Air Products (APD) acquired a new steam methane reformer (SMR) hydrogen facility from MarkWest Energy Partners L.P. (MWE). The facility, which is under construction, is in Corpus Christi, Texas. The company did not disclose the financial details of the transaction.   This acquisition further reinforces Air Products’ position as a leading hydrogen provider in the U.S. Gulf Coast. The company said that the new facility, which is expected to be operational in March 2010, will produce over 30 million standard cubic feet per day. It will be owned and operated by Air Products.   The companies also signed a separate long-term supply agreement whereby Air Products will provide hydrogen and steam to MarkWest.   Earlier this year, Air Products strengthened its U.S. Gulf Coast hydrogen pipeline network with the successful completion of a pipeline connection across Lake Pontchartrain. The company said that this enhances the supply reliability ...

Recently, I had the unique opportunity to tour two different oil sands operations near Fort McMurray, in northern Alberta. I saw a massive open-pit oil sands mine, and the associated reclamation effort, operated by Syncrude Canada Ltd. I also visited an in situ oil sands recovery project called Surmont, operated by ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP).

The trip was sponsored by the American Petroleum Institute (API), which paid for the airfare and accommodations. Managers at both Syncrude and ConocoPhillips granted me access to any parts of their operations I wanted to see (within allowances for safety). And everyone answered any and all questions I asked.

Post-trip, I have complete editorial freedom to write about what I saw and learned. And I learned a lot. So this is Part I of a two-part series. Watch for Part II.

The Past and Future of Oil and Oil Sands

The first thing that struck me about visiting

...

You could say that BWI Holdings, Inc. is really into garbage. But the growing waste solutions company based in Alberta, Canada now goes well beyond standard residential trash handling. BWI has managed to firmly establish itself in a full range of related waste handling and recycling operations, serving commercial, industrial, construction, homebuilding, and even the oil field industry. They also provide special support to the construction industry, in the form of things like fence and sanitary facility rentals, as well as hydrovac site cleanup and water hauling.

In order to manage its diverse operations, BWI has divided itself into four business segments:

• Solid Waste • Liquid Services • Water Hauling • Septic Services

BWI’s source of revenue is based upon customer fees for waste collection, landfill disposal, and recycling. The company’s activities cover operations in Calgary, Edmonton, and the smaller Alberta communities of Edson and Red

...

It was another stellar day for all the precious metals yesterday…gold, silver platinum and palladium. Gold was up a hair over two percent…and the other three metals were up four percent plus.

Gold rose almost from the Globex open at the start of Friday morning trading in the Far East…and really moved to the upside the moment that Sydney closed for the weekend. From there, it rose steadily through London and the Comex open…with the peak price coming at the 4:00 p.m. London close…11:00 a.m. in New York. However, gold managed to close very close to its highs of the day [for a gain of almost $20] by the time electronic trading on the Globex system was over at 5:15 p.m. late Friday afternoon. The usual N.Y. commentator added this…”Aggregate estimated volume was only 100,104 lots and less than 25,000 contracts traded in the last three hours.”

However, the star performer was

...

During the summer heat and dry seasons, a spark can start a wildfire that consumes everything in its path. The fires can be deadly to humans and wildlife, and can take days to contain. Firefighters work around the clock to get them under control – coordinated efforts and access to the right equipment is vital for fire departments.

BWI Holdings Inc., operating as Budget Waste Inc., is a Canada-based waste solutions and recycling company with commercial, industrial, construction, homebuilding, oilfield and residential clients. The company recently announced it secured a three-year contract with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development to lend support equipment to fight forest fires.

Per the agreement, BWI will remain on-call to provide water trucks for firefighters battling forest fires throughout Alberta and nearby provinces as needed, teaming up with the 10 Fire Management Areas in the Edmonton Province to put out

...