Technology/R&D
NASA Teams With Consultancy, Targeting Potential Disasters In Oil And Gas Industry
Citing the harsh conditions, complex systems and potentially catastrophic consequences of missteps within the modern oil and gas industry, the National Aeronautic and Space Administration has entered into a contract with Deloitte LLP to offer consulting services through Deloitte to the oil and gas industry, focusing on safety and risk mitigation efforts for “black swan” events, incidents of “low probability and high consequence.”
Willbros Recruiting Efforts Bring in Top Talent
As baby boomers begin to make their exodus into retirement, many companies have found themselves seeking top talent in a competitive market. But, what kind of engineers are in demand and what are companies doing to win and retain top talent in this environment?
Americas Newfound Power: What U.S. Should Do To Capitalize On Shale, Renewable Energy Revolutions
It was hard not to do a double take when the story broke last November: By 2017, the headlines read, the United States would overtake Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest oil producer. And by 2025, the U.S. could be exporting more oil and gas than it imports.
Cybersecurity For Pipeline, Gas Companies
Securing pipeline and gas companies’ critical infrastructure is an evolving process. Embracing that fact is a key element in the development of a logical program that will ensure safety, security and effectiveness. There are four logical phases in this process with defined actions that can be measured and coordinated.
New Methodologies, Technologies Help Protect Pipelines
Good practice in reducing risks to pipeline integrity, and taking quick and effective action when potential threats develop, have long been part of sound pipeline operation. However, new technology trends, including social media, are amplifying public concern around how pipeline operators manage environmental, social and economic impacts.
ABB Wins $100 Million Order In Algeria
ABB was awarded the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) pumping station at Haoud El Hamra to increase the capacity of LR1 pipeline in Algeria. The $100 million contract was awarded by Sonatrach.
Key Considerations For Managing Unstructured Data
Oil, gas and energy companies generate huge volumes of data through sensitive equipment – volumes that roughly double every two years. Increasing amounts of data and an increased focus on data protection and reliability have resulted in a surge of interest regarding unstructured data management technologies.
Emerson Opens Americas HQ For Valve Automation, Technologies
Emerson Process Management has opened its new $30 million Americas headquarters for valve automation technologies and a new, highly automated and sophisticated manufacturing facility in Houston to expand its services for the oil and gas and petrochemical industries.
Sounding The Cybersecurity Alarm
Cybersecurity. Executives now take it much more seriously than even a couple of years ago, as hackers continue wreaking devastating impact worldwide, with 40% of all attacks directed at oil and gas companies. Being victimized by exponentially more attacks aimed not only at just compromising systems, but also causing severe disruptions, stealing proprietary information and for financial gain, the time to take action was literally “yesterday.”
Automation Software Finds A Home In Pipelines
It isn’t hard to find companies that traditionally would not be involved in pipelines taking an active role in the industry. When an executive who is arms-deep in software technologies finds a special liking for the energy business, and is located about as far away from pipelines as one can be in the United States, he, too, must be a special individual.
Ecosse Subseas Next Generation Pipelay System
Ecosse Subsea System has unveiled what it considers game-changing pipelay technology. The subsea firm says it has developed and patented a rigid pipelay system which can be deployed from smaller, more readily available vessels and which will slash schedules and installation costs for pipe-laying projects.
Japan Claims to Tap Methane Hydrate Deposit
Japan reported last month it had extracted gas from offshore deposits of methane hydrate, a breakthrough experts say might lead to developing a promising energy source.
Pipeline Remote Operations: The Human Factor
This article presents a primary justification for an Emergency Operations Center (EOC), the Human Element. Human Factors is a critical component in all safety programs, particularly PHMSA CFR 49 Parts 190-194, Pipeline Safety. It is a relatively new, but mature science and an increasingly mature engineering discipline in the process industries. It is also an area that is often overlooked and not well understood.
Unlocking The Potential Of Unconventional Gas
George Mitchell, former head of Mitchell Energy and Development Corp., is renowned for pioneering drilling and completion technologies that allowed gas to be extracted from shale formations. The geologist and petroleum engineer, known as the father of the Barnett Shale, enabled viable production through the first successful application of horizontal drilling, microseismic imaging, and hydraulic fracturing applied to the Barnett Shale.
PHMSA Pressured to Turn on Pipeline Valves Rulemaking
A Columbia Gas & Transmission Corp. pipeline leak in West Virginia in December has reignited the debate over installation of automatic shutoff valves (ASVs) and remote control valves (RCVs) as a means of quickly limiting the potentially disastrous effects of a pipeline explosion and subsequent fire. The fire in Sissonville destroyed three homes and closed a section of a major highway for 14 hours.
