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(UPI; June 8) - Oil giant Shell plans to open LNG stations across the U.S. for fueling heavy-duty trucks, the company said. Under a pending agreement with TravelCenters of America, the largest full-service truck stop chain in the U.S., Shell will construct more than 200 LNG fuel lanes at about 100 TA sites and Petro Stopping Centers throughout the interstate highway system. If a final agreement is reached, the first LNG fuel lanes would begin operating in 2013.

The agreement marks the second such LNG fueling move for Shell. Last year, the company announced it would sell LNG to heavy-duty fleet customers at select Flying J truck stops in Alberta beginning this year.

Prompted by rising fuel costs and the shale gas revolution that has slashed the price of natural gas by about 45 percent over the last year, truck fleet operators are more closely considering making the switch to cheaper natural gas. In a survey of 100 trucking company executives by PLS Logistics Services, nearly one-third said they were actively researching LNG for their fleets. While 80 percent said LNG has potential for highway use, 54 percent said current refueling infrastructure is inadequate.

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