The Sargeant Co. delivers fuel security

The rest of the world continues to debate the future of fossil fuels but at Canadian construction sites, diesel remains the fuel of choice — and is likely to remain that way.

With no reliable substitute for petro-chemicals on the horizon, the biggest issue facing the sector is not what type of fuel they should burn to drive their machinery but questions around supply, security of supply and environmental safety concerns around spills.

“Diesel is by far the biggest component of our construction site deliveries,” says Bill Fligg, Petroleum Manager with The Sarjeant Co. Ltd. of Barrie, Ont.

Among other services offered, the company delivers fuel over a wide are north of the Greater Toronto Area, primarily in Simcoe County and the Muskokas, balancing its busiest construction delivery business from April to October, with foul weather delivery of home heating fuel from November to March.

Fligg says the company attempts to distinguish itself by sending out a fuel specialist to each construction site before the first order is delivered.

“Sending out a real human being gives us a better sense of their needs,” he says.

“Do they need us to directly fuel their vehicles, or would they be better off with a supplied tank? How often do they require fuel? Do they have six pieces of equipment running full out each day? Can we arrange to deliver fuel at the same time each day? What’s the best way to service them?”

Part of the visit involves a discussion of fuel security.

“Fuel theft is a big issue,” says Fligg. “Diesel fuel is furnace oil, so it’s a commodity that can be used by anybody. Most sites keep it under lock and key.”

Maintaining a steady supply of fuel for customers is also important.

The company has accounts with all of the major fuel suppliers to ensure a consistent supply and to take advantage of even a minor difference in bulk fuel pricing. It also stockpiles 1.6 million litres of fuel in four tanks and hauls it in from suppliers in B-train double tankers capable of carrying 25,000 litres in a single trip.

Fuel spills are also an important environmental issue, regardless of who spills it. “Even filling up the tank of a backhoe very carefully can create little backsplash,” he says. “You can’t even fill up a lawnmower without spilling a few drops.”

The Ontario Ministry of the Environment requires petroleum sector members to report fuel spills in excess of 25 litres in areas with public access.

While working with a remediation company to clean up a property soaked with hydrocarbons by previous owners, Sarjent was introduced to a treatment consisting of enzymes and bacteria to break down fuel spills.

“The enzymes break down the long-chain molecules in the fuel and the microbes bind to the short chain molecules and convert them to oxygen and water,” says Fligg. Approved by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment for soil remediation, Sarjent has branded the product and is marketing it as Micro-50.

The company recently went to Louisiana to offer the product to help combat oil spills released in the BP Horizon disaster.

After working their way through the chain of command at the Gulf Operations Center amidst helicopters, temporary command offices and military vehicles, Fligg and the company’s CEO, Scott Elliott, eventually presented the solution to top brass.

The brass, in turn, requested that its formulation be slightly altered to specifically attack the type of crude released in the spill.

Currently on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s fast-track approval program, the solution may be available to help clean up the spill in six to eight weeks.

Here in Ontario, the product is ready for use. “Even if a spill large enough to report to the Ministry has occurred, instead of waiting for someone to show up to look at it, you can still douse it with this solution and help to mitigate the problem immediately,” says Fligg.