PRESS
/ MEDIA
|
For
Immediate Release
June 16, 2006
" Trans Ocean Gas announced today, "a new method to transport
natural gas by ship and tractor trailer" "...
" This new method of storing and transporting natural gas is a
derivative of our existing technology "...
" Patents for pressurized liquefied natural gas (PLNG) using fibre
reinforced plastic pressure vessels have been filed this week "...
" PLNG is a significant increment to our existing CNG technology
"...
Shipowners
rush to first CNG tender
The Trade Winds
"A raft of top-line shipping names are bidding to operate potentially
the industry’s first ever compressed natural gas (CNG) carrier."
Polar
Ice Caps Are Melting Faster Than Ever ...
More and More Land Is Being Devastated By Drought ...
Rising Waters Are Drowning Low-Lying Communities ...
By Any Measure, Earth Is At ... The Tipping Point
By Jeffrey Kluger
Time Cover Story
Sunday 26 March 2006
"The climate is crashing, and global warming is
to blame. Why the crisis hit so soon - and what we can do about it."
Click
here to read the full story...
HAZARDOUS
CARGO BULLETIN
Turning gas into gold
"The marine transport of compressed natural gas (CNG) is an idea
that works brilliantly in theory, but has not as yet made it into practice.
The potential benefits are undeniable - unlike LNG, CNG bypasses the
need for expensive liquefaction and regasification plants and is a more
flexible alternative to pipeline transport, which is becoming increasingly
unreliable as natural disasters and political situations interrupt the
flow."
General Session: The Challenge of Stranded Gas
Wednesday, 3 May 2006, 1400 to 1630
Panelists
Bent Svensson, World Bank
Steven Campbell, Trans Ocean Gas Inc.
Xavier Préel, Total Exploration and Production
"Steven
Campbell is president and founder of Trans Ocean Gas Inc., based out
of St. John's, NL Canada. Campbell has a PE designation, graduating
from the Faculty of Engineering through Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Work experience includes the Hibernia Development Project, various pipeline
projects throughout Alberta, Canada and hydro-test/ mechanical completions
engineer with the Terra-Nova FPSO Oil & Gas Development Project.
He holds several patents related to the oil, gas, and ocean technology
sectors including the composite compressed natural gas transportation
system. He currently resides in his hometown of St. John's, NL Canada."
Composites
Alive And Well In Offshore Oil Applications
By: Sara Black for Composites World
March 2006
"Trans
Ocean Gas Inc. (St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada) has a new concept —
transporting compressed natural gas (CNG) by ship in large composite pressure
bottles or tanks. A $1.5 million joint industry project (JIP) involving
Trans Ocean Gas, Composites Atlantic Ltd. (Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, Canada),
certification society Det Norske Veritas and several other parties are
currently verifying the technology for certification. "About half
of the world's discovered natural gas is considered 'stranded,' or beyond
the economical limit of a pipeline, and most is located offshore,"
says Trans Ocean Gas president Steven Campbell. "CNG transport by
ship will allow stranded gas to be economically gathered and delivered
to market." "
"Composites are the preferred material over steel," notes Campbell,
"because of lighter weight, corrosion resistance (thanks to the thermoplastic
liner), cryogenic temperature resistance and crack and rupture resistance.
Cost is also competitive with steel, given the proposed bottle size and
relatively high steel prices."
Click
here to read more...
The
'cosmopolitanization' of St. John's
The city is attracting a new breed of innovators to work in the energy
sector.
For many, it's a return home
JANE ARMSTRONG - Globe and Mail
March 16 2006
"Trans
Oceans Gas chief executive officer Steve Campbell has patented a method
for transporting natural gas using fibre-reinforced pressurized plastic
containers. Mr. Campbell, an engineer who spent years working in the
Alberta oil fields, says he got the idea from seeing buses fuelled by
natural gas. Their tanks were also made from fibre-reinforced plastic.
Mr. Campbell's plan was to use the same material to patent on a grander
scale.
