Workforce
Energy Firms Halt Return-to-Work Initiatives as Virus Cases Soar
Energy companies in Houston abruptly paused plans to return employees to their offices as cases of COVID-19 soared to the highest daily numbers recorded in the state and top hospitals warned they could soon run out of ICU beds.
Canada's Enbridge Says 800 Workers Take Voluntary Buyouts
Enbridge has reported that 800 workers have agreed to take voluntary buyouts as the pipeline operator seeks to cut costs amid the pandemic.
Pipeline Operator Energy Transfer Warns of Coming Job Cuts
Dallas-based pipeline operator Energy Transfer will begin cutting about 6% of its workforce next week, as the impact of weak oil and gas prices continued to spread through the energy industry.
NACE Partially Reopens Houston Training Center, Offers Online Courses
NACE International will begin reopening its Houston-based training center at the end of the month.
NACE International Corrosion 2020 Conference Cancelled Due to Pandemic
NACE International has officially canceled its Corrosion 2020 Conference and Expo.
Reporting Higher Q1 Profits, Enterprise Products CEO Puts a Personal Spin on COVID Response
Enterprise Products Partners’ outspoken co-CEO Jim Teague used a conference call with investors Wednesday as an opportunity to comment on the U.S. economic shutdown, reflecting on his personal experiences during the 1950s polio epidemic and as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam in relation to the COVID-19 response.
PHMSA Eases Pipeline Regulations, Enforcement in Response to Pandemic
Responding to the impact Covid-19 on midstream staffing and resources, PHMSA has issued two guidance documents to ease some operating requirements, allow discretion in enforcement and provide flexibility to support the critical needs of state and industry partners.
Control Centers at the Heart of Innovation, Advancement
Just as technology advances helped drive U.S. oil and gas producers to new heights, operators of the energy highways – the pipelines and their sophisticated control centers – are increasingly harnessing innovation to gain efficiency.
EnLink Midstream Lays off 20% of Workforce
EnLink Midstream said it has laid off about 300 employees, or 20% of its workforce, to cut costs amid an unprecedented crash in oil prices because of the coronavirus outbreak and a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia.
AGA Chair Diane Leopold Brings Positive Outlook to Challenging Period for Industry
Diane Leopold became chair of the American Gas Association just in time for an unprecedented economic shutdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The executive vice president and co-chief operating officer of Dominion Energy, talked to P&GJ about the challenges and opportunities facing the natural gas industry.
Gazprom Workers Leave Hospital After Negative Coronavirus Tests
Twenty Gazprom workers, who were airlifted to a hospital following a coronavirus scare last week, have been discharged after the tests came back negative, a Gazprom spokesman said on Monday.
Pipeline Opportunities Conference Focuses on Business, Industry Success
The 16th annual Pipeline Opportunities Conference (POC) took place on March 3 at the Westin Galleria in Houston, TX bringing together nearly 200 owners, operators, and industry experts from around the country.
Gazprom Isolates 20 Workers at Field Feeding Nord Stream Pipeline
Russian gas company Gazprom has isolated 20 workers at a major natural gas field which feeds the Nord Stream pipeline after one worker tested positive for the coronavirus.
Pipeliners Podcast: Education Through Conversation
Over the last decade, podcasts have emerged as a popular form of distributing audio content to a broad, international public that covers specialized topics. In November 2017, the Pipeliners Podcast became the first such podcast focused on pipelining.
Taking Responsibility for Next Generation of Pipeline Talent
As the discussion around the skills gap in pipeline continues, clients ask me what they should be doing as a business to attract new talent, and how they can help those from outside the industry transition into a career in the market.
When Workers Leave: How to Retain Their Knowledge
Like other manufacturers, the oil and gas industry is impacted by the impending departure of an aging workforce. The people who make up this group have decades of institutional knowledge that has become second nature within the work environment, yet much of this knowledge is unstructured and not readily available to others across the organization.
Embedding Operating Procedures in Pipeline SCADA
The pipeline supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) operator has one of the most critical jobs in the pipeline industry and should be given all the help available to keep pipelines safe and liquid flowing. To this end, more than 25 years ago, a major oil company determined that SCADA-embedded operating procedures and safety features were needed to improve safety.
