Campaign of the Month: June 2014
Battletech (Farscape) : The New Breed
The Fuel Rats
Fuel Refining Corporation
Description:
“We have fuel, you don’t. Any questions?”
Founded officially in early-3024, as the company completed its official fuel production facilities, both on-planet at Miguel, The Independent Territory of Maroon, and Hellas, as well as in orbit aboard “The Factory”. The company uses equipment from various sources, but produces both a typical ICE fuel derived from both bio-diesel and conventional crude oil, and a hydrogen fuel commonly used in fusion engines and AeroSpace vessels. The company also produces HE-3 fuels for larger fusion engines as found in space stations, and on interstellar vessels.
Trade Symbol : FRat
Home Office : Ciudad Garcia
President/CEO : Master Tech Boden Thrace
Founding Date : February 16th, 3024
ICE Fuels
The ICE fuel produced by the company, is a variant known as “Hydride Fuel”, that uses a series of chemical injections during refining to grant it resistance to explosions when stored in bulk, and is only a good fuel source when vaporized. This has proven very lucrative as a fuel for military vehicles, allowing them to ignore explosive loss of the fueled vehicle’s engine.
These conventional ICE fuels are derived from two sources; a bio-diesel base largely produced from sugar cane/wood/palm waste products in the new plant in Miguel; and also from the Oro Negro Oil Refinery, located near Hellas, and a small new plant located in The Independent Territory of Maroon. The majority of its processed bio-diesel and Maroon oil is used by * “The Iron Dingoes” own logistics chain, but excess is sold to Solaro Oil Company for distribution through their own network, while the bulk of the oil derived fuels from their Hellas plant are sold south into The Oriental Republic of San Isabel. An important oil rig was also placed under their control in mid-3048, located in the coastal waters of Corazón, shipping its oil via tanker ships directly to the plant in Montevideo.
Hydrogen Fuels
The hydrogen fuel produced is fairly standard, useful as a zero-emission fuel in both specially equipped ICE power generators, or as the base fluid for electro-chemical fuel cells. It is, however, primarily used by fusion-powered vehicles and spacecraft as a general fuel source. Derived by converting water through electrolysis into pure gaseous hydrogen, then cooled to become liquid hydrogen for storage. This process takes place at The Factory – Hydrogen Fuel Refinery, on-board that system’s sole orbital station. While much of this fuel is used internally by the Iron Dingoes own logistics chain, excess is sold openly under the Fuel Rats brand at “The Factory” to visiting commercial and military concerns.
HE-3 Fuels
In addition, the company produces small quantities of HE-3 from its concern at Sarang Helium-3 Processing Plant, which go a long way to fulfilling the needs of fusion plants across the local constellation. HE-3, a non-radioactive isotope produced on lunar surfaces through deposits from the local star by solar winds, though they are useful only in larger power plants, such as those found in DropShips and JumpShips, or space stations. HE-3 also requires deuterium, a commonly acquired substance, as a catalyst. HE-3 is openly sold under the Fuel Rats brand on the Factory, where it has found an export market to nearby systems seeking the scarce, and thus valuable, trade good.
Bio:
“Fuel Rats” Bio-Diesel Refinery, Miguel
History
The company’s origins are diverse, but it came together as a formal fuel production company in early-3024, when the first of its production lines in Miguel went active. In late-3024, the production facilities located in Hellas joined this company, greatly increasing its assets and revenues.
The company operates under the aegis of * “The Iron Dingoes”, and as a wholly-owned independent corporation, its revenues drop directly into that mercenary company’s own coffers. In mid-3027, the company became a part of the Dingo Brand Corporation, based in Ciudad Garcia, and while it sells the bulk of its fuels under the Solaro Oil Company brand, its profits fall directly into Dingo Brand’s aegis.
In late-3031, the company began a quiet exploration of oil resources in The Independent Territory of Maroon for future exploitation, as well as a survey mission to Purpura to explore the possibility of re-opening the abandoned Sarang Helium-3 Processing Plant. The company has been in low-level talks with Bertling Logistics regarding the possibility of shipping crude oil through their services. The Sarang facility came into production in late-3034, and began shipping its HE-3 fuels to market at “The Factory” after this time.
In 3038, the company began extracting oil from its interests in The Independent Territory of Maroon, developing its oil field and establishing a small refinery that specialized in simple ICE fuel production. The plant quickly became a valuable local industry, and exported its products via airship through Bertling Logistics to the rest of Sangria. These revenues helped develop both the isolated regional district, and enrich the company.
In mid-3048, the company took over possession of a so-called “pirate” rig located in the coastal waters of The (Territorial) District of Corazón, on behalf of that regional government. The site, loosely affiliated with El Gas had been slant drilling into the extensive Corazón oil reserves, and was taken over as it technically was a “pirate” operation. The site, once properly repaired and maintenance routines were established, began sending both oil and revenue into the coffers of both the local district government and the Fule Rats themselves by the end of the year.
