Technology/R&D
Best Estimates: Developing New Quantification Protocol For Methane Emissions Reduction
Aggressive efforts are underway to reduce methane emissions from the natural gas sector and the industry is working on technologies and approaches for mitigating emissions. But it also must improve the way emissions are quantified. By establishing reasonable baselines, utilities will be able to provide more accurate reports about their emissions profiles and implement mitigation and reduction programs. GTI and its industry partners are working to update those baselines now.
Porous Material Polymerizes Carbon Dioxide At Natural Gas Wellheads
Rice University scientists have created an earth-friendly way to separate carbon dioxide from natural gas at wellheads. A porous material invented by the Rice laboratory of chemist James Tour sequesters carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, at ambient temperature – with pressure provided by the wellhead – and lets it go once the pressure is released. The material shows promise as a replacement for more costly and energy-intensive processes.
Wet Gas Testing Using Custom Liquids, Magnetically Driven Centrifugal Pumps
Wet gas meter calibrations are usually done using natural gas, kerosene and water. Increasingly, gas producers are questioning a meter’s ability to measure wet gas entrained with the unique liquids found on platforms and wellheads (viscous hydrocarbons, paraffin based/high-wax liquids, sea water, brine solutions, MEG and other custom liquids).
Flexibility, Ingenuity And Patience Bring Gas To Gotham
Spectra Energy’s 20-mile expansion of the Texas Eastern and Algonquin Gas Transmission pipelines from Linden, NJ to Manhattan cost $60 million per mile, but the money is just the beginning.
Improving Field Verification In Pipeline Integrity Management Programs
An inline inspection (ILI) project is not complete until the reported features are verified in the field. The process is important because inappropriate inspection techniques can invalidate an otherwise valid report.
Helping Operators Comply With New IVP Regulations
Last summer the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) previewed proposed additions to its integrity management program (IMP) which require operators to test pipe segments located in high-consequence areas (HCAs) and to “devote additional focus, efforts, and analysis … to ensure the integrity of [those] pipelines.”
Comparing Speed-Control Pig Cleaning With Hard-Bodied Cleaning Pig
The Southeast Supply Header (SESH) is a 42-inch and 36-inch natural gas pipeline originating at Carthage, TX and running 446 miles to a terminus at Coden, AL. SESH links the onshore natural gas supply basins of East Texas and northern Louisiana to markets predominantly served by offshore natural gas supplies from the Gulf of Mexico.
IEA Economist: Shale Gale Will Result In 20 Years of U.S. Dominance
IEA Chief Economist Fatih Birol synthesized the agency’s 2013 World Energy Outlook and his own analysis to suggest that for the next 20 years, low energy costs caused by the early and plentiful development of shale gas and energy infrastructure will give the United States a large competitive advantage over other nations when it comes to attracting and developing business.
Accurate Pipeline Inspection Data Requires More Than A Pig
An often overlooked aspect of technology development in the pipeline inspection world, though one that usually turns out to be the most critical to success, is the people involved.
Big Data Challenges In Validation Safe, Secure Energy Infrastructure
The United States has some of the largest and oldest industrial infrastructure in the world, including its natural gas, oil, electrical and communications pipelines and wires more than 85% of which is controlled by private industry.
Developments Toward Unified Pipeline Risk Assessment Approach
A certain amount of standardization in any process can be beneficial to stakeholders. In the case of pipeline risk assessment, standardization establishes process acceptability. This leads to consistent and fair regulatory oversight as well as minimum levels of analysis rigor.
Industry Associations Asks Help With Oil Spill Surveillance
The global oil and gas industry needs better ways to plan for oil spill surveillance, and it’s looking to the airborne remote sensing and commercial satellite industries for help.
Video Game Simulation Taking Hold In Energy Industry Training
Complex technology realities come to life as Houston-based FuelFX takes energy industry training tools into a new era built on the technology of augmented reality.
SCADA And DCS Battle For Globalization
The line of functionality between supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and distributed control system (DCS) is blurring.
Human-Machine Interfaces Can Benefit Oil & Gas Industry
Standard practices today simply use human machine interfaces (HMI) as windows into a system by allowing some information to be passed back and forth through those windows. This method anticipates the user having the knowledge to use that information both in and out of the system, such as coming up with solutions to problems or passing the information along to the correct individuals.
Overcoming Data Deluge With Operations Management
Our increasingly digital world – with all of the texting, emailing, tweeting, posting, downloading and streaming that’s become commonplace – is creating huge amounts of data, more than than ever before. Pipeline operators are faced with a similar phenomenon when it comes to information overload. Intelligent devices for safety, fire and gas, instrumentation, intelligent motor control and condition-based monitoring offer many individual types of information, each with related alarms.
From Paper to Pixels: Online O&M Manuals Replace 3-Ring Binders
The Internet has affected many aspects of gas pipeline operations, from tracking operator qualification credentials to keeping up to date with pipeline regulations. Now one company is using the Internet to distribute and manage its operations and maintenance (O&M) manual as required by 49 CFR Part 192.605. Gone are the days of large, three-ring binders and all the associated printing and distribution headaches.
