By Cameron Chai – Link to original article

Texas-based Green Energy Oilfield Services has reviewed the first truck of 60 Peterbilt Model 388 liquefied natural gas (LNG) fleet, an alternative fuel fleet that will be supplied by Rush Enterprises, a premier solutions provider to the commercial vehicle industry in North America. The pilot review has been conducted at Peterbilt Motors Company’s facility in Denton, Texas.

Green Energy Oilfield Services will utilize the trucks to provide service to ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, XTO Energy. The Texas-based company will run 50 Peterbilt vehicles as vacuum trucks and the remaining 10 as winch trucks. The vacuum trucks are used to remove and discard formation water, while winch trucks are used for frac tank transportation. The alternative fuel fleet is anticipated to start operation in April, 2012. Clean Energy will supply LNG fuel for the tractors.

The Peterbilt Model 388 LNG trucks feature a Peterbilt Airtrac suspension, Dana Spicer rear axles with 40,000 lbs. capacity, Eaton 13-speed transmission and a Westport HD 15-liter natural gas engine.

Green Energy Oilfield Services’ President and COO, Roger Nevill stated that the Peterbilt trucks provide the reliability and quality required for the company’s rugged oilfield operation and also enable them to operate alternate fuel-powered vehicles in the sector.

Rush Truck Center – Austin has sold the tractors to Green Energy Oilfield Services, and after sales support will be offered by Rush Truck Center – Waco. Financing assistance for the LNG truck deal has been offered by Rush Truck Financing. Executives from XTO Energy, Clean Energy, Westport Innovations, Rush Truck Centers, Peterbilt Motors Company and Lone Star Investment Advisors and Green Energy Oilfield Services participated in the review.

Rush Enterprises announced that representatives from its Rush Truck Centers in Austin and Waco, Texas, participated in a review of the first of 60 Peterbilt Model 388 LNG (liquefied natural gas) trucks that will be delivered to Green Energy Oilfield Services, a portfolio company of Lone Star Investment Advisors.

Green Energy Oilfield Services, located in Fairfield, Texas, will use the trucks to service XTO Energy, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil and producer in the Freestone play oilfield in Freestone County, Texas. Green Energy Oilfield Services will operate 50 trucks as vacuum trucks, used to remove and dispose of formation water, and 10 as winch trucks, used to transport frac tanks. The trucks are expected to enter operation in April. Clean Energy will provide the LNG fuel for the vehicles.

“Because the trucks are LNG-powered, we will not bill a diesel surcharge, allowing us to pass on an estimated $5 million in savings annually to XTO Energy,” says Roger Nevill, president and chief operating officer of Green Energy Oilfield Services. “Even further, we can return support for our customer’s business by powering our trucks with LNG fuel.”

The trucks were sold to Green Energy by Rush Truck Center-Austin and will be supported in the field by Rush Truck Center-Waco through aftermarket parts and mobile service operations with LNG-certified technicians. “We are committed to providing solutions both in truck sales and support after the sale for our natural gas customers,” says W.M. “Rusty” Rush, president and chief executive officer of Rush Enterprises. “We have made significant investments to help ensure our truck sales professionals are skilled in alternate fuel technology. We expect to have 100 natural gas-certified technicians around the country by late 2012 and have plans to designate and equip about 10 locations as natural gas support dealerships.”

The Peterbilt Model 388 tractors are equipped with a Westport HD 15-liter natural gas engine, Eaton 13-speed transmission, 40,000-pound Dana Spicer rear axles and a Peterbilt Airtrac suspension.

The pilot review was conducted at Peterbilt’s manufacturing facility in Denton, Texas, and included executives from Green Energy Oilfield Services, Lone Star Investment Advisors, Peterbilt, Rush Truck Centers, Westport Innovations, Clean Energy and XTO Energy.