Engines

A global leader in natural gas engines, Vancouver, BC-based Westport Innovations Inc. on Friday said it has acquired a leading conversion company, BAF Technologies Inc., from Clean Energy Fuels Corp., the California-based natural gas vehicle (NGV) fueling company. Westport secured the deal with $25 million worth of its stock.

The United States likely will surpass Russia and Saudi Arabia this year to become the largest liquids producer in the world because of tight oil and biofuels growth, according to BP plc. North America also is expected to lead in shale gas output to 2030.

The mayor of Pittsburgh said he would not sign a measure allowing voters to decide whether to ban natural gas extraction in the city, but the city council is still trying to get the referendum on the ballot.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is being examined as an alternative fuel to diesel for locomotive engines by a collaboration of Canadian National Railway (CN), Westport Innovations and Gaz Metro Transportation Solutions (GMTS). They are seeking to develop a prototype LNG engine for locomotives by 2013. The project has obtained a $2.4 million grant from the Canadian government-backed Sustainable Development Technology Canada, a nonprofit that finances development of clean technologies. The project initially will concentrate on an LNG system for locomotives, both in plant and field settings. GMTS will provide LNG and fuel supply logistical expertise while CN will provide the locomotive expertise, the partners said.

The rich gas corridor of the Marcellus Shale is attracting producers even at low natural gas prices, but while most natural gas liquids (NGL) command a premium in the Northeast, the lack of ethane markets in the region is a challenge, according to several industry players.

The winter weather machine was starting to rev up its engines again, with forecasts of lows around freezing or colder extending into most of the South, and the spot market responded with small to moderate increases at a large majority of points Tuesday. The return of industrial load from its greater-than-usual declines over a holiday weekend and Friday’s 7.2-cent uptick by March futures also played supportive roles.

The winter weather machine was starting to rev up its engines again, with forecasts of lows around freezing or colder extending into most of the South, and the spot market responded with small to moderate increases at a large majority of points Tuesday. The return of industrial load from its greater-than-usual declines over a holiday weekend and Friday’s 7.2-cent uptick by March futures also played supportive roles.

The Ohio Public Utility Commission approved Monongahela Power’selectric transition plan on the one year anniversary of the dayOhio’s electric restructuring bill took effect.