August 2009 Vol. 236 No. 8

The Michels family celebrates the company's 50th Anniversary at a reception and dinner near the company headquarters in Brownsville, WI.

David A. Haynes of Beaverton, MI, passed away June 27, 2009 in Oak Hill, WV while whitewater rafting with family members.

M. Carol Fox has been named president of Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania and Columbia Gas of Maryland.

Will someone explain who the Gosselins are and why should I care about them? What do they have in common with Sarah Palin, Boone Pickens, Brett Favre, Michael Jackson and Joe the Plumber?

This is a story of how GE's SmartLaunch™ system made in-line inspection (ILI) possible in “unpiggable lines” beneath the streets of New York.

As utility corridor projects crisscross the nation, more and more land rights will be needed to build them. Even existing corridors may need to be expanded to accommodate anticipated demand.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is being hailed as the answer to the globe’s most pressing question: what to do with the 27 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emitted yearly from the burning of fossil fuels? Touted as the most promising interim solution to deal with the greenhouse gas responsible for global warming, CCS still remains unproven, costly and will not be commercially available for another 10-20 years. Meanwhile scientists are exploring alternatives to CCS by capitalizing on CO2 as a commodity instead of treating it as a waste.

Latin America has an abundance of land-based natural gas and oil reserves, with large amounts found in the Amazonian basin and Andean region.

This article provides a brief overview of an innovative, inertial-based smart probe technology that can map the centerline of pipelines of a wide range of diameters, configurations and operating pressures.

Once again, international pipeline projects indicate a much higher number of planned pipelines versus actual construction. This is reflected in P&GJ’s latest international survey figures that indicate 85,076 miles of pipelines are under construction.

Natural resources are the lifeblood of the Russian economy and Siberia’s riches excite envy and awe from onlooking countries.

PetroChina Pipeline Company’s R&D Center has developed software for the efficient and accurate calculation of high-consequence areas (HCAs) along a natural gas or petroleum liquids pipeline route.

Pigging technology today has been advancing exponentially, and what we mean by technology is not so much the hardware side but the application.

Natural gas might be clear and odorless gas but its future is as cloudy as a London fog!

The climate change bill the Senate will consider in September — which the House passed by a narrow 219-212 vote in late June — could have a significant impact on various players in the natural gas business; but the key word is could.

Atlas Pipeline Partners and Williams have formed Laurel Mountain Midstream LLC to expand and develop Atlas' presence in the southwestern Pennsylvania portion of the Marcellus Shale.

The Bayou Companies, Inc., a subsidiary of Insituform Technologies, Inc., was awarded a $27.6 million contract with ILVA S.p.A. for pipe coating, welding and logistical support services.

Canada-based Pacific Rubiales plans to build an oil pipeline in Colombia with an initial capacity of 60,000 bpd.

China will soon begin to lay parallel oil and natural gas pipelines from the Kyaukpyu deep-sea port on Myanmar’s Arakan coast in the Bay of Bengal, all the way up to China’s Yunnan province.

CRC-Evans Pipeline International has acquired a majority interest in UK-based Global Pipelines.

The U.S. State department issued a permit August 20 allowing the Alberta Clipper pipeline to be constructed between Alberta's oil sands and Minnesota.

Enbridge Inc. has entered into an agreement with Imperial Oil Resources Ventures Limited and ExxonMobil Canada Properties to provide for the transportation of blended bitumen from the Kearl project in the Athabasca Oil Sands region.

Mobil Pipe Line Company, an affiliate of ExxonMobil Pipeline Company, has completed a project that will increase capacity by 50%.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has prepared a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed Ruby Pipeline L.L.C. facilities.

Russia has signed an agreement with Azerbaijan for the supply of 500 MMcm/a of natural gas that will be pumped via a pipeline running between the two nations.

The Canaport terminal in Canada received its first shipment of LNG in June, marking entry of Spain’s Repsol into the North American natural gas market.

Honeywell has signed a definitive agreement valued at $400 million to acquire the RMG Group.

Iran said it may invest $70 billion in two major offshore natural gas fields in the 2010-2015 period.

A Kazakh company in charge of the project said the first test shipment of oil had been successfully completed through the newly built Kenkiyak-Kumkol pipeline.

Construction of the approximately 500-mile Midcontinent Express Pipeline (MEP) is complete and natural gas transportation service commenced Saturday, Aug. 1.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani wants a feasibility report on a new Iran–Pakistan gas pipeline project along a sea route.

Petroleos Mexicanos, the state oil company of Mexico, announced August 27 that it is preparing to elicit bids from companies to construct a $600 million pipeline through Central Mexico. The contract would also include a 20-year service agreement.

Dow Jones reported that a multibillion-dollar deal between Royal Dutch Shell PLC and the Iraqi government to jointly develop domestic gas infrastructure in Iraq's south is moving ahead.

Russia has reported the signing of a contract between United Industrial Corporation (OPK) and Concern Energoatom PLC.

