Encana's LNG refuelling station
Encana Natural Gas Inc., a subsidiary of Encana Corporation, one of North America’s largest natural gas producers, has opened the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling station in Louisiana. Located at The Relay Station in Frierson, the station which will serve the fueling needs of heavy duty truck fleets is open for public use (to those with proper LNG vehicle safety training) and will be accepting all major credit cards. The station is currently being utilized by Heckmann Water Resources (HWR), an Encana partner in water sustainability in the natural gas industry.
HWR recently ordered 200 new LNG big-rig trucks, 50 of which have been deployed to date. California-based Heckmann Corporation, parent company to HWR, provides water management services to Encana and other producers in the Haynesville resource play. Encana says this partnership opens the door for more natural gas fuel use in the large freight vehicle industry.
Encana also recently secured a contract with Pivotal LNG, a subsidiary of AGL Resources Inc. which owns and operates a major liquefaction facility. This contract enables Encana to provide LNG to consumers and will create further opportunities for natural gas in the transportation sector.
“We are very pleased to be part of an innovative Canadian and American solution to expand the use of LNG. This new station is a major step towards encouraging companies to convert vehicles to run on affordable, environmentally-responsible natural gas,” said Eric Marsh, Executive Vice-President, Encana Corporation & Senior Vice-President, USA Division.
Encana works with supply chain partners and other external heavy duty fleets by offering fueling solutions to help them better manage fuel usage and realize the cost savings of natural gas. Additionally, Encana owns and operates four mobile LNG fueling stations (two in Louisiana) and six compressed natural gas (CNG) stations. In leading by example, Encana has converted nearly half of their fleet field vehicles in Louisiana operations to utilize CNG. They have also retrofitted drilling rig engines to run on natural gas in their U.S. operations, four of which run on LNG.
Natural gas powered cars and trucks are fueled with CNG or LNG and operate similarly to gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles and generally have a longer operating life due to the cleaner combustion. Converting freight trucks and commercial vehicles has an immediate impact on saving fuel costs and reducing carbon emissions. Converting one 18-wheeler from diesel to LNG is equivalent to removing the emissions of about 325 cars from the road.
(This article compiled using information from an Encana Press release)
