Featured Stories

The fifth staging of Valve World Americas Expo & Conference, organized by KCI Publishing Corporation and Messe Düsseldorf North America, was held on June 19th and 20th at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. #VWAM2019

Operators in refineries, chemical, petrochemical, LNG and oil & gas production must keep GHG & environmental regulations for emissions in mind. One area where this is extremely important is in the processing of oil and gas. This overview discusses the most recent regulation updates issued by the Canadian Federal Government. By Gobind Khiani, M.Eng., P.Eng.

Consent Decrees (CDs) were first introduced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States in 1999, and mandatory implementation began in the early 2000s. A Consent Decree in this case refers to an agreement or settlement that resolves a dispute between the EPA and a manufacturer, without an admission of guilt or liability. LDAR Subject Matter Expert and Third- Party Lead Consent Decree Auditor for Tricord Consulting, Mark Kelsey, spoke with Fugitive Emissions Journal.

When faced with valve issues and leakage, Chemours Dr. Henry Ye looks to make both a lasting repair as well as to identify the root cause to prevent repeat problems. As one of the world’s leading chemical companies with interests in titanium technologies, fluoroproducts, and chemical solutions, Chemours is well-known for its differentiated portfolio of premium products.

Fugitive Emissions Journal had the pleasure of meeting with Consultant, João Carlos Vitorino, Eng, MBA, in Brazil to discuss his thoughts on the changes the country has undergone in recent years, how the new government is bringing hope to the people of Brazil for 2020, and the importance of keeping industry workers safe, while also protecting the environment by controlling fugitive emissions.

Thermal hot spots, evident with thermal imaging, can be an indication of impending failure. Electric power companies need systems that reduce the risk of breakdown in power delivery, such as blackouts and brownouts, often caused by aging infrastructure. A breakdown can have extensive negative affects to the customers and communities they serve. The costs associated with unplanned maintenance and restoring system operation can be massive.

The requirement to comply with low emission standards has become one of the most important issues regarding valves over the past several years. The API has developed API 624 (applicable to API 600, 602. 603 & 623) and API 641 (applicable to API 599, 608 & 609), requiring less than 100 ppm without a re-torque, along with publishing the 3rd Edition of API 622 for packing that requires less than 100 ppm without a re-torque. By Rodney Roth, Beric Valves & Don Oldiges, Jet-Lube LLC.

Often with Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) surveys, companies are stuck using traditional strategies that aren’t very efficient. In fact,despite recent technological advancements, many businesses seem reluctant to ‘take the plunge and embrace newer methods that would help them detect fugitive emissions in their operations. In this article, Terence Trefiak of Target Emissions Services discusses Optical Gas Imaging Camera (OGIC) technology for LDAR versus Method 21, and the AWP.

After 34 years of experience in the energy industry, Tim Goedeker, Senior Principal Environmental Consultant for Phillips 66, knows the value of experience and the importance of innovation. Starting his career as a Technical Service Engineer in the oil refining sector and moving into the environmental side with HSE-Refining, Tim has a vast knowledge and understanding of this ever evolving industry.

With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Dan Devine began his career in 1987 working for the Union Carbide Corporation after graduating from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. He joined a major chemical company in 2001 through the acquisition of Union Carbide. Dan recently retired and is now working in a valve and piping consulting engineer role as an independent contractor through Midland Engineering, Ltd.