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XNG CNG Tractor Trailer Crashes, Closes Section of I-295 in Maine

An unfortunate incident to report. Yesterday morning, a compressed natural gas (CNG) tractor trailer registered to and owned by Xpress Natural Gas (XNG), based in Montrose, Pennsylvania, hit a patch of snow, lost control, struck a barrier, bounced off, and struck the median barrier, causing the trailer to detach. The trailer landed on the rear of a 2016 Hyundai Sonata in the northbound passing lane, which caused both to flip and come to rest facing south. This all happened on Interstate 295 in Yarmouth, Maine, closing that section of the interstate.

1/19/24 UPDATE: The driver of the XNG truck has been ticketed by Maine State Police for drifting out of his lane in a construction zone. See below.

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CNG Truck Crash in Upstate NY Near Albany – This One Exploded

Here’s a story we became aware of several weeks ago but have not shared until now because we could not (still cannot) confirm some of the details. A tractor trailer hauling compressed natural gas (CNG) “from Pennsylvania” crashed into a low bridge in Glenville (Schenectady County), NY, near Albany, on Thursday, Dec. 21. The driver said he did not see the height warning signs and the top of the trailer hit a railroad bridge, exploding. The resulting fireball was some 200 feet high. The driver was seriously injured with third-degree burns and airlifted to Westchester Medical Center for treatment.
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PA-Based REV LNG Orders CNG Containers from Norway’s Hexagon

A press release out of Oslo, Norway, caught our attention. It was issued by Hexagon Agility, a business of Hexagon Composites. Hexagon said it had received an order from REV LNG for its TITAN Mobile Pipeline® modules — compressed natural gas (CNG) containers that get stacked on a trailer and hauled from point A to point B. REV LNG is a full-service supplier of liquid natural gas (LNG), compressed natural gas (CNG) and renewable natural gas (RNG) specializing in development, production, supply, transportation, and distribution solutions. REV is headquartered in Mendon, NY, with major operations in Ulysses, PA.
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Compass Natural Gas Expanding Virtual Pipe in Montoursville, PA

In June 2015, MDN told you about a cool plan by a Pennsylvania company to establish a CNG (compressed natural gas) terminal in Lycoming County, PA, as a way to get natural gas to manufacturers, fleets, and businesses where no pipeline infrastructure now exists (see Getting Marcellus NatGas to Customers without Pipelines). Compass Natural Gas Partners, based in Camp Hill, PA, said they would build a first-of-its-kind CNG terminal in Lycoming County that will accept Marcellus Shale gas, clean it up (get rid of the water in it), compress it to 3600 psi, and load it into specially designed trailers that haul it to customers. Compass, with a tagline on their website that says “All We Need is Road,” built the terminal. It went fully operational in December 2016 (see Look Ma, No Pipeline! Lycoming County Co. Begins CNG Shipments). We have good news: Compass is expanding its facility in Lycoming County.
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Shortline Railroad Wins Award for PA Marcellus Transload Facility

We can’t resist a good railroad story. The American Shortline and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has just recognized the Reading & Northern (R&N) Railroad, based in Port Clinton, PA, with one of the industry’s highest honors for marketing achievement. The ASLRRA recognized R&N for its development of a large Marcellus Shale transload facility in Tunkhannock (Wyoming County), PA. Opened in late 2021, the facility began full operations in early 2022 and handled over 2200 carloads of frack sand despite many challenges facing the Marcellus Shale region.
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PA DEP Fines Trucking Co. $600K for Dumping Drill Cuttings No Permit

The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced a consent order assessing a $600,000 fine against a trucking company that hauled drill cuttings from West Virginia and dumped them (without a permit) at several sites owned by the trucking company in Fayette County, PA. The unsanctioned dumping happened between the years 2012 and 2015.
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XNG Virtual Pipeline Getting More CNG Trailers from Hexagon

MDN editor Jim Willis lives in the Binghamton, NY, area. While traveling local highways and local town roadways, he often sees XNG tractor-trailers passing through the area (like the one pictured at left). XNG (Xpress Natural Gas) is a “virtual pipeline” company, compressing and hauling CNG (compressed natural gas) to customers in the northeastern United States. The company has a major depot in Montrose, PA, not far from MDN HQ, compressing and then transporting Marcellus gas to customers that don’t have the benefit of using pipelined gas. XNG has just ordered more CNG trailers.
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Nikola Trucks Will Use Hydrogen from KeyState’s PA NatGas Project

Nikola TRE FCEV

The KeyState Natural Gas Synthesis project in Clinton County, PA, is developing the first carbon capture project in Pennsylvania, which will locally produce hydrogen, ammonia, and urea (see Innovative Clinton County, PA Petchem Plant Gets More Investors). The $400-$500 million project will drill for the natural gas, transport and process it, and manufacture the end products–all within a self-contained, closed loop, nearly eliminating emissions by capturing and sequestering the carbon underground in the process. KeyState now has a major customer lined up to use the hydrogen it will produce: Nikola Corporation.
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Appalachian Hydrogen Transportation Conference Coming Sept. 23