Productivity & Safety: A Natural Pairing in Pipe Handling
Most construction accidents happen during pipe handling, when workers are loading and unloading large, heavy pipe or when additional construction equipment is brought in to move big and unwieldy pipe with workers in close proximity.
Where PHMSA’s Voluntary Information-Sharing Program Stands
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) officials are apparently still interested in developing a voluntary information sharing (VIS) safety reporting program.
PPI Offers Overview on NDT for Plastic Pipe
The Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI) published a new document, Inspection of Plastic Pipes, Fittings and Joints Using Non-Destructive Test Methods and Evaluation (TN-60), which provides an overview of non-destructive testing and evaluation techniques that have been introduced into the plastic pipe industry.
A Chat with PPI’s Energy Piping Chief
Randy Knapp, is the director of engineering at the Energy Piping Systems Division of The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. In this conversation, he discusses educating the industry about plastic pipes, the need for more skilled labor in the sector and what PPI sees as the its top priorities in the coming year.
PPI Provides Midstream Workforce with Chance to Learn About Plastic Pipes
As employment growth continues across much of the U.S., many companies are finding it increasingly difficult to hire people with the right skill set. The energy sector is no different, and the situation is more severe in the United States because of rapid industry growth.
APGA Chairman Intends to Re-Engage Membership
In an interview with Pipeline & Gas Journal, APGA Chairman Samual Davis Jr. discusses the challenges and goals faced by the organization in during the coming year. He also talks about strategies for effectively explaining the benefits of natural gas to the public and shares his thoughts on electrification.
Alternative to Congested Pipelines at Risk as Canada Rail Strike Looms
Canada's Teamsters notified Canadian National Railway of plans to strike Tuesday after a stalemate in contract negotiations, threatening an important shipping alternative to congested pipelines for Alberta's oil producers.
GMRC Training Committee Expands Learning Opportunities
The Gas Machinery Research Council (GMRC), long known as a research think-tank, recently formalized a training committee dedicated to expanding the breadth of its existing training programs to include the midstream sector.
Mountain Valley Developer EQT Cuts Jobs
EQT Corporation has announced that it is streamlining its business to improve operational effectiveness and create a more efficient and nimbler organization.
CNOOC Halts Work at Uganda Project Due to Ebola Outbreak
Oil producer China National Offshore Oil Corp said it has halted field work at its western Uganda project over an Ebola scare and would resume operations only after getting the green light from the health ministry.
TC Energy Funding ‘Pipeline Academy’ at Louisiana Technical College
A Louisiana technical college has received a $1 million donation from TC Energy to enable students to gain hands-on pipeline experience at its new “pipeline academy.”
The Pipe Liners Club of Tulsa Awards over $200,000 in Scholarships
The Pipe Liners Club of Tulsa recently held their annual scholarship distribution meeting at the Tulsa Country Club.
State of Learning in the Gas Industry
Today, the association serves nearly 100 gas and electric utilities and provides training and eLearning courses for the electric industry. MEA’s goal is to empower the energy industry through education, leadership, development and industry connections. P&GJ visited with some top executives to discuss industry challenges and the training benefits provided by MEA.
- Keystone Oil Pipeline Resumes Operations After Temporary Shutdown
- Biden Administration Buys Oil for Emergency Reserve Above Target Price
- Freeport LNG Plant Runs Near Zero Consumption for Fifth Day
- Enbridge to Invest $500 Million in Pipeline Assets, Including Expansion of 850-Mile Gray Oak Pipeline
- Williams Delays Louisiana Pipeline Project Amid Dispute with Competitor Energy Transfer
- Evacuation Technologies to Reduce Methane Releases During Pigging
- Editor’s Notebook: Nord Stream’s $20 Billion Question
- Enbridge Receives Approval to Begin Service on Louisiana Venice Gas Pipeline Project
- Mexico Seizes Air Liquide's Hydrogen Plant at Pemex Refinery
- Russian LNG Unfazed By U.S. Sanctions