TransCanada Corporation has reached an agreement to become the sole owner of the Keystone Pipeline System through the acquisition of ConocoPhillips’ remaining interest in the project.

Nigeria, Algeria and Niger have signed an agreement to build the multibillion-dollar Trans-Sahara pipeline which could carry up to 30 Bcm of gas per annum to Europe.

Tricor Ten Section Hub LLC is holding a non-binding open season from June 1through Sept. 30, 2009 for its planned natural gas storage and hub facility located in Kern County, CA. near Bakersfield.

A new meter tube honing technology that uses existing tools while increasing worker safety and accuracy of results is available.

A Center of Excellence for weld overlay cladding technology has been established by Arc Energy Resources at its Gloucestershire facility in the United Kingdom.

Vacuworx International has announced the new MC3 “mini” lifter vacuum system with a dry tool weight of 900 lbs.

Baker Hughes Incorporated and BJ Services Company announced August 31 that their boards of directors have approved a definitive merger agreement, which represents a transaction value of $5.5 billion for BJ Services.

The Common Ground Alliance announced findings August 25 from its comprehensive Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) Report.

Effective August 1, Dennis Klumb, Jr. succeeded his father, Dennis Klumb, Sr., as President & CEO of KSEnergy Services, according to Dennis Sr., who will retain the title of Chairman of the Board.

AUT Specialists, LLC says it realizes that pipeline contractors and operators have many goals when building pipelines.

Century Products, Inc. offers custom-built hole openers ranging in size from 24-60 inches.

Decision Dynamics says it has quite a diverse clientele including such companies as Colonial Pipeline, Shell and Apache.

Deepwater offers the I-Clip, an individual pipe support clip installed on the inside diameter of a pipe saddle (?10 foot diameter).

Dresser Waukesha has introduced a retrofit kit for adding its state-of-the-art ESM® engine control system to ATGL® Series gas compression engines.

GE O&G PII says its MagneScan™ MFL pipeline inspection technology has completed its first 250 miles of pipeline inspection work on both sides of the Atlantic.

Hex-Hut Shelter Systems has published a brochure describing and illustrating its lightweight, portable welding shelter that provides a unique alternative for an optimal welding environment.

The Altair® 5 Multigas Detector is described as the ideal choice for confined space entry.

CECO Pipeline Services personnel realize the importance of maintaining proper cover over pipelines.

Crowcon says its new IREX infrared (IR) flammable gas detector is an alternative to pellistor-(catalytic bead) type flammable gas detectors.

Detcon’s Model 880-N4X is a PLC-based control-and-alarm system designed to monitor and control multiple gas-detection sensors and other field devices.

Energy Solutions says its PipeWorks provides a suite of software products that includes LeakWarn.

ENRG says it offers the oil and gas industry’s first real-time, Web-based noise-monitoring service that enables operators to be proactive to potential noise issues around compressor stations and drilling and producing sites.

Flow-Cal, Inc. says its TESTit 2.0 field measurement calibration and testing application was designed to meet the industry’s increasing regulations while also providing a simplified solution to the needs of field personnel.

GfG says its new intrinsically safe G460 is a rugged, compact instrument for simultaneous detection of up to six gases.

The Hi-Flow Sampler feature on the website of Heath Consultants is a portable, intrinsically safe natural gas measurement sampling system.

ITT says the corporation’s Airborne Natural Gas Emission Lidar (ANGEL) Services delivers the energy industry's most comprehensive natural gas aerial leak survey.

The Cutting Tool Division of Kyocera Industrial Ceramics Corp. has announced the OTM API Ring Groover, said to be a new cutting tool that provides the most economical way to cut ring grooves meeting the standards recommended by the API.

MBW offers a vapor extraction unit - V.E.U. - that helps LDC crews locate the actual leak site and remove the residual gas quickly and safely.

Weatherford offers a brochure on its website devoted to subsea pipeline leak detection. Weatherford’s Pipeline & Specialty Services (P&SS) group offers multiple independent leak-detection systems.

Lincoln Electric has introduced the Pipeliner® NR®-208P, self-shielded and flux-cored wire (FCAW-S) to its line of Pipeliner® consumables.

Lincoln Electric has added the LN™-25 PRO with dual power to its line of standard and extra torque LN-25 PRO wire feeders.

Lincoln Electric Company offers a 500-amp welder, Vantage 500, in a compact case.

Noise Solutions offers a folder “The Science of Silence®” that focuses on the firm’s Noise Suppression Blueprint™ for compressor station equipment and other noise sources.

Phoenix Contact says its new EC-E electronic circuit breakers selectively protect load circuits connected to a 24-V DC power supply.

Industry Canada’s recent custody transfer certification of ProSoft Technology’s full-function flow computer for ControlLogix® (MVI56-AFC).

R&M Energy Systems says its new, revolutionary positive closure is unlike any other closure used in the oil and gas industry.