LP Gas, March 2014

NEWS BRIEFS INDUSTRY NEWS NUMBERS T he Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA formally issued a proposed rule to extend the compliance date for its crane operator certification requirement to Nov 10 2017 OSHA first announced its intention to delay the regulation last August According to a press release the proposal would NPGA continues to work with OSHA on propane industry exemption also extend the existing phase in requirement that employers ensure their operators are qualified to operate the equipment to the same date OSHA issued a final standard on requirements for cranes and derricks in construction work in August 2010 The rule dictated that by Nov 10 2014 all operators of cranes larger than 2000 pounds hoisting capacity must have thirdparty certification A number of parties raised concerns about the requirements After conducting several public meetings OSHA decided to extend the enforcement date so the certification requirements do not take effect during potential rulemaking or cause disruption to the construction industry The National Propane Gas Association has been working with OSHA to remove the propane industry from the third party certification requirement LPG PERC to assist UPS with refueling infrastructure The Propane Education Research Council PERC approved the following funding requests during a February conference call with the amount and principal contractor in parenthesis 780000 to assist in the installation of propane autogas refueling infrastructure in 30 locations across California Louisiana and Oklahoma UPS The investment includes testing of a new refueling nozzles lowemissions characteristics and ease of use 385000 for a project to develop an electronic handheld odorant detector for propane Battelle 50000 for the Carbon Management Information Center Consortium program Gas Technology Institute Natural gas industry members and PERC help fund the collaborative program which launched in 2007 and examines how propane appliances can have significant source to site carbon emission benefits over many electric and oil appliances The council is scheduled to meet April 11 in Atlanta Blossman manufacturing mower conversion kits Blossman Services Inc is designing and manufacturing a propane mower conversion kit that it says will meet Environmental OSHA issues proposed rule to delay crane operator training compliance until 2017 PROPANE MASTER LIMITED PARTNERSHIP COMPARISON Fiscal Recent Total Units Year Quarter Price Current Current Est Tax Debt Outstanding Company End End 2 14 14 Distribution Yield Deferral Capital millions AmeriGas APU Sept Dec 4299 336 78 75 61 929 Ferrellgas FGP July Oct 2477 200 81 90 114 791 NGL Energy Partners NGL March Dec 3599 213 59 80 50 748 Suburban Propane SPH Sept Dec 4466 350 78 80 52 603 Average 74 69 LAST TWELVE MONTHS Gross Gross Gross Profit Gross Profit Retail Gallons Sold Percent Gross Profit Company Revenue Profit Margin Per employee millions Change Per gallon AmeriGas 3058 1354 44 159241 1269 11 098 Ferrellgas 1647 564 34 155572 638 4 062 NGL Energy Partners 1524 200 13 101476 158 29 016 Suburban Propane 1403 747 53 189967 539 48 139 Average 36 151564 23 079 Source FactSet partnership reports and Wells Fargo Securities LLC t PMMBS öHVSFT JO NJMMJPOT FYDFQU GPS QFS VOJU EBUB t 3FWFOVF BOE HSPTT QSPöU EBUB BSF CBTFE PO UPUBM QSPQBOF HBMMPOT TPME t NQMPZFF EBUB JT CBTFE PO NPTU SFDFOUMZ DPNQMFUFE öTDBM ZFBS t T SFWFOVF BOE HSPTT QSPöU EBUB JODMVEF UIF TBMF PG EJTUJMMBUFT BOE PUIFS OBUVSBM HBT MJRVJET 4IBSPO VJ o BOBMZTU 8FMMT BSHP 4FDVSJUJFT 8 LPGas March 2014 www LPGasmagazine com