LP/Gas articles from December 2008

LP/Gas archives from December 2008

Another go-around: cabinet heater coalition positions revised proposal on NFPA calendar.(Opening Delivery)(National Fire Protection Association )
December 1, 2008... Propane-fired cabinet heaters have roots that extend back to the 1980s when steel cylinders were considered for indoor use. Two decades later, the product remains sidelined awaiting introduction into the market. While attempts have been made,...

Potential weld defects found in METSA storage tanks.(Vital Signs: INDUSTRY NEWS & NUMBERS)
December 1, 2008... A potential safety concern has been discovered in the welding of "U" stamped pressure vessels manufactured by Maquinado de Equipos y Tanques S.A. de C.V. (METSA) in Mexico, the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) has learned. The chief...

DOT finalizes HOS rules, with no changes.
December 1, 2008... The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration adopted as final hours-of-service provisions contained in a Dec. 17, 2007, interim final rule for commercial motor vehicle drivers. According to the notice, "This final rule allows CMV drivers to...

CleanFUEL USA, ConocoPhillips partner.
December 1, 2008... CleanFUEL USA and ConocoPhillips have signed a three-year agreement to advance propane infrastructure for the U.S. transportation fuel industry. Under the agreement, the companies will provide resources to install and supply propane fuel pumps...

LP/gas stock index.(VitalSigns: INDUSTRY NEWS & NUMBERS)
December 1, 2008... LP/Gas Stock Index [PROPANE MASTER LIMITED PARTNERSHIP COMPARISON] Quarter Price Company Symbol Ended (11/17/08) Americas APU Sept. ...

Heating degree days by state.(WeatherWatch)
December 1, 2008... HEATING DEGREE DAYS BY STATE DEVIATION DEVIATION FROM LAST 12 FROM STATE OCTOBER NORM MONTHS NORM ...

Gas pains.(Cartoon)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I'VE BEEN GOOD THIS YEAR... SO, INSTEAD OF A LUMP OF COAL HOW 'BOUT SOME CLEANER-BURNING PROPANE INSTEAD?

American Welding & Tank restructures.
December 1, 2008... American Welding & Tank LLC, a division of Taylor-Wharton International LLC, will consolidate propane tank manufacturing and refurbishing service operations at the Jesup, Ga., factory into the company's four remaining facilities. The Jesup...

Calif. vote scheduled on diesel engine rules.
December 1, 2008... The California Air Resources Board (ARB) was scheduled to vote on Dec. 11-12 on proposed diesel engine rules. This rule change would require all diesel vehicles over 14,000 gross vehicle weight rating operating in California to retrofit the...

Fiesta recalls Blue Ember LPG and natural gas grills.
December 1, 2008... The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Fiesta Gas Grills of Dickson, Tenn., announced a voluntary recall of Blue Ember liquid propane or natural gas outdoor grills. The gas grills can be assembled improperly, exposing...

Paraco Gas Corp. acquires HL Propane Co.
December 1, 2008... Paraco Gas Corp. acquired the propane operations of HL Propane Co. Inc. of New Lebanon, N.Y. Paraco assumes distribution of propane to more than 2,000 residential and commercial customers and about 1.2 million gallons in towns and...

Summit stresses urgency for propane engine fuel.(VitalSigns)
December 1, 2008... More than 200 people gathered in November at the Propane Engine Fuel Summit in Detroit. The summit featured 16 exhibitors, and consumer products on display included a Roush Propane F-150 truck, a propane-fueled sedan from the fleet of Metro...

Global company Arkema acquires Odor-Tech Inc.
December 1, 2008... Bayou Engineering Co., the parent company of Odorization Technology Inc., has sold the fleet side of Odor-Tech to its chemical supplier, Arkema Gas Odorants LLC (AGO). AGO will continue doing business as Odor-Tech and will be the entity that...

Valley National Gases announces two acquisitions.
December 1, 2008... Valley National Gases LLC of Independence, Ohio, announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire General Welding Supply and its affiliates, a distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases, bulk propane and welding supplies, with...