The Appalachian Hydrogen Transportation Conference will be held at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Friday, Sept. 23. The event is hosted by MDN’s good friend Joe Barone from ShaleDirectories.com. Whether you like it or not (we personally don’t like it), hydrogen production and pipeline movement, along with capturing and storing carbon dioxide, is touching all oil and natural gas companies. This event is aimed at addressing the responsibility and opportunities that the transportation industry has in moving hydrogen. If hydrogen is in your company’s future, this conference should be in *your* future.
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Long Ridge Energy Partners with General Hydrogen Corp. for H2

hydrogen tube trailer

In April, MDN told you about a world first when the gas-fired power plant (currently powered by Utica Shale gas) on the banks of the Ohio River in Hannibal (Monroe County), OH, successfully added a 5% mixture of hydrogen to the natural gas it burns (see Utica Gas Power Plant on Ohio River Uses Hydrogen in World First). The Long Ridge Energy Terminal is the first large, commercial operation to blend hydrogen with natural gas to produce electricity. We’ve wondered where Long Ridge would get the hydrogen it uses to blend. What is the source? We now have the answer…
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NY Politicians Protest LNG Truck Terminal in Brooklyn

National Grid is desperately trying not to run out of natural gas for its customers in Brooklyn and Queens (on Long Island). For several years the company has fought a battle to run a tiny pipeline to its Greenpoint, Brooklyn facility, to provide extra natural gas. That project is being investigated by the Biden administration on charges of racism (see Woke Nation: 2nd Fed Agency Investigating Brooklyn Pipe as Racist). National Grid has a backup plan–add two extra LNG vaporizers to the Greenpoint facility to turn trucked LNG back into gas that can flow through the system. Anti-fossil fuel fanatics have pressured sleazy politicians to turn against it. We hope they enjoy being without heat in the winter in Brooklyn and Queens.
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24/7 Marcellus Shale Truck Traffic in Bethlehem, WV a Problem

Location of Ridgecrest Rd, denoted by red pin in center (click for larger version)

Ridgecrest Road in the village of Bethlehem (Ohio County), WV is a suburb of Wheeling. Ridgecrest Road doubles as State Route 88, carrying traffic into Marshall County. Over the past decade or so truck traffic along Ridgecrest has increased as drilling in the Marcellus in Marshall County has increased. The problem is the trucks going to/from well sites operate 24/7. The trucks are loud and wake up the people who live along that road. They’re also driving too fast.
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Antis Get Judge to Block Brooklyn LNG Truck Depot – Shortage Coming

MDN previously told you about so-called environmentalists filing a lawsuit to block the construction of an LNG unloading facility in Greenpoint, Brooklyn (see NYC Antis Sue to Block Brooklyn LNG Truck Depot – Shortage Coming). National Grid, a huge utility company that supplies natural gas to all of Long Island, including two New York City boroughs (Queens and Brooklyn), needs a way to inject more natural gas into its distribution system…or else. The radicals have somehow convinced a low-level judge to temporarily block construction at the Greenpoint site.
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Brooke County, WV Residents Fed Up with Fracking Noise

Brooke County, WV

You know we are 100% pro-fracking here at MDN. But you also know we champion the rights of landowners and the people who live in areas where fracking happens. Drillers *must* be mindful of the impacts they have on the neighbors. Those impacts include truck traffic, lights (at night), and noise. Fracking equipment is loud. Some residents who live miles from fracking locations in Brooke County, WV are complaining to the County Commission that the noise is bothersome.
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NYC Antis Sue to Block Brooklyn LNG Truck Depot – Shortage Coming

So-called environmentalists filed a lawsuit last week to block the construction of an LNG unloading facility in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. National Grid, a huge utility company that supplies natural gas to all of Long Island, including two New York City boroughs (Queens and Brooklyn), needs a way to inject more natural gas into its distribution system…or else. Or else during extreme winter weather events some folks will run out of gas for heating and cooking. Antis don’t care–until they’re the ones who run out.
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5 Men Get Probation for Years-Old Marcellus Truck Emissions Scam

We finally come to the end of a saga that began nearly three years ago, in Sept. 2018 when six men were charged with conspiring to illegally alter emissions systems on 30+ trucks with heavy-duty diesel engines, trucks used to haul water and wastewater to and from Marcellus Shale wells (see 6 Charged with Bypassing Emissions Controls on Marcellus Trucks). All six pled guilty. One of the six did jail time. The other five were finally sentenced last week–to probation.
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