May 2016, Vol. 243, No. 5
Company & Association News
Company and Association News
Association News
The American Petroleum Institute last month presented its 2015 Distinguished Safety and Environmental Award to Chevron Pipe Line Co. and Wolverine Pipe Line Co. This is API’s highest safety and environmental performance award for pipeline operators and was presented to the companies at API’s 67th annual pipeline conference in Carlsbad, CA. Chevron won the award in the large operator category and Wolverine won in the small operator category
“This award is a testament to Chevron and Wolverine’s extraordinary commitment to exceptional safety and environmental performance,” said API Midstream Director Robin Rorick. “Safety is a core value for the industry. These two companies exemplify excellence in protecting the public and our environment.”
Wolverine Pipe Line Co. is a transportation service company, headquartered in Portage, MI. It operates over 630 miles of active steel pipeline in three states, connecting Chicago refineries to terminals in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. The company transports over 350,000 barrels (14.7 million gallons) of refined products a day.
Chevron Pipe Line Co., headquartered in Bellaire, TX, is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Chevron Corp. Chevron Pipe Line’s assets transport crude oil, refined petroleum products, liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas and chemicals within the U.S. On a daily basis, Chevron Pipe Line’s network of 4,100 miles of pipe transports over 1.3 million barrels of crude, refined products and chemicals.
Shell Pipeline Co., LP won the Occupational Safety Performance Award for large operators. In the small operator category, three companies shared that honor: CITGO Pipeline Co., Equistar Chemicals, LP-Equistar Pipeline and Wolverine Pipe Line Co., none of which reported OSHA recordable incidents for employees and contractors.
At the Canadian Gas Association, 2016 Operations Conference five Safety Awards for Excellence (SAFE) were presented to Enbridge Gas Distribution, Heritage Gas, TransCanada and Union Gas, recognizing their leadership and important contributions to public and worker safety.
SaskEnergy, Manitoba Hydro, FortisBC and Gaz Métro submitted a nomination for an award and were presented with a SAFE Certificate of Recognition.
“The Canadian Gas Association SAFE Awards recognize natural gas distribution companies and their employees who show exemplary leadership to ensure the continued safe delivery of natural gas to customers,” said Timothy M. Egan, president and CEO of the CGA.
Ameren Illinois became the 24th member of Operations Technology Development (OTD), a collaboration between some of the country’s leading natural gas utilities to develop, test, and implement new technologies.
Personnel Changes
Komatsu distributor Kirby-Smith Machinery, Inc. named Joe Trapani as director, Pipeline Services Division. He will head the newly dedicated Pipeline Division, which will focus on equipment needs of pipeline contractors nationwide. The division will provide equipment and support to customers in the mainline, regional and local pipeline construction industry.
Houston-based Quanta Services Inc. named a new chief executive as part of its succession planning. Jim O’Neil has stepped down as president and CEO and Earl “Duke” Austin Jr. was named his successor. Austin retains his COO title and will fill O’Neil’s spot on the board of directors. Doyle Beneby and David McClanahan were also recently appointed to the board.
Peter Lidiak joined the International Liquid Terminal Association (ILTA )as vice president of Government Relations. He most recently was pipeline director for the American Petroleum Institute in Washington, D.C. Lidiak will direct ILTA’s legislative and regulatory initiatives.
Henkels & McCoy, Inc. named James M. Dillahunty as president and COO. Edward J. Murphy was named senior vice president and division manager, assuming the top leadership role of H&M Inc.’s Pipeline Division. Murphy works in the Pipeline Services, headquartered in Birdsboro, PA.
CASE Construction Equipment announced the retirement of Jim Hasler, vice president, North America, after 34 years of service. Scott Harris, vice president of Parts and Service for CNH Industrial, will oversee Case’s North American construction equipment operations.
Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. made the following promotions to the position of vice president: Stephen Falgoust, Asset Integrity; Dean Gore, Environmental and Regulatory Compliance; Barry Holtzman, Safety, Security and Training; Megan Prout, Commercial Contracts and Litigation; James Robert, Lease Supply; and Jim Tillis, Human Resources.
Chevron Corp. named Mark A. Nelson as corporate vice president of Strategic Planning.
DNV GL named Ditlev Engel CEO of its energy business, succeeding acting CEO Elisabeth Harstad.
Exterran Corp. named Gregory A. Rosenstein as vice president of Investor Relations, replacing David Oatman.
Company News, Mergers & Acquisitions
Wood Group acquired Ingenious Inc., a supplier of proprietary software and consulting services to energy industries, from its executive leadership team. Wood Group said the acquisition provides a “strong manufacturing operations management (MOM) systems capability that builds upon and diversifies the capabilities of Wood Group Mustang’s automation and control business,” within which it will operate.
Ingenious’s software products consist of remote performance monitoring, production planning and scheduling, and training, including e-learning and training simulators for the process industries.
Ingenious also has an office in Mumbai, India, that supports regional customers, executes international projects and assists in software development. The Mumbai operations expand the automation and control business’s geographic footprint and client relationships in Asia and the Middle East.
KBR is creating a program to train active-duty military in the pipefitting trade after their military service. The initiative is in partnership with Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC) and Fort Polk in Vernon Parish, LA.
The Veteran Pipefitting Training Program was created at Fort Polk and applicants will be selected for the 16-week program by Fort Polk’s Soldier for Life Transition Assistance Program (SFL-TAP) and KBR. Trainees will receive training credentials for both academic and hands-on practice by the National Center for Construction Education and Research upon successful completion of the course.
JPH Holdings, LLC (JP Services), has launched its chemical and mechanical cleaning division to service pipeline-owners and operators. The Pipeline Services Division will provide cleaning services, either in or out of service, for intrastate, interstate and gathering system pipelines nationwide.
Vactor Manufacturing and parent company Federal Signal Corp., have acquired Westech Vac Systems, Ltd., a provider of vacuum truck-mounted solutions. The acquisition is expected to extend the group’s reach into the industrial, utility and oil and gas market.
Obituaries
Charles Dennis Bingham died March 18 at age 85. He graduated from Spur High School in 1948 and Texas Tech in 1956, following 45 months in the Air Force during the Korean conflict. In 1957, Bingham entered into sales and spent the next 50 years working for Dyno Nobel, Inc. After retiring, he was an industry sales manager, and worked in pipeline construction sales and as a technical advisor, covering Canada and the United States.
He was awarded an honorary Canadian citizenship by the Pipeline Contractors Association of Canada and given an honorary lifetime membership by the Pipeline Contractors Association of America. He leaves his wife, Ramonda; daughter, Glenda Vargas; son, Dean; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Cherie Levien, wife of Larry Levien, counsel for the Pipe Line Contractors Association, Washington, D.C., died Feb. 2 after a long illness. Services were held in Clarksburg, MD.
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