Rising North American oil production helped to bring down oil, gasoline and diesel prices in 2012, and prices will continue to fall in 2013-2014, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The EIA has forecast in its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) that US benchmark crude oil West Texas Intermediate will average $93.17 per barrel… Keep reading →
Last week I had the opportunity to attend and participate in LNG17, the largest global gas event of 2013. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a rapidly growing part of the larger natural gas industry and is especially relevant today because of the increasing global demand for transportation fuels. At the conference, it was clear to me that LNG is a priority for not only Shell, but also the entire industry because of its potential to provide real economic and environmental benefits to the transportation industry in trucks, trains and ships.
For around 50 years, LNG has been used as a source of energy for power generation in cities but new technology and increasing demand has inspired Shell to invest in LNG for transport. Resources around the world, especially in North America, are abundant but supply is growing far faster than demand. It is the industry’s responsibility to build the infrastructure and develop innovative technology to utilize this energy source to its fullest potential. Keep reading →
Refining has long been a low-margin business, not for the faint of heart. The difference between what refiners pay for input and what they get for output, known as the crack spread, is traded on major oil markets. It sometimes goes negative, meaning refiners lose money on every barrel.
In the 1970s, with widespread worries over fuel supplies, US refiners overbuilt capacity. Since the 1980s, refiners have sold, merged, and shut down excess capacity, and upgraded capabilities, resulting in fewer refiners but more capacity actually utilized and better economics overall. Keep reading →
Sanctions against Iran, uprisings in oil producing nations – headlines often focus on what’s happening with global oil supply.
But they tend to overlook refining, the link between crude oil and consumers that is critical to assessing the strategic effects of those events. Keep reading →
Methanol is the simplest form of alcohol and could help lower gasoline prices. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Affairs David Sandalow recently spoke about the benefits and challenges associated with using methanol as a transportation fuel.
Methanol can be produced from a variety of feedstocks – including natural gas – which makes it much cheaper than an equivalent gallon of gasoline or diesel at current prices. However, there are technical, infrastructural and regulatory challenges to widespread distribution and consumption of methanol in the US. Keep reading →
Engine manufacturers, natural gas producers and fuel distributors have been “pushing” the financial and environmental benefits their technology offers, but some industry leaders are now seeing significant “market pull.”
The fuel cost differential that has emerged between natural gas and diesel or gasoline is perhaps the most compelling aspect of the natural gas vehicle business case. Navistar Engine Group President Eric Tech told Breaking Energy that it’s not hard to convince customers to save money. Keep reading →
With swelling U.S. natural gas inventories, swooning futures prices, and weather that has recently seen little need for gas as a heating fuel, it’s hard to believe that prices are headed off their current decade lows.
But not according to Chesapeake. Keep reading →
President Obama outlined new plans Wednesday to support the sales and use of alternative-fuel vehicles — including cars and trucks that run on hydrogen and natural gas instead of just those that run on electricity. The plans are part of a $1 billion National Community Deployment Challenge intended to support the use of natural gas and other alternative fuel technologies, in addition to plug-in vehicles. The president also announced separate incentives to encourage individuals and businesses to purchase alternative-fuel vehicles.
What happens when the largest American commercial fleets commit to reduced gasoline and diesel use? http://go.usa.gov/PCl ENERGY
Decade-low natural gas prices in the US are helping whet consumer appetite for natural gas vehicles, and Ryder Trucks is getting in on the action.
In addition to the immediate financial benefits, natural gas vehicles (NGVs) can also help companies achieve their corporate sustainability initiatives, says Scott Perry, Vice President, Supply Management at Ryder. Companies can benefit from decreased greenhouse gas emissions and advance their alternative fuel agendas by opting for trucks powered by natural gas. Keep reading →
Jared Anderson
Conway Irwin
Peter Gardett