Picture this: a future where LNG becomes the linchpin in the global energy landscape, poised to hit an estimated 625-685 million tonnes per year by 2040, transforming the way nations power their industries and sustain economic growth. As we delve into the dynamics of this energy frontier, it becomes clear that this is not just a trend; it’s a transformative shift with far-reaching implications.

The China Factor: From Coal to Gas for a Greener Tomorrow

Leading the charge in this LNG boom is China, the juggernaut of the East. As the world’s most populous nation grapples with carbon emissions, there’s a paradigm shift underway—moving from coal to gas. Steve Hill, Executive Vice President for Shell Energy, asserts, “China is likely to dominate LNG demand growth this decade.” With the coal-heavy steel sector emitting more than the combined total of the UK, Germany, and Turkey, the strategic move to gas holds the key to curbing carbon emissions and tackling local air pollution.

South Asia and Southeast Asia: The Next Frontier for LNG

Looking beyond the next decade, the spotlight turns to the burgeoning economies of South Asia and Southeast Asia. As domestic gas production declines, the need for LNG skyrockets. Fueling gas-fired power plants and industrial sectors, these regions are set to witness a surge in demand, provided they invest substantially in gas import infrastructure. It’s a golden opportunity for strategic investments that could reshape the energy landscape for years to come.

Harmony in Diversity: Gas, Wind, and Solar Power

Contrary to the notion of competition, gas emerges as a complement to wind and solar power in nations with robust renewable energy portfolios. The Shell LNG Outlook 2024 underscores the synergy between gas and renewable sources, offering short-term flexibility and long-term security of supply. As the world strives for a balanced energy mix, gas plays a pivotal role in bridging the gaps, ensuring stability, and paving the way for a sustainable energy future.

European Energy Security: LNG’s Guardian Angel

In the intricate tapestry of global energy security, LNG emerges as a guardian angel for Europe. Post a slump in Russian pipeline exports in 2022, new regasification facilities played a crucial role in bolstering energy supplies. Despite an overall decline in European gas demand in 2023, LNG imports held steady. A confluence of factors—mild winter temperatures, high gas storage levels, nuclear power generation, and a modest economic recovery in China—contributed to the delicate equilibrium that balanced the global gas market.

Navigating the Tightrope: Gas Prices and Volatility

While 2023 marked a well-supplied global market, the absence of Russian pipeline gas supply to Europe and limited LNG supply growth maintained the structural tightrope the global gas market walks. Gas prices and volatility, though down from the highs of 2021-2022, remained significantly elevated compared to the 2017-2020 period. The tightrope walk continues, presenting challenges and opportunities for market players and policymakers alike.

The LNG revolution is not a distant dream—it’s knocking on our doors, promising a cleaner, more sustainable energy future. From China’s bold stance against coal to the booming economies of South Asia and Southeast Asia, the global LNG demand surge is a symphony of change. As nations invest in infrastructure, seek renewable synergies, and secure their energy future, the energy landscape is set for a breathtaking transformation.

Source:
www.shell.com/lngoutlook

ABB has been awarded an order by Bechtel Energy Inc. to deliver integrated automation, electrical, and digital solutions for Phase 1 of the Rio Grande LNG facility (RGLNG Phase 1) in Brownsville, Texas, a project developed by NextDecade Corporation. Bechtel Energy Inc. is undertaking construction of RGLNG Phase 1 under an engineering, procurement, and construction contract.

RGLNG Phase 1 includes three liquefaction trains and supporting infrastructure, and was the largest greenfield project financing in U.S. history, according to NextDecade Corporation. This order, booked in Q3 2023, marks ABB’s first fully integrated scope on a major LNG facility. When fully operational, Phase 1 of the facility is expected to produce 17.6 million tons per annum of LNG.

“Innovation and collaboration are helping address the energy trilemma of providing affordable, accessible, and sustainable energy for all,” said Brandon Spencer, President of ABB Energy Industries. “ABB technology will automate, electrify, and digitalize the Rio Grande project, which will further boost global LNG exports and play a vital role in achieving global energy security.”