Trans Ocean Gas is a private company, but Mr. Campbell says he hopes
to take it public within a year.
Right now,
natural gas is transported by pipeline or liquefied natural gas tanker,
which is expensive. Mr. Campbell says his method of transporting gas
in pressurized containers would cut costs by two-thirds.
A
native of the province, Mr. Campbell says he is glad to be back home,
conducting research that might one day provide jobs in his province."
Click
here to read more...
Click
here to read more...
Trans
Ocean unveils CNG ship blueprint.
Canadian carrier plans to kickstart market with containership conversions.
Marcus Hand in Singapore - For Lloyds List
Thursday March 02 2006
"CANADIAN company Trans Ocean Gas is trying to make the much-talked-about
shipping of compressed natural gas a reality, with a design to convert
containerships into CNG tankers.
While several
designs for CNG carriers exist on paper, a ship is yet to be built.
Trans Ocean
Gas is marketing its ship conversion concept to energy and shipping
companies in an effort to kickstart the market, which it sees as a way
to develop “stranded” gas fields not big enough to justify
the investment for liquefied natural gas.
“We
can do a conversion rather than a newbuild,” said Darrell Hawkins,
vice president of business development for Trans Ocean Gas. The company
has, in principle, approval from ABS for the hull design for a conversion
of a 4,400 teu containership to a CNG tanker. The ship would utilise
fibre reinforced plastic containment tanks to carry the cargo, similar
to those used on CNG-powered buses and cars.
Converting
an existing vessel would be far cheaper than building a CNG ship from
scratch. A CNG newbuild has been estimated to cost in the region of
US$250m, by contrast Mr Hawkins estimated a conversion would cost around
20% to 30% of the value of the ship. It would also be considerably quicker
to convert a ship especially given the lack of newbuilding space at
established shipyards. Trans Ocean Gas is in talks with a number of
energy companies that could theoretically result in a shipping start
date of 2009.
While the
present design is for a containership Mr Hawkins said that it could
be adapted to other ship types depending on what vessels are available.
The company
is targeting short haul trades such as gas from stranded fields off
East Malaysia to the Philippines, a distance of 600 nm.
Whereas
investment in LNG infrastructure such as receiving terminals runs into
billions of dollars, CNG terminals would be just a fraction of the cost
at US$125m Mr Hawkins estimated.
The idea
would be supply smaller volumes of gas than transported by LNG vessels
at distances at a maximum of 2,000 nm. The Malaysia-Philippines project
would require four vessels of 50,000 dwt to 70,000 dwt.
“CNG
is a smaller scale project,” he said, describing LNG as an exclusive
“billionaire boys club”. “CNG now enables gas to be treated
like oil. You can shuffle cargoes around like oil,” he said.
However,
Trans Ocean Gas is yet to find a customer for its design with existing
players in the gas market preferring to go with tried and tested pipeline
and LNG projects."
NEW
Zealand energy network company Vector is considering importing compressed
natural gas from PNG using a "virtual pipeline" of tankers
crossing the Tasman Sea.
Neil Ritchie, New Zealand - For PNG Industry News
Friday, March 03, 2006
"Vector's
acting divisional gas chief executive, Michael Cummings, outlined plans
for using PNG CNG at the 2006 National Power Conference in Auckland
yesterday afternoon.
He said CNG could provide the "optimum outcome" for New Zealand,
as it did not require customers to bring in the huge quantities required
for liquefied natural gas."
Click
here to read more..
‘A
vision for Newfoundland and Labrador’
BY: Clare-Marie Gosse - For The Independent
Sunday, October 23, 2005
"A
Newfoundland and Labrador company, Trans Ocean Gas, has discovered an
original, simple and cost-effective solution for transporting natural
gas that could not only potentially help secure a natural gas and petrochemical
industry in the province, but transform similar offshore gas sites around
the world."