A Pig Tale in Two Parts
People usually laugh when I tell them I chase pigs for a living. But the truth is that it’s very serious business - one which I have been perfecting for more than 25 years. I’ve tracked pigs in all kinds of pipelines, all over the world, and over the years I have seen all kinds of crazy things happen with pigs in pipelines. Probably the most important thing I’ve learned would be to expect the unexpected.
Completing A Challenging Directional Drill In The Marcellus Shale
Your geologists found natural gas hiding thousands of feet underground. Your legal team negotiated rights of way with landowners. Your drilling team went down a mile or so, made a horizontal turn and “fracked” the shale bed, releasing the gas. Your well is producing. So now what?
GTI, Spyglass Plan Platform To Manage Microorganisms In Oil And Gas
Gas Technology Institute and Spyglass Biosecurity, Inc. plan to jointly develop a new portable, automated water laboratory platform for monitoring bio-corrosion and gas souring. The system will provide rapid data about the presence of potentially harmful microorganisms in water used for petroleum resource production. It will also offer other onboard sensing functions to measure the chemical and biological composition of water samples.
Automated Pigging Solutions For Unconventional Plays
According to market studies, all indications are that the importance of the shale gas market is not going to diminish in the foreseeable future. On the contrary, significant growth is projected in many quarters. For example, a 2011 report issued by ICF International on behalf of the INGAA Foundation predicted that total United States and Canada shale gas production will jump from 2010 levels of about 13 Bcf/d to 52 bcf/d by the year 2035.
Measurement Of Roof Topping Effects As An Integral Part Of Routine In-Line Inspection
Caused by improper crimping of the steel sheet in the production process, roof topping is a geometric anomaly that occurs along the longitudinal seam weld of the pipe. These incorrectly crimped sheets then result in a deviation from the perfectly circular geometry of the pipeline. The implications of roof topping for pipeline integrity are severe. They include risk of failure during hydro-testing or fatigue failure during pipeline operation.
Industry Concerned About PHMSA Leak And Valve Studies
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is about to embark on two studies which will be used by Congress to tee up (or not) new safety requirements related to leak detection and automatic and remote controlled shut-off valves (ASV/RCV). But gas transmission, distribution and hazardous liquid pipeline companies and their trade associations are uncomfortable with some of the parameters the PHMSA wants to set. For example, Jeffrey L. Maples, Director, Gas Operations, Paiute Pipeline Company, argues that PHMSA has broadened the two studies to include gas distribution pipelines.
Assessing The Effectiveness Of Pipeline Cleaning Programs
There are over 2 million km of oil and gas production pipelines worldwide and ensuring the effective and efficient flow of products through these pipelines makes a huge difference in revenues generated.
Breakthrough In Inhibitor Science Fights Internal Corrosion
For pipeline owners and operators, efforts to mitigate or control internal corrosion generally fall into one or more of a handful of strategies. Moisture content control seeks to limit the amount of moisture (as measured in grains of water per million cubic feet of product, or by dew point) to eliminate the electrolyte for corrosion cells to develop.
Rock In Colorado Challenges HDD Contractors
When problems threatened a segment of the eight-mile Edwards to Meadow Mountain natural gas pipeline upgrade in Colorado, Fugal Pipeline Project Manager Brady Hansen had to make a decision.
New Lightweight Pig Passage Search And Track Device
Technology moves on but instruments to search, monitor, or record the passage of a pipeline pig have not kept up and are often very short on features and high on price. Some devices simply provide a means to view the strength of a 22-Hz signal and, perhaps, log a low-grade pig passage time.
Completing A Challenging Directional Drill In The Marcellus Shale
Your geologists found natural gas hiding thousands of feet underground. Your legal team negotiated rights of way with landowners. Your drilling team went down a mile or so, made a horizontal turn and “fracked” the shale bed, releasing the gas. Your well is producing. So now what?
Plains All American To Convert LPG Pipeline To Crude Service
Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. announced plans to convert an existing Oklahoma LPG pipeline into crude oil service.
HDD Solves Crude Line Replacement Across St. Clair River
Enbridge sprang into action after confirming a minor anomaly on its 30-inch Line 6B crude oil pipeline where it crosses under the St. Clair River spanning from Marysville, MI to St. Clair Township, Ontario.
NTSB faults PG&E and government oversight in San Bruno explosion
On August 30 the five-member National Transportation Safety Board announced that its nearly year-long investigation into the San Bruno pipeline explosion has determined that Pacific Gas & Electric's lax approach to pipeline safety and inadequate oversight from the California utility commission and PHMSA were the ultimate cause of the most devastating pipeline accident in a decade.
Pigging Products and Services Association Buyer's Guide
The Pigging Products and Services Association has compiled the following buyer's guide to illustrate which industry companies provide which products and services. <a href="/sites/pipelineandgasjournal.com/files/PPSA_buyersGuide.pdf">Download the PDF</a> for full information. Note: Inspection companies can generally arrange for the pipeline to be cleaned/prepared prior to inspection.
- 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
