3M and Chesapeake Energy Corp. will collaborate in designing, manufacturing and marketing a broad portfolio of compressed natural gas tanks for use in all sectors of the U.S. transportation market, starting with commercial vehicles.
3M’s CNG tank solution combines the company’s proprietary liner advancements, thermoplastic materials, barrier films and coatings, and damage-resistant films to transform the pressure vessel industry. Using nanoparticle-enhanced resin technology, 3M Matrix Resin for Pressure Vessels, 3M will create CNG tanks that are 10% to 20% lighter with 10% to 20% greater capacity, all at a lower cost than standard vessels.
The new CNG tanks developed through the 3M and Chesapeake partnership will reduce costs while increasing performance. Less expensive tanks will enable greater market adoption of CNG as an alternative automotive fuel source.
“This partnership brings together two leading companies from different sectors, both committed to advancing the natural gas transportation fuel market,” says Aubrey K. McClendon, Chesapeake’s CEO. “We applaud 3M for recognizing the future of natural gas as a low-cost, cleaner alternative to gasoline, and for creating innovative tank technology that will make natural gas vehicles more affordable and accessible to fleets and individual consumers nationwide.”
Chesapeake has pledged an initial $10 million toward design and certification services, market development support and a commitment to use the new tanks for its corporate fleet conversion to CNG. The company’s investment will be provided by Chesapeake NG Ventures Corp., established in 2011 to identify and invest in companies and technologies that will replace the use of gasoline and diesel derived primarily from foreign oil.
CNGV has committed $1 billion over the next 10 years to help fund various initiatives to increase demand for natural gas, including investments totaling $300 million in Clean Energy Fuels Corp. and privately-held Sundrop Fuels, Inc.
3M has engaged Hypercomp Engineering, Inc. of Utah for the design and certification of tanks. 3M will manufacture the tanks and focus its capital on all future operations and production. 3M expects the tanks to be available for sale during the fourth quarter of 2012.
Printer Friendly Version
Email This Story
RSS
Fuel and Oil: Related News
2/22/2012 – 3M, Chesapeake Energy Partner to Create CNG Tank Technology
3M and Chesapeake Energy Corp. will collaborate in designing, manufacturing and marketing a broad portfolio of compressed natural gas tanks for use in all sectors of the U.S. transportation market, starting with commercial vehicles….
More
2/17/2012 – Love’s Travel Stop Opens in Seguin, Texas
Love’s Travel Stops opened its first new travel stop of 2012 in Seguin, Texas, at Interstate 10, Exit 604….
More
2/17/2012 – Central Freight Lines To Test Peterbilt CNG Tractors
Central Freight Lines, a less-than-truckload for-hire common carrier, will test 15 new compressed natural gas tractors under a grant from the Houston-Galveston Area Council….
More
2/15/2012 – Comdata Installs 500th Point-Of-Sale System
Comdata Corp. installed its 500th Smart Solutions point-of-sale system at a QuikTrip location in Adairsville, Ga….
More
2/14/2012 – Diesel Prices Spike 9 Cents, Oil Prices Highest in 5 Weeks
U.S. diesel prices are up by almost 9 cents per gallon this week, to $3.943 from $3.856. This is the biggest weekly increase since mid-November, according to numbers from the Energy Information Administration’s gas and diesel fuel update….
More
2/13/2012 – Clean Energy Opens LNG Fueling Station in Seville, Ohio
A new liquefied natural gas fueling station built, owned and operated by Clean Energy Fuels Corp., has opened in Seville, Ohio. The station will support the expanding fleet of LNG trucks deployed by Dillon Transport serving Owens Corning and is also available for public access….
More
2/9/2012 – Florida’s Capital Begins Construction for Natural Gas Fueling Station Project
Construction kicked off in Florida’s capital city on the first of a network of natural gas fueling stations….
More
2/8/2012 – Hino Trucks Honored at National Biodiesel Conference
Hino Trucks was recognized by the National Biodiesel Board with the 2012 “Eye on Biodiesel Impact Award” during a ceremony at the National Biodiesel Conference in Orlando, Fla….
More
2/8/2012 – TravelCenters of America Adds DEF Dispensers at More Than 60 Locations
TravelCenters of America completed the installation of bulk diesel exhaust fluid dispensers at 62 of its TA and Petro Stopping Center locations….
More
2/8/2012 – DOE Predicts 2012 Will See Highest Oil Prices Since ’08
The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects the price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil to average about $100 per barrel in 2012, almost $6 per barrel higher than the average price last year….
More
2/8/2012 – U.S. DEF pump price drops
The average pump price for diesel exhaust fluid in the U.S. fell by a penny to $2.75 a gallon from December to January, discoverdef.com reported….