RGLNG Phase 1 will utilize ABB products and services to ensure the safe and efficient operation of its LNG production. Automation control systems, digital electrification components, and industrial drives will enable RGLNG Phase 1 to optimize production assets, increase energy efficiency, and operate more sustainably.

According to the International Energy Agency, the U.S. is set to consolidate its position as the world’s largest LNG exporter, and growth in LNG supply signals a shift to a more globalized gas marketplace to improve resiliency and the ability to respond to supply and demand shocks.

ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered, and operated. Building on more than 140 years of excellence, ABB’s ~105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation. www.abb.com

Locus Bio-Energy’s AssurEOR STIM^® biosurfactant technology has been certified to reduce the carbon intensity and boost production of crude oil and natural gas operations. The EOR technology will allow oil and gas companies, as well as their clients—such as airlines, cruise lines, utilities, companies that produce or use plastic, and any entity relying on trucking and shipping to get products to market—to accelerate the achievement of their decarbonization goals and produce more with fewer resources. 

Production is the largest contributor to the carbon footprint of the oil and gas industry

Oil and gas production contributes 63% of the industry’s carbon footprint. According to the International Energy Agency, production accounts for 10%-15% of the overall footprint of a barrel of oil or gas. Swift, cost-effective solutions are needed to meet reduction goals, as many decarbonization strategies will take time to scale.

“Companies around the world that rely on oil and gas and its by-products are under tremendous pressure to meet their decarbonization goals; often with no clear path to do so in a meaningful manner,” said Andrew (Andy) Lefkowitz, CEO of Locus. “There isn’t another technology that can immediately enhance extraction without additional CAPEX, while also accelerating decarbonization progress.” 

SGS certification of Locus Bio-Energy’s enhanced oil recovery technology  

AssurEOR STIM’s certification has been issued by SGS, which provides inspection, verification, and testing certification services to thought leaders in over a dozen global industries. The ISO-14064 certification was developed to comply with both ISO 14064:2-2019 (greenhouse gas reporting) and the EU Commission’s Innovation Fund Methodology for GHG Emission Avoidance. It allows for easy incorporation into scope and carbon intensity accounting.

Locus Bio-Energy’s AssurEOR STIM enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology has already been deployed successfully on hundreds of wells across key basins to address declining oil and gas extraction. The crux of the novel well stimulation treatments is that they can be easily deployed around the world to reduce the negative environmental impact of oil and gas production while cutting costs and increasing revenue.

Locus’ biosurfactant technology cuts cost, carbon, and resources needed per barrel of oil and gas

According to the certification, oil and gas production companies utilizing just a single application of Locus’ AssurEOR STIM technology reap multiple benefits, including: 

• Carbon intensity reduction: At least a 7% reduction in carbon intensity of oil and gas production based on the most conservative historical performance readings, going up to 20%+ at scale 
• Cost: In Texas, an opportunity for a 50% reduction in the 4.6% excise taxes on all, not just incremental, oil produced with Locus’ EOR technology for 10 years  
• Revenue: A minimum 10% production increase, which can result in $300K+ in additional annual revenue from an average 100-bpd well, excluding tax credits

Each oil and gas well that does not need to be fracked or drilled saves:  

• Water: Reduction of 25 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of water 
• Diesel: Conserves enough diesel fuel to drive around the Earth’s equator more than 450 times 
• Sand: Elimination of the mining and transportation of 8,500 tons of sand (the second most used resource on the planet)—the volume needed to build a half mile of freeway 
• Chemicals: Exclusion of 50,000 gallons or more of chemicals, such as hydrochloric acid, NP9, BTEX, secondary 1,4-dioxane, scale inhibitors, biocides, and others

“AssurEOR STIM is the first ISO-14064 certified EOR technology that can make an immediate impact on carbon intensity at the start of the oil and gas supply chain,” said Lefkowitz. “Our data indicates that treatments could boost crude oil production by 10-45%+ while lowering the carbon intensity by 7-20%+.”

Oil and gas carbon intensity certification provides full asset value chain benefits 

As entire fields adopt the treatments, further reductions can be realized throughout the asset value chain. Although Locus’ EOR technology was the first to be certified, its entire range of oilfield technologies—from completion fluid additives to flow assurance and cleaning solutions—all have the potential to significantly reduce the carbon intensity of their respective operations. They have also been proven to outperform more intense chemical or thermal counterparts.

