News

Oil Train Wrecks Increase Pressure for Tougher Safety Rules

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fiery wrecks of trains hauling crude oil have intensified pressure on the Obama administration to approve tougher standards for railroads and tank cars despite industry complaints that it could cost billions and slow freight deliveries.

The Transportation Department sent the White House draft rules on Feb. 5 that would require oil trains to use stronger tank cars and make other safety improvements.

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Facility Expansion Underway At CDI

CDI, one of the world’s leaders in pipeline pig detection, recording and locating technology, broke ground recently for its expansion project in Broken Arrow, OK.

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RTU And Process Security From The Ground Up

Recent news regarding SCADA system intrusions has highlighted the security differences between network and s. SCADA system operators must assess vulnerabilities and implement security measures at both levels.

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How Network Segmentation Improves Operational Security For Pipelines

Network segmentation is a fundamental component of cybersecurity, yet it is so difficult to implement in a gas and pipeline environment. There is flawed thinking in part due to an industry-wide focus on perimeter security, a carryover from the days of air gap protection.

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Tablets In The Field: Pipeline Post-Construction Restoration Monitoring Case Study

For over a decade, surveyors across many disciplines (biologists, geologists, archeologists, engineers, etc.) have relied on the same traditional methods for collecting field data, which typically includes carrying a handheld GPS unit for identifying location coordinates, documenting findings in logbooks and taking photos using a digital camera.

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Opportunity Knocks For Natural Gas: Is Anybody Listening?

When QEP Resources Inc. CEO Charles “Chuck” Stanley roams the country giving speeches as the chairman of America’s Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) he hopes someone is listening because these times for natural gas are full of innovation and opportunity in his mind. A familiar theme for this gas industry veteran is summarized in the question: How do we make the most of this newfound opportunity?

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Stakeholder Engagement In Age Of Radical Transparency

We live in an age of radical transparency, bringing with it significant challenges for energy companies in trying to engage constructively with stakeholders. Are there radical solutions to this challenge?

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W.Va. oil train derailment was 1 of 3 with safer tank cars

MOUNT CARBON, W.Va. (AP) — The fiery derailment of a train carrying crude oil in West Virginia is one of three in the past year involving tank cars that already meet a higher safety standard than what federal law requires — leading some to suggest even tougher requirements that industry representatives say would be costly.

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Texas Railroad Commissioner Looking For ‘Sound Advice’ On Regulating

Newly sworn-in Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton told about 165 members of the Texas Pipeline Association (TPA) members in Houston that he will be looking to the oil and gas industry for “good, sound advice” on improving regulations during his tenure. The Texas A&M University graduate said it is imperative to establish a “level playing field for operators” where regulations are concerned and in some ways work as an advocate for Texas’ energy interests, which must compete with other states.

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Southeast Asia’s Pipeline Challenges

Southeast Asia is considered one of the most problematic regions of the world in which to build pipelines since it encompasses active volcanos and thousands of islands. With a large land area of 4.46 million square kilometers and many countries, it is home to 616 million people, 150 million of whom have no access to electricity.

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