: EnCana Extends CNG Corridor

Readers interested in the compressed natural gas story should read this link first.
  • Wyoming is converting its state government fleet to natural gas; first state to do this?
  • UPS is setting up a natural gas corridor from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to Salt Lake City.
Now EnCana is setting up a natural gas corridor from Rock Springs to Salt Lake City. Incredible stuff.

I honestly think this might be the biggest energy story this week.

UPDATE / SPECIAL

After posting the above, I received the following from Anon 1 (see comments below for original comment; I have re-posted it here with minor edits):


These CNG corridors are happening in several places. Utah was way ahead, years ago.

Now, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Shreveport area, Louisiana; Bradford County, Pennsylvania; etc.

CHK announced major funding to support it. (Maybe in the last CHK earnings call.) Encana and others are doing a lot. All CHK vehicles will be CNG or LNG in 4 years or so. A huge fleet. Encana water disposal contractor in the Haynesville will be all LNG. A couple hundred trucks. Mobile fuel source. This is significant.

http://www.encana.com/news/newsreleases/2011/0405-lng-fueling-stations.html

Cross Canada corridor, west to east. A lot in OK. CHK has team to advise fleet owners, government or private. Movement in city bus and delivery service vehicles. Some in city and utility vehicles.

ATT.

IIRC.

It might be enough to largely solve the chicken and egg problem. But, the fleets need to use facilities open to the public to make it work. If government vehicles buy at public stations, in quantity, the problem may be solved. [I agree; out in San Pedro, California -- south Los Angeles -- where I spend a lot of time, there is a CNG station just a block from our house -- but it is used only be city vehicles; I've always thought it needs to be open to the public, but it's probably a liability issue and a low volume issue.]

A couple of GM vehicles. Ford coming. They make lots around the world where they sell.

Some stations are not close by. But, if you are in the area: https://foursquare.com/venue/10142931

Closer to home:


http://www.chk.com/news/articles/pressreleases/04-05-11%20800th%20vehicle%20conversion.pdf

http://www.investingdaily.com/tes/18600/a-big-month-for-natural-gas-vehicles.html

map: http://marcelluscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/MSC_NGV_Study.pdf

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2011/04/25/529508-vehicles-are-lining-up-for-act-expo-2011.html

http://www.loves.com/AboutUs/MediaCenter/News/PressReleaseFeb252011.aspx

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/04/pa_getting_into_the_engergy_bu.html

Additional comment:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704740604576301550341227910.html?ru=yahoo&mod=yahoo_hs

"An 18-wheeler can burn as much fuel in a year as 40 cars. What if it burned domestic natural gas instead of imported oil?"

4 comments:

  1. Anon 1.

    It is happening in several places.

    UT was way ahead, years ago.

    Now, OKC, OK. Shreveport area, LA, Bradford County PA, etc.

    CHK announced major funding to support it. (Maybe in the last CHK earnings call.) Encana and others are doing a lot.

    All CHK vehicles will be CNG or LNG in 4 years or so. A huge fleet.

    Encana water disposal contractor in the Haynesville will be all LNG. A couple hundred trucks. Mobile fuel source. This is significant.

    http://www.encana.com/news/newsreleases/2011/0405-lng-fueling-stations.html

    Cross Canada corridor, West to East.

    A lot in OK.

    CHK has team to advise fleet owners, government or private.

    Movement in city bus and delivery service vehicles. Some in city and utility vehicles. ATT.

    IIRC.

    It might be enough to largely solve the chicken and egg problem.

    But, the fleets need to use facilities open to the public to make it work. If government vehicles buy at public stations, in quantity, the problem may be solved.

    A couple of GM vehicles. Ford coming. They make lots around the world where they sell.

    Some stations are not close by. But, if you are in the area:

    https://foursquare.com/venue/10142931

    Closer to home:

    http://www.chk.com/news/articles/pressreleases/04-05-11%20800th%20vehicle%20conversion.pdf

    http://www.investingdaily.com/tes/18600/a-big-month-for-natural-gas-vehicles.html

    map
    http://marcelluscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/MSC_NGV_Study.pdf

    http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2011/04/25/529508-vehicles-are-lining-up-for-act-expo-2011.html

    http://www.loves.com/AboutUs/MediaCenter/News/PressReleaseFeb252011.aspx

    http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/04/pa_getting_into_the_engergy_bu.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. The UPS corridor will run their trucks on LNG. Recall that Encana is in the Mobile LNG fueling station business as well. There is a link under your NG tab under News. In the past month I've seen articles on Britian and Australia converting Ferries to LNG power. It seems the momentum for CNG/LNG as transportation fuel is starting to gain traction internationally. Maybe the idiots in Washington will actually pass Picken's NG bill.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you. I forgot all about that: LNG vs CNG. Big difference.

    That's a weakness of mine: some of the important details when trying to make a point about the big picture. Thank you for pointing out the two NG fuels: LNG and CNG.

    ReplyDelete
  4. With regard to "Anon 1's" long comment with all the links:

    I normally don't do this, but because of all the links, I will post Anon 1's comment in the bodyof the post so that one can easily click on the links. (One can't do this from the comment boxes -- click on URLs.)

    I was unaware of all these corridors. I don't know all the details but it certainly seems some capitalists have given up waiting for the federal govt to act, and are putting in their own CNG corridors. Something tells me, the private sector will do a better job at than the federal government.

    On so many levels, I find this very exciting.

    ReplyDelete