LPG Spotlight: Baygas Propane turns to continuous monitoring for cathodic protection

October 23, 2026 By Bob Sandrick 0 Comments

Allen and Debra Wells of Baygas. (Photo courtesy of the Texas Propane Gas Association)

In May 2025, Allen Wells read an article that changed his life and business. It was written by Kevin Jaffe, co-owner and COO of Mopeka, a Texas-based sonar tank monitoring company.

The article cautioned propane retailers like Wells, co-owner and president of Baygas Propane in League City, Texas, about the risks of manually testing cathodic protection systems for underground propane tanks.

Baygas, like other propane providers, periodically sent technicians or drivers to make sure the protection systems were properly working under each of its 300 or so underground tanks. The inspections diverted Baygas workers from other tasks, like delivering propane.

But that’s not the part of the article that alarmed Wells. Jaffe wrote that propane retailers could be liable if an underground tank failed due to insufficient protection. And since the National Fire Protection Association requires inspection of sacrificial anode systems just once every 36 months, Wells believed that tank failures weren’t beyond the realm of possibility.

“The article shook me,” Wells says. “It scared the bejesus out of me. It hit home, and he (Jaffe) was right about what he was saying. I knew I had to do something differently.”

Just three months later at the August 2025 Texas Propane Gas Association’s Expo in Galveston, Wells learned of Mopeka’s Cathodic Sentinel system. Sentinel sensors continually monitor cathodic protection systems and provide system reports twice daily.

According to Wells, Sentinel tracks and documents system voltage and current, as well as ground moisture that erodes sacrificial anodes and eventually underground tanks. If something goes wrong, Wells says, Sentinel transmits an alert to the retailer. The data goes directly to the retailer’s desktop or mobile device.

Immediately after the expo, Wells bought 10 Sentinel systems. Since then, Baygas has included Sentinel on every new underground tank the company installs.

“Sentinel has given me peace of mind,” Wells says. “We can see the data every day. And if there is a moisture issue, or if someone accidentally cuts a wire to the anode bag, I get an alert.”

Wells used to always worry that his testing equipment was unreliable. He says he trusts that Sentinel data is always accurate.

Also, Wells says, Sentinel is easy to put into place, adding only about 15 extra minutes when installing a new propane tank. Sentinel also integrates with safety software.

For Wells, the next challenge is bringing Sentinel to tanks that existed before Baygas discovered Sentinel.

“We’re trying to figure out how we’re going to tackle that because it will be an expense to the customer,” Wells says. “We have to convince customers that the money is worth spending.”

Company profile: Baygas Propane

Year founded // 1984
Headquarters // League City, Texas
Founder // Hobie Sibley
Owners // Allen Wells and his wife, Debra Wells
Number of employees // 11
Annual propane gallon sales // More than 1 million
Vehicles // 5 bobtails and 2 service trucks
Online // baygaspropane.com