Drilling company says clean energy additive didn't work

CHARLESTON - A local drilling company has filed a suit against a clean energy corporation, claiming an additive that was supposed to reduce the amount of diesel fuel used in the drilling process did not work.

S.W. Jack Drilling Company, which operates a facility in Elkview, seeks $66,345 from American Clean Energy Systems Inc. after the company paid that amount for a product that did not work the way ACES claimed.

The suit was filed Oct. 17 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

S.W. Jack is a company that drills natural gas wells for customers throughout the Appalachian region. The drills need diesel fuel to run properly.

According to the suit, S.W. Jack was contacted in the winter of 2007, by Stephen Addleston, an employee of ACES. The suit says Addleston discussed the use of ACES II Diesel Fuel Catalyst, which allegedly would reduce the amount of diesel fuel usage between five and 30 percent.

S.W. Jack purchased 220 gallons of the product for use in its drilling rigs located in Elkview, the suit says. S.W. Jack paid $66,000 for the product, as well as $345.40 in shipping to have the product delivered to the facility.

"After adding the ACES II Product to the diesel fuel utilized in its drilling rigs, S.W. Jack did not experience any decrease in the amount of fuel consumed during its drilling activities," the suit says.

After discovering there had been no decrease in fuel usage, S.W. Jack contacted ACES to address the problem. In an e-mail dated July 26, 2008, S.W. Jack was told the product would work to reduce the fuel usage.

However, since that time, S.W. Jack claims no reduction of diesel fuel usage has been achieved.

According to the suit, S.W. Jack was referred to Big Dog Drilling Company, another ACES client which ACES claimed achieved fuel reduction. Upon conversations with representatives for the company, S.W. Jack learned Big Dog has never achieved a fuel decrease either.

S.W. Jack seeks $66,345.40 in compensation for the amount spent on the product, which failed to decrease their diesel fuel usage.

Attorney Andrew G. Fusco is representing S.W. Jack Drilling Company. The case has been assigned to Judge Louis Bloom.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number 08-C-2042