Griffith Energy grows with Van Dyne Oil acquisition.
December 1, 2008... Griffith Energy completed the acquisition of Van Dyne Oil Co., a heating oil and power fuels supplier located in Naples, N.Y. Griffith Energy is one of the largest combined marketers of propane, heating oils and power fuels in New York. Company...

Propane software developer makes products acquisition.
December 1, 2008... Rural Computer Consultants Inc. (RCC) of Bird Island, Minn., has acquired the software products of Program Systems Inc. of Birmingham, Ala. RCC develops, markets and supports the back-office software, The RCC Fuel Distribution System, for the...

NPGA updates proctor policies for CETP paper exams.(Certified Employee Training Program)(National Propane Gas Association )(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Effective Jan. 1, 2009, NPGA will expand the security policy for Certified Employee Training Program (CETP) paper exams by requiring that exams be shipped directly to the proctor at the address provided on the test order form. The proctor is...

Propane industry veteran joins Ohio company as broker.
December 1, 2008... Mitch Genslinger has joined Sunbelt of the Miami Valley as a business broker in Dayton, Ohio. Genslinger has 23 years of propane industry experience, with his last position being in consulting, valuations and business sales for Propane...

Final rules issued on railroad routing risk analyses.
December 1, 2008... The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued final rules on railroad routing risk analyses. An interim final rule (IFR) required railroads to perform safety and security...

FERC postpones conference on proposed pipeline changes.
December 1, 2008... The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) postponed the technical conference, which had been scheduled for Nov. 20, to discuss Dixie Pipeline Co.'s proposed changes to its tariffs. FERC agreed to the postponement because interested...

Holiday bonuses.(IN THE KNOW)
December 1, 2008... Propane Resources surveyed 384 retail propane marketers across the United States regarding the following questions about performing holiday bonuses, customer and employee appreciation, and customer and employee assistance. We received responses...

Events.(VitalSigns)(Liquefied petroleum gas industry)(Conference news)(Calendar)
December 1, 2008... * JAN. 16-17, 2009 Marketers' Management Forum at the Embassy Suites in Phoenix, AZ. For details, contact Baron Glassgow at bglassgow@npga. org or 866-881-6309. * JAN. 20-23 International Builders Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center....

Feeling the heat: is your business heating up or are your profits going up in flames? Our report reveals alarming trends for propane retailers.(STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 2008)(Company overview)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Yep, things are a mess. Looking back, retailing sure was easy before overwhelming regulation and sky-high insurance took the fun out of the business. Sure, you worried about what weather Mother Nature would be...

Serve your customers: growing approach is to understand, measure, improve their experiences.(Business Matters)
December 1, 2008... If your company successfully completed a new tank installation on time and without problems, is the new customer event considered a success if all that Mrs. Smith (the new homeowner) remembers is grumpy workers and tracked flower beds? It...

Safety in tough times: don't allow current challenges to impact industry's positive gains.(Safety First)
December 1, 2008... Times have been tough for propane marketers. Marketers caught with high-cost contracts as the price of product dropped through the floor are really singing the blues. Such tough times have everyone looking for ways to cut expenses. It...

Contractor exonerated: case shows importance of monitoring cathodic protection of lines, tanks.(Legal Brief)
December 1, 2008... On Dec. 6, 2006, an industrial explosion shook Milwaukee, leaving three people dead, 67 injured and property damages in excess of $75 million. The case received national media attention. Locally, it was considered one of the biggest news...

Propane: the right choice: be as green as possible in your business, and tell your customers about it.(Marketing In Motion)
December 1, 2008... The Greenbuild International Conference and Expo was held last month in Boston. The event was hosted by the U.S. Green Building Council to explore the latest green building products and technologies that can qualify for the Leadership in Energy...

Eastern Liquids LLC: Targa rail terminal operator targets fast, efficient and safe loading of LPG.(Snap Shot: COMPANIES TO WATCH)
December 1, 2008... Eastern Liquids LLC has teamed with Targa Midstream Services for the past three years to operate a major wholesale terminal in the Northeast. And it continues to grow. The Sparta Junction Terminal expansion opened on Dec. 16, 2005, in...