Sector

Natural gas for use in the fleet transportation sector continues to make inroads, as evidenced by the recent news out of Ford Motor Co. that sales of Ford trucks with engines prepped for compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) catapulted more than 350% from 2009 to 2012.

Unlike natural gas, oil can be carried in a bucket — or in a rail car — as is increasingly the case in the Bakken Shale, for instance, where the drill bit has gotten ahead of the pipeline, way ahead of the pipeline, in offering oil producers a route to market.

The U.S. energy pipeline sector’s oil contingent is expressing concerns about the studies used by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to develop new safety requirements for natural gas pipelines.

As natural gas moves into various segments of the transportation sector, there is CNG, LNG and now DNG — diesel natural gas. A unit of Oklahoma-based Chesapeake Energy said Thursday it is offering a conversion kit to allow diesel-powered vehicles to run on DNG.

The market for natural gas-fueled buses is gaining momentum, according to Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL), a Scottish firm that hopes to dominate the sector worldwide. It is touting orders in November for more than 1,000 buses worth $352 million, more than half going to Hong Kong.

Asserting that a complete moratorium on shale exploration “would limit the potential” for research, the government of the Canadian province of New Brunswick said Tuesday it intends to continue to identify and act on the opportunity for greater scientific work to be done relating to shale gas exploration.

Riding high on record profits and continuing efficiencies, the contract drilling sector nevertheless faces uncertainties during the first half of next year that require patience and flexibility, said the CEO of Tulsa-based Helmerich & Payne Inc. (HP).

Riding high on record profits and continuing efficiencies, the contract drilling sector nevertheless faces uncertainties during the first half of next year that require patience and flexibility, said the CEO of Tulsa-based Helmerich & Payne Inc. (HP).

A public-sector water conservancy is appealing to the Colorado Supreme Court for the right to divert and store water for prospective clients, including shale oil and gas operators. A state water court earlier denied the proposal by Yellow Jacket Water Conservancy District.