More
2/8/2012 – Clean Energy Contracts with Green Energy Oilfield Services to Build LNG Station for Texas Tanker Fleet
Clean Energy Fuels Corp. signed a 10-year agreement with Texas transport provider Green Energy Oilfield Services to build, supply and maintain a new liquefied natural gas fueling station at Green Energy headquarters in Fairfield, Texas. …
More
2/7/2012 – Diesel and Gas Prices Continue to Creep Up, Oil Prices fall
U.S. diesel prices are up again this week by less than a tenth of a cent to $3.856, while the nation’s gas prices are up by a little more than 4 cents to $3.482, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s weekly report….
More
2/2/2012 – Natural Gas Gets Big Boost in Deal by Navistar, Clean Fuels and T. Boone Pickens
Natural gas will become a more popular fuel for commercial trucks if Navistar International and Clean Fuels Corp. can help it, and they intend to.
T. Boone Pickens, the oilman-turned-gas promoter whose BP Capital owns Clean Fuels, joined Navistar executives to announce a deal yesterday morning at the truck builder’s new headquarters in Lisle, Ill….
More
1/31/2012 – Diesel and Gas prices Rise, Oil Falls
This week, U.S. diesel prices increased by less than a tenth of a cent to $3.850 from $3.848. However, the Midwest, Rocky Mountain and West Coast regions all saw very slight price decreases….
More
1/31/2012 – Odyne Systems Delivers Seven Hybrid System Work Trucks Throughout Wisconsin
Hybrid system maker Odyne Systems LLC has delivered seven trucks featuring the Odyne advanced plug-in hybrid propulsion system to utilities and municipalities in Wisconsin….
More
1/30/2012 – Biodiesel Production Breaks 1 Billion Gallon Mark in 2011
The U.S. biodiesel industry produced more than 1 billion gallons of fuel in 2011, a key milestone….
More
1/27/2012 – President Obama Talks Alternative Fuel in Las Vegas
On Thursday, President Obama visited a UPS facility in Las Vegas to pitch a plan to boost the nations’ use of natural gas….
More
1/26/2012 – HyperSolar to Make Zero Carbon Renewable Hydrogen Gas
HyperSolar Inc. announced that its proprietary process can produce zero carbon, renewable hydrogen gas using the power of the sun and wastewater….
More
1/24/2012 – Diesel and Gas Prices Drop For First Time in Three Weeks
For the first time in three weeks, average U.S. diesel and gas prices dropped, but only by less than a tenth of a cent for each. The current averages for diesel and gas are $3.848 and $3.389, respectively, down from last week’s $3.854 and $3.391….
More
1/24/2012 – DOE Projects Reduced Reliance on Foreign Oil
In an annual outlook, the U.S. Department of Energy says increased oil, natural gas and renewable energy production and energy efficiency improvements will reduce U.S. reliance on imported oil and other energy sources….
More
1/23/2012 – Exporting Natural Gas Could Mean Higher Prices
There’s been a lot of interest in natural gas as an alternative fuel for some types of trucking, largely because of its attractive price compared to diesel. But a study released by the U.S. Department of Energy says if natural gas exports continue to increase, it could cause prices here in the U.S. to rise by between 36% and 54% by 2018….
More
1/18/2012 – I-5 Through California, Oregon and Washington To Become Shorepower Corridor
This year, Interstate 5 through California, Oregon and Washington, will become the first Shorepower corridor, with six additional locations offering the anti-idling technology….
More
1/18/2012 – Diesel and Gas See Slight Gains, Crude Prices Rise 2%
U.S. diesel prices are up slightly from last week at less than 3 cents more per gallon, to $3.854….
More
1/16/2012 – Clean Energy Unveils Backbone Network for Natural Gas Highway
Clean Energy Fuels Corp. unveiled the route plan for the first phase of 150 new LNG fueling stations along what it’s calling “America’s Natural Gas Highway.”…
More
1/11/2012 – Study Says Propane GAS Act Could Create 42,000 New Jobs and $29 Million in Economic Gain
Findings of an independent analysis by ICF International say that the passing of the legislation for the Propane Green Autogas Solutions (GAS) Act of 2011 (H.R. 2014 and S. 1120) would create a significant increase in jobs and a substantial economic boom for the U.S….
More
1/11/2012 – Ryder signs Source Interlink to Flex-to-Green lease agreement
Ryder System Inc. has signed its first Flex-to-Green lease agreement…
More
1/10/2012 – Diesel Up for the First Time in Seven Weeks, Oil Fades
The price of diesel fuel is up this week for the first time in nearly a month, rising 4.5 cents from last week to $3.828. New York crude continued its three-day slide, losing 25 cents a barrel on Monday….
More
1/9/2012 – Clean Energy Accelerates Fueling Station Completions in 2011
Clean Energy significantly increased its fueling station project completions during 2011 to help support the growing demand for natural gas vehicle fueling….
More