"“Our method brings the liquid back; it’s only our method
that would enable enough ethane — which is only 10 per cent of the
gas — to actually be able to create a petrochemical industry here,”
says Campbell."
Click
here to read more... / PDF - Page1
Page2
The
future of Hebron and gas development
offshore Newfoundland and Labrador
BY: Edward
G. Hollett - For The Sir Robert Bond Papers
Published: Friday, October 21, 2005
| (Right)
One of the Premier's despised "God damn" but locally-owned
compressed natural gas ships could earn the province millions in
added revenue through the private sector. |
 |
| Technological
changes, including exploration of new shipping technologies with
local business ties,
open up new ways of exploiting the estimated eight trillion cubic
feet of natural gas offshore Newfoundland and Labrador. |
Click
here to read more...
TRANS
OCEAN GAS MOVES AHEAD WITH CNG PLANS
BY: The Oil & Gas Magazine Online
PUBLISHED: Oct 2005
"A Newfoundland and Labrador natural gas technology
company, Trans Ocean Gas, is on the verge of introducing an exciting method
of shipping natural gas from wellhead to market. Trans Ocean Gas plans
to commercialize its compressed natural gas (CNG) fibre reinforced plastic
(FRP) technology in 12 to 18 months."
Click
here to read more...
NATURAL
GAS: THE WAY OF THE FUTURE
BY: The Oil & Gas Magazine Online
PUBLISHED: Oct 2005
"The
demand on a global scale for natural gas as a cleaner and more environmentally
sound source of energy is driving the need to develop natural gas fields."
"In Newfoundland and Labrador, the emphasis is being
placed on development of natural gas in its compressed form (CNG),"
Click
here to read more...
EDITORIAL:
Natural gas transportation is close to becoming a reality
BY: Bill Abbott, Editor, The Oil & Gas Magazine Online
PUBLISHED: Oct 2005
"To
maximize the benefits from other stranded gas fields offshore Newfoundland
and Labrador, the development of compressed natural gas (CNG) technology
is vital." "Many
of the world’s top-producing energy companies are on the verge of
making the critical final decision to proceed with plans for compressed
natural gas transportation."
Click
here to read more...
NATURAL
GAS, THE NATURAL NEXT STEP
BY: The Oil & Gas Magazine Online
PUBLISHED: Oct 2005
"Supply
and demand…concerning natural gas, Newfoundland and Labrador has
the “supply”. International markets exhibit the “demand”.
This bodes
well for the province, considering nearly 10 trillion cubic feet (tcf)
of stranded natural gas reserves and 436 million barrels of natural gas
liquids (NGL) have so far been discovered within the province’s seabed."
Click
here to read more...
Petroleum
Research Atlantic Canada
PRAC Contributes to $1.45 Million CNG Project
PUBLISHED: August 24, 2005
"St.
John’s – Petroleum Research Atlantic Canada (PRAC) has recently
awarded funding to Trans Ocean Gas for a project that will test the safety
and reliability of fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) pressure vessels to
be used for the transportation of compressed natural gas (CNG) by ship."
Click
here to read more...
Interview
with Steven Campbell
BY: CBC News St. John's NL.
PUBLISHED: July 2005
Click
here to watch the news interview / Video
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Sitting
on it
BY: Clare-Marie Gosse - For The Independent
Sunday, June 26, 2005
"Oil
aside, Newfoundland and Labrador has a promising natural gas market waiting
in the wings to follow behind the four major offshore oil projects in
or preparing for production."
"The biggest challenge facing the province’s offshore gas resources
is transportation. An offshore pipeline can cost in the region of $1 million
a kilometre to build."
Click
here to read more...
Trans Ocean
Gas Presentation at
The Third Asia Gas Buyers’ Summit Highlights
|
|
| The
Third Asia Gas Buyers’ Summit is scheduled for 14th &
15th February, 2005 at Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi. The Theme
for this year’s Summit is ‘Customer Service in the
Natural Gas Sector’. |
|
Click
here to read more...
