July 2009 Vol. 236 No. 7

Integrated Pipeline Services, Inc. announced July 1 that it had completed the acquisition of Sheehan Pipe Line Construction Company. Terms were not disclosed.

Robert A. Patterson Sr., vice president and secretary of J.F. Kiely Construction Co., will serve a one-year term on the Distribution Contractors Association (DCA) Safety/Risk Management Committee. A major responsibility of the Safety/Risk Management Committee is to review all information concerning safety in the industry and safe jobsite practices.

On June 5, 1964, from salesman Ernest Hotze’s desire to provide his customers with needed parts for a compressor on a gas pipeline, Compressor Engineering Corporation (CECO) was formed. From its early days in Hotze’s garage, CECO has grown into a family of companies, with locations across Texas and the South, becoming a leader in providing products and services to gas pipelines, gathering and processing companies, petrochemical, industrial and refrigeration plants worldwide.

Tom Lassu, president Ledcor Contractors Ltd., announced the appointment of Kevin Cater as president of Ledcor Pipeline Inc. He willoversee Ledcor’s pipeline operations in the U.S. and work out of the Houston office.

If you’re like me, you’re curious about the deal that ExxonMobil (XOM) struck with TransCanada (TC) to participate in the Alaskan natural gas pipeline project.

In a continued effort to develop state of the art automation standards, River Consulting is working on a variety of pipeline expansion projects for Kinder Morgan, including automating stations and compressor units for the Rockies Express Pipeline.

Custody transfer measurement in the oil and gas business has been described many ways. It has been called an accuracy in measurement that both the buyer and seller can agree upon and it has been called the best that can be achieved to meet the contract conditions.

There are several types of flow meters used to measure the flow profile of a fluid. They are; turbine flow meters, ultrasonic flow meters, magnetic flow meters, Coriolis flow meters and target flow meters.

So, in a highly competitive business, what is the one factor that customers, or in this case, shippers, require from their service provider, the natural gas transmission pipelines?

Slightly more than six months ago, Kinder Morgan became the first company in the United States to transport commercial batches of denatured ethanol via pipeline.

The flow measurement performance of two commercially available ultrasonic flow meters has been evaluated under conditions in which there were various levels of contaminate-like coating applied to the inside wall of the pipe upstream of the meter.

Ultrasonic flow meters are among the most popular of the flow meter types. They are used for a wide range of applications, including natural gas and petroleum liquids custody transfer, check metering and flare gas measurement.

In the pipeline industry, real-time monitoring is becoming a big business. Systems monitor pipeline integrity, temperature, vibration, leaks, personnel and equipment, as well as watch for intruders. These systems use a variety of communication methods, including fiber optic cable strung along the pipeline, cellular, satellite, wireless and Ethernet.

T. Boone Pickens’ energy plan for the U.S. has fatal flaws. Do not count on it as the long-term policy solution for energy independence or the fuel to depend on for your investment decisions.

I've written about the impending retirements we're facing in our industry. It's not just in our industry, it's a demographic phenomenon. It's been acknowledged, studied, written about, re-acknowledged and affirmed.

The House is likely to pass a greenhouse gas emissions reduction bill which would have major pluses and minuses for the natural gas pipeline industry.

The LNG spotlight over the past few years has focused on the feverish rush to build new terminals on the East, West and Gulf Coasts, all of which would be importing product. No one has paid any attention to the oldest LNG facility in the country, the Kenai LNG terminal in Nikiski, Alaska, which was built in 1969 and is the only LNG terminal in the U.S. to export gas.

Several Pennsylvania lawmakers and advocacy groups have called for a severance tax on natural gas drilling, with portions of the tax invested in the land, water, wildlife, and the communities that bear the brunt of this drilling.

ABB has won a contract worth about US$223 million from Sonatrach, the Algerian oil and gas company, for three gas plants.

Calais Pipeline Company, LLC recently conducted a binding open season for 1 Bcf/d of firm transportation service through a 20.5-mile proposed pipeline.

Enbridge held a successful non-binding open season for the proposed Enbridge LaCrosse Pipeline.

PetroChina is preparing to construct a 1,024-km natural gas pipeline project worth $US1.2 billion in Shandong Province.

Despite facing gas production shortfalls post-2010, Russia is multiplying its supply offers to European consumer countries through South Stream and other pipeline projects.

Gazprom has approved preliminary proposals to implement an integrated gas production, transportation and supply system in Eastern Siberia and the Far East, taking into account potential gas exports to Asia-Pacific countries as part of the Eastern Gas Program.

A deepwater natural gas pipeline system from West Asia to India - laid on a geo-politically safe route outside the Persian Gulf - could be a reality soon.

Inter Pipeline Fund has signed a long term agreement with Imperial Oil Resources Ventures Limited to provide diluent transportation service for Imperial's Kearl oil sands mining and extraction project located northeast of Fort McMurray.

