RRC Commissioner Porter: Expanding Natural Gas Use Means Good Jobs and Clean Air

LONGVIEW - Texas Railroad Commissioner David Porter hosted a workshop in Longview today for area fleet managers and oil field operators on how they can save money and increase the market for Texas natural gas, as part of his initiative to promote natural gas as a transportation fuel in Texas.

“Growing the market for natural gas vehicles helps sustain and expand good-paying jobs in the oil patch and significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions,” Commissioner Porter said. “In the past year, employment in the oil and gas sector in Texas grew more than five percent, allowing Texas to continue to lead the nation in job creation. This workshop is intended to help more fleet managers and oil field operators make the transition to natural gas, both to save money and keep generating good-paying jobs for Texans.”

Panels consisting of area transportation directors and oil field operators already using natural gas presented their experiences and discussed advantages and barriers. Representatives from Anadarko Petroleum, Centerpoint Energy, Halliburton, J-W Power, NDMJ Transportation and Tristate Midstream outlined the cost savings they have seen by using natural gas in their operations. Most of the time during each panel was allotted to audience discussion with the panelists, so that operators could address their important issues, concerns, perceived barriers and opportunities for growing the market for natural gas in Texas.

The purpose of Commissioner Porter’s statewide NGV Initiative is to increase the volume of natural gas used in Texas as a transportation fuel by facilitating communication between potential consumers, existing users and regulators. It will consist of a series of statewide events throughout this year. The next event will be held in Laredo on April 17 at the Uni-Trade Stadium followed by a Statewide NGV Summit that will convene in late summer/early fall of 2014 in Austin.

Copies of the panelists’ presentations from today’s event in Longview are available online at: http://altenergy.rrc.state.tx.us/Longview_Natural_Gas_Workshop_Mar_12,_2014.