Click here to read more...
Labrador
Looks to Retrieve Gas
Magic Bus
BY: Susan Eaton - For Explorer Magazine.
Published: December 2004
Steven Campbell, president of Trans Ocean Gas, hopes to
deliver stranded gas to southern markets from the White Rose oil field
by 2011, and from the Labrador Shelf within 10 years' time. Campbell,
a native of Newfoundland, intends to supply markets that don't have existing
pipelines or liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities.
Click here to read more...
Seismic
crews again sail Labrador waters
Stranded natural gas may be
unlocked, shipped to Boston
BY: Susan Eaton - For Business Edge
Published: 11/18/2004 - Vol. 4, No. 41
Rising natural gas prices – combined with a North
American gas market that is becoming increasingly constrained by supply
– make Labrador’s stranded gas reserves all the more attractive.
Click
here to read more...
Interview
with Steven Campbell
BY: CBC News St. John's NL.
PUBLISHED: 2004
Click
here to watch the news interview / Video
Google
Requires: Macromedia
Flash Player
Newfoundland
Poised To Capture Natural Gas Benefits Fabrication and research expertise
could enable Newfoundland & Labrador to tap the economic and industrial
benefits of natural gas.
BY: Jennifer Hatt - For Ocean Resources Online
October 18, 2004
Two
recent studies examining the province's ability to commercialize compressed
natural gas (CNG) technology concluded that the array of fabrication facilities
and experience and the presence of major research facilities provide an
opportunity for Newfoundland & Labrador to "position itself at
the forefront of a new offshore development."
Click
here to read more...
Trans Ocean
Gas to Test CNG Cylinders
BY: J.M. Sullivan - For Ocean Resources Online
October 18, 2004
St. John’s-based Trans Ocean Gas is gearing up to
test its patented proto-type cylinders to store and ship compressed natural
gas (CNG) early next year. “We’ll be testing by the first quarter
of 2005,” said company president Steve Campbell.
Click
here to read more...
CNG Mobility
Transporting White Rose Gas
BY: Ocean Resources Online
October 18, 2004
Husky Energy hopes to have final studies on developing
natural gas reserves associated with its White Rose oil project completed
by the end of January 2005. In August, Husky sent Request for Proposals
to nine companies who had responded to their EOI, asking for more detailed
plans. All submissions were in as of September 15, and a company spokesperson
said Husky intends to award contracts come the end of October.
Click here to read more...
Moving
gas to market
BY: Moira Baird - For The Telegram
Saturday, August 21, 2004
Trans Ocean Gas Inc. starts testing prototypes for storing
and transporting compressed natural (CNG) gas this fall.
The St. John's company has a unique, patented idea for getting CNG to
markets in cylinders that are lighter and less prone to explosive ruptures
than traditional steel containers. The $2.4-million testing phase could
be completed by year-end.
Next, comes manufacturing of the cylinders known as fibre-reinforced plastic
storage vessels - and Trans Ocean wants to do this work in Newfoundland.
To accomplish that, company president Steven Campbell met with provincial
Natural Resources Minister Ed Byrne and asked for financial assistance.
He is awaiting a response.
"We're obviously very excited," said Campbell. "Upon the
success of design verification testing, we intend to establish manufacturing
plants.
"Both ABS and DNV will be contributing to the design verification
testing program to obtain approval in principal to construct the pressure
vessel system for CNG carriers."
Houston-based American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Norwegian-based Det
Norske Veritas (DNV) are international organizations developing rules
and guidelines for CNG transportation.
Campbell, an engineer, created Trans Ocean in 2001 when he figured existing
composite cylinders used as fuel tanks for F-18 fighter jets and public
buses could also safely store CNG.
Containment System
The storage cylinders containing CNG would be stored upright
in steel modules, known as a cassette containment system, aboard either
converted container ships or purpose-built ships. Then, it would be shipped
to an onshore processing centre and on to markets.