Iran and Pakistan have signed an agreement to further plans for the $US7 billion Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline which is expected to deliver 60 MMcm/d of Iranian gas to India. Following the signing of the gas sales purchase agreement, work will begin on project design.

Kern River Gas Transmission Company held a non-binding open season through June 18 to determine shipper interest in firm year-round transportation service from receipt points in Wyoming and Utah to delivery points into California.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. launched an open season to solicit market interest for its Cochin Bakken Crude Project, which would enable the pipeline to offer a new service for light crude oil transportation from the Bakken producing region in North Dakota to destination points in Minnesota, Michigan and Ohio.

PetroPlex International, LLC, has declared "shovel-ready" a plan to build a liquid bulk storage and blending facility in St. James Parish, Louisiana. The initial complement of storage tanks and the docking system is scheduled to be operational by Q1 of 2011.

Algerian oil company Sonatrach awarded Saipem a contract valued at US$580 million for the engineering, procurement and construction of the GK3-Lot 3 gas transportation system.

TransCanada Corp. was the successful bidder on a contract to build, own and operate a US$320 million pipeline in Mexico.

Preparation of tender documents for the proposed 700-km Trans-Caspian oil pipeline is nearing completion, said KazMunaiGaz President Kayrgeldi Kabildin.

Merry L. Brumbaugh, who has spent almost all of her 29-year career in the coated tubulars segment of the L.B. Foster Company, Pittsburgh, PA, has the distinction of being chosen the first woman to be president in the 44-year history of the National Association of Pipe Coating Applicators (NAPCA).

Probably there has never been a better time for the tri-annual World Gas Conference scheduled for Oct. 4-9 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

During the 20th century, two women had a decisive impact on the male-dominated oil industry. One was the muckraker journalist Ida Tarbell, whose history of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Co. contributed to its dismemberment.

Energy Control Systems, Inc. (ECSI) says it has developed and has applied for a patent for a new service riser designed to identify and vent leaking fuel gas.

A recent study by the Gas Technology Institute reports the increased “direct use” of natural gas in homes and businesses will reduce energy consumption, consumer energy costs and national CO2 emissions.

While capacity was tight on some Canadian oil pipeline systems in 2008, Canada’s National Energy Board (NEB) said that additional capacity nearing completion is expected to ease current constraints.

CRC-Evans Pipeline International has announced it has acquired a majority interest in UK-based Global Pipelines. The two companies will now work together to provide start-to-finish managed services for the spoolbase and offshore sectors.

Fast Fusion of Palisade, CO, announced on June 14, 2009, that it was immediately taking a more active role in the promotion of its equipment, products and services, including increased marketing efforts in locations that previously serviced exclusively by ISCO Industries, LLC.

Global Infrastructure Partners, a $5.64 billion infrastructure private equity fund, and El Paso Corporation announced July 27 that they have partnered to construct, own and operate the Ruby interstate natural gas pipeline.

The Natural Gas Supply Association announced July 9 that it has hired long-time energy professional Daphne Magnuson to take over its day-to-day public relations efforts.

Union Gas Limited announced July 17 that it will conduct a binding open season for a proposed expansion of the company's Dawn-Parkway pipeline.

ABB Totalflow says its SCADAvantage™ software is uniquely designed for oil and gas operations and provides first-rate automation solutions.

Almetek offers mini curb markers to indicate location of underground utility lines.

American Innovations offers the newest version of its Allegro Field Data PC - Allegro MX.

Brodie International offers a brochure devoted to its BiRotor Plus, Single Case positive displacement meter product line for biofuels blending.

CRC-Evans offers a self-contained tool that provides speed, optimization and confidence for the magnetism removal job.

FreeWave Technologies recently announced its new DataLogger software for cathodic protection remote monitoring.

Lincoln Electric says its Ranger® 225 GXT welder generator delivers a smooth AC/DC welding output and 10,500 watts peak generator power.

Phoenix Contact says its new GSM/GPRS serial modem provides global access to machines and systems via GSM connections.

Pipeline Inspection Company offers an updated brochure highlighting its complete line of holiday detector, jeep meter and pig-tracking equipment.

Precision Instrument Manifolds offers a 40-page brochure devoted to its line of products.

Preco Safety Products has introduced its short-range sound back-up alarm.

RF Neulink, a supplier of wireless data transceivers, has broadened its portfolio to include the NL5500, a licensed conventional radio in both VHF and UHF frequency range.

SensorTran Inc. has announced an agreement with Micron Optics, Inc. to offer the world’s first integrated, hybrid fiber-optic sensing solution for pipelines.

The Tinker & Rasor Model APS, now with a three-year warranty, is described as a pulsating DC High Voltage Holiday Detector featuring a safety switch.