SEC Energy Expansion: Compression Growing With Energy Sector
As Houston-based SEC Energy Products & Services puts the finishing touches on a flurry of expansion activities that will double both its natural gas compression manufacturing and workforce in 2014, new President Tommy Stone sees the effort in fairly simple terms.
Fast-Track Mapping: New Solution For Tracing Utility Assets
Soon, nearly every shipment of pipe and fittings delivered to natural gas operators in the United States will include barcodes that store a wealth of information about each item. These 16-digit alphanumeric codes will serve as the basis of a ASTM standard (F2897-11a) and will help utility operators address new distribution integrity management (DIMP) regulatory requirements.
Cybersecurity: How Much Is Enough?
Cybersecurity concerns with our critical infrastructures are well-known. In recent years, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other authorities have encouraged critical infrastructure owners and operators to take steps to ensure cybersecurity for both their business and critical control system assets.
White House offers help to industry on cyberattack
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Wednesday offered to help U.S. businesses protect their computer systems from cyberattacks that President Barack Obama called "one the gravest national security dangers that the United States faces." Administration officials warned during an event at the White House that an attack on critical sectors of the U.S. economy could put the entire country at risk.
What Managers Should Know About Pipeline SCADA Cybersecurity
Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) is a pivotal tool in achieving impressive productivity and reliability of pipelines. However, SCADA systems face cyber threats that could render them inoperable, causing substantial adverse effects on profitability. Worse yet, the threats could deactivate some safety systems, and jeopardize safety of the pipeline, workers and neighbors.
Defense-In-Depth: Reliable Security To Thwart Cyber-Attacks
Cybersecurity-related events have become an increasing problem for the oil and gas industry over the past decade. On one hand, there has been a push to reduce costs and increase efficiency through companywide network integration. The advances in industrial control systems (ICS) have made pipeline systems accessible through Internet-based technologies and tools. This has allowed systems to be operated and maintained effectively with fewer staff distributed widely around the world.
Preventing Network Security Threats At Sub-Contractor Level: A New Approach To Pipeline Security
Network security for pipeline systems is one of the top priorities noted by the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA). That isn’t surprising when you consider that the energy industry has been a prime target of network attacks and data breaches over the last two years, both from corporate espionage “agents” interested in stealing confidential geophysical data, financial data and passcodes as well as hacktivists with political and social motivations to embarrass organizations.
Emergency Valve Shutdown Solutions In Shale Plays
Production from natural gas and liquids rich shale plays in the United States is booming. In the past five years alone, shale gas reserves have increased tenfold to 25 Bcf/d. Similarly, tight oil production has risen to 1.8 MMbcf/d, more than 600% over that same period [1]. This prolific growth trend has created a dramatic need for infrastructure improvements, including transport via pipeline from the wellhead to processing facilities and beyond.
Chevron Suspends Shale Gas Exploration In Romania
Chevron was forced to suspend exploration for shale gas in northeastern Romania after hundreds of anti-fracking protesters tore down fences.
Survey Of Energy Execs Shows High Turnover Trend
A national survey of executives in the oil and gas industry revealed more than 93% of companies asked have transitioned senior officers in the past two years with an “unexpectedly large number” retiring.
What's New In Pigging
Pigging technology and services from Russell NDE, ROSEN, Greene's Energy Group, Enduro, Inline Services, Clock Spring, NDT Systems & Services, Team Industrial Services and GeoCorr.
Building Americas Natural Gas Highway
In late November, Lowe’s Cos. Inc., the home improvement chain, announced it would join the growing list of major trucking fleets switching to natural gas instead of diesel fuel. Walmart, UPS and FedEx are already making the move to natural gas in some trucking routes, raising the prospect that America’s natural gas highway (ANGH) could gain sufficient momentum. Clean Energy has announced its commitment to ANGH, which it says will include 150 LNG fueling stations by next year.
Selection Process Of Compressor, Turbine Units
This article looks at the various ways of writing specification documents for compressors and turbines and compares the effect of three distinct approaches on the process of equipment definition.
- Trump Aims to Revive 1,200-Mile Keystone XL Pipeline Despite Major Challenges
- Valero Considers All Options, Including Sale, for California Refineries Amid Regulatory Pressure
- ConocoPhillips Eyes Sale of $1 Billion Permian Assets Amid Marathon Acquisition
- ONEOK Agrees to Sell Interstate Gas Pipelines to DT Midstream for $1.2 Billion
- Energy Transfer Reaches FID on $2.7 Billion, 2.2 Bcf/d Permian Pipeline
- U.S. LNG Export Growth Faces Uncertainty as Trump’s Tariff Proposal Looms, Analysts Say
- Tullow Oil on Track to Deliver $600 Million Free Cash Flow Over Next 2 Years
- Energy Transfer Reaches FID on $2.7 Billion, 2.2 Bcf/d Permian Pipeline
- GOP Lawmakers Slam New York for Blocking $500 Million Pipeline Project
- Texas Oil Company Challenges $250 Million Insurance Collateral Demand for Pipeline, Offshore Operations