It's the cylinders and modules that Campbell would like to see built in
Newfoundland and then installed aboard ships at a deepwater port.
"We've recently invited the government of Newfoundland and Labrador
to partner in establishing manufacturing facilities in rural Newfoundland,"
he said.
"We also look forward to being able to train a lot of young people
to operate the computer-controlled filament winding machines."
Trans Ocean Gas is also busy preparing a proposal to transport CNG from
the White Rose field off Newfoundland.
The company is one of several asked by Husky Energy, the operator of White
Rose, to submit its plan by mid-September.
"We've assembled the better part of, and are continuing to assemble,
our consortium team to offer Husky Energy a complete turnkey solution,"
said Campbell.
Campbell declined to name the members of the consortium, but they include
a shipping company, a major offshore engineering firm, and a turret/mooring
buoy design fabricator.
In June, Husky asked for submissions assessing key technical, economic
and regulatory issues in shipping natural gas from the Grand Banks.
Advantages over steel
Campbell said his composite cylinders have a number of advantages over
steel containers - they're light-weight, corrosion resistant, and do not
rupture if punctured.
They're also cost competitive, he added, since steel prices have doubled
in the past year.
And they're suitable for the kind of stranded gas found offshore Newfoundland
and in many other parts of the world. (Stranded gas is small pools that
oil companies consider too costly to develop.)
To test the prototypes this fall, Trans Ocean is partnered with EADS-Composites
Atlantic which is equipped to manufacture the fibre-reinforced pressure
cylinders.
Based in Lunenburg, N.S., that company is jointly owned by the European
Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS) and the Nova Scotia government.
EADS also owns Airbus, Eurocopter and the Galileo space probe.
EADS-Composites Atlantic employs 170 people manufacturing composites for
aeronautics, space, defence and commercial products.
Campbell envisions five or six such plants will be needed to meet demand
once Trans Ocean's CNG transportation system takes off.
The company's success to date has been thanks to the organizations, such
as Institute of Ocean Technology, the Industrial Research Assistance Program,
the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and people like John Crosbie
and his approximately 50 shareholders.
Those shareholders invested more than $100,000 in Trans Ocean Gas under
the 20 per cent direct equity tax rebate program.
St.
John's company touts natural gas
WebPosted Sep 17 2003 12:04 PM NDT
ST. JOHN'S
More than 30 years after natural gas was discovered
off the coast of Labrador, an engineer from Newfoundland is hoping to
use a system he's patented to get the gas to market.
The
fields haven't been developed because of the high costs, harsh climate
and heavy ice.
Steven
Campbell of Trans Ocean Gas Ltd. was a boy growing up in St. John's
when the first gas was found in 1971.
He's
patented a process for compressing gas in fibreglass reinforced plastic
cylinders that would be stored in steel containers.
The
gas would be moved to market by container ships rather than traditional
pipelines.
"We
took this technology and applied it to a ship-based method whereby we
can now safely, reliably, and cost-effectively transport large quantities
of compressed natural gas in these fibre-reinforced plastic cylinders,"
Campbell says.
He's
been making his pitch in St. John's this week at an offshore petroleum
conference.
Jan
Wagner of Fluor Canada, a Calgary-based petroleum engineering and construction
company, says Labrador gas production faces challenges from being so
far north, away from markets and in iceberg territory.
Stiff competition
for production
Labrador
also faces competition from more accessible natural gas off Nova Scotia
and maybe Newfoundland's south coast.
Campbell
hopes to make Newfoundland a base when the orders start coming in.
"What
we're looking at is setting up manufacturing facilities in Newfoundland
– install our system in ships – and have them ready for service," he
says.
Campbell's
proposal isn't the only one that's been put forward for extracting offshore
natural gas. In February, EnerSea of Houston presented its compressed
gas technology at Memorial University.
Labrador
natural gas is in for more study in a couple of weeks. Another conference
will look at the region's promise and debate.
Click
here to read more...
