Cabot Opens CNG Fueling Station in Susquehanna County

It is tomorrow’s footprint…today.  August 15^th was the media event surrounding the Grand Opening of a compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station in Springville, Susquehanna County. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While this facility is for Cabot vehicles only, this demonstrates how CNG will be sold in the future, a future which is just around the corner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Linde Corporation was on the job here for Cabot, as we erected the fences, poured the stone, poured the supports and set all the equipment for this CNG station.  Linde’s Larry Holgate, Joe Jugan and Linde President, Scott Linde were on hand for the event.

 

 

 

 

 

Cabot’s numbers illustrate how our future will be driven in larger and larger measures by natural gas taken from right under our feet. Right now Cabot is operating 15 of the top 20 producing wells in Pennsylvania, generating 1.2 billion cubic feet/day of natural gas. According to Cabot, the wells are producing 98% methane.  It is clean, dry and ready to use.  Perhaps the best news for Cabot is that they still have 3,000 wells yet to drill. This portable compressor will produce CNG in the field.

 

 

 

 

The prices make sense for the rest of us.  Currently CNG is selling for the energy equivalent of $1.11/gallon, far less than the $3.60 or so we’re currently paying for gasoline. This Kenworth Truck is one of the new multi-fuel vehicles already available.

 

 

 

 

 

These numbers also mean that converting vehicles to natural gas can make good economic sense.  Cabot estimates that it will take less than two years for the conversion(which costs in the range of $5,000) to pay for itself in lower fuel costs.  Cabot is currently operating 60 multi-use vehicles to run on regular gas and CNG or diesel fuel and CNG. 

 

 

 

 

 

“Dual fuel” is also finding its way onto the well pads.  This behemoth is a fracking rig and is affectionately known as the Green Monster.  In a demo project, the owners converted the engine from diesel-only to a dual fuel of diesel and CNG.  They say the result is a machine which runs cleaner, cheaper, safer and longer than before. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So far 10 wells have been drilled with dual use machines and Cabot says there are many more opportunities to replace gas and diesel with CNG.  Not everyone will go all the way to converting a 55 Chevy to burn CNG, but we will all benefit from lower prices for energy which we harvested, right here in Pennsylvania.