Locus Bio-Energy’s biosurfactant technologies are an attractive solution for oil and gas companies navigating the evolving regulatory landscape. They also give end-users access to oil produced with a lower carbon intensity. Learn more about how biosurfactant technology can revive production and propel the oil and gas industry toward a decarbonized future at LocusBioEnergy.com.

About Locus Bio-Energy  

Locus Bio-Energy is an innovation leader committed to offering best in class science-driven and sustainable oilfield chemistries to the oil and gas industry. Utilizing the scientific capabilities of our accelerator company, Locus Fermentation Solutions, Locus Bio-Energy turns novel biosurfactants with a low carbon footprint into green treatments tailored for upstream and midstream applications. Our environmentally friendly biosurfactants address a wide variety of the industry’s most pressing challenges, including improving well reliability and long-term production while decreasing risk, environmental impact, and costs. The biosurfactant treatments are made from 100% renewable resources and have been proven to replace or boost synthetic chemicals at a fraction of the dosage rates and cost, with a 2-3x ROI.

For further information, visit LocusBioEnergy.com. 

About SGS 

We are SGS – the world’s leading testing, inspection, and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for sustainability, quality, and integrity. Our 98,000 employees operate a network of 2,650 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer, and more interconnected world.

Source: locusbioenergy.com

FortisBC Energy Inc. (FortisBC) and the City of Vancouver (the City) are working together on the construction of a Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) facility at the City’s landfill in Delta, B.C. The project is an example of how FortisBC is working with municipalities to develop more local renewable and low-carbon gases to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide safe, affordable, and reliable energy solutions for B.C. families and businesses.

“This is our largest RNG project to date and the RNG generated from the landfill will be delivered into the local gas distribution system as a low-carbon energy source,” said Roger Dall’Antonia, president and CEO of FortisBC. “FortisBC is partnering with municipalities, like the City of Vancouver, farms, and other sources of organic waste so that we can increase our supply of RNG to decarbonize the gas system. It is a key way that we’re taking waste that would otherwise add methane into the atmosphere and turning it into an energy source that will displace conventional natural gas thereby reducing emissions overall.”

When organic waste decomposes, it releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. FortisBC works with suppliers like farmers, landfill operators, and local governments to capture and turn these gases into RNG to displace conventional natural gas. It is a critical part of how FortisBC is meeting the energy needs of British Columbians while reducing emissions.

The City uses RNG in its buildings, fleet, and Neighbourhood Energy Utility, as a tool to reduce its own carbon emissions. The reduction in emissions as a result of this project is expected to be equivalent to up to 12,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to taking 2,600 cars off the road each year. Construction and commissioning of the RNG facility may take approximately 12 to 15 months to complete. 

“As our city looks to reduce emissions and tackle the challenge of reducing our reliance on fossil fuels – it’s awesome to see exciting innovation that will make a difference,” said Ken Sim, Mayor of Vancouver. “This new RNG facility at the Vancouver Landfill is exactly the type of project that will help Vancouver grow our economy while helping to shrink our emissions. We’re proud to work with our partners at FortisBC as we pave the way for a brighter – and greener future.”

This project is the latest example of how FortisBC is working with municipalities to supply RNG to help meet B.C.’s climate action goals. Other prominent examples include the active RNG facility for the City of Surrey and the construction of facilities in the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George and the Capital Regional District.

About FortisBC Energy Inc.

FortisBC Energy Inc. is a regulated utility focused on providing safe and reliable energy, including natural gas, renewable gas, propane, and thermal energy solutions. FortisBC Energy Inc. employs more than 1,900 British Columbians and serves approximately 1,054,097 customers across British Columbia. FortisBC Energy Inc. owns and operates approximately 50,182 kilometers of natural gas transmission and distribution pipelines. FortisBC Energy Inc. is a subsidiary of Fortis Inc., a leader in the North American regulated electric and gas utility industry. FortisBC Energy Inc. uses the FortisBC name and logo under license from Fortis Inc.

For further information on FortisBC, visit www.fortisbc.com.
For further information on Fortis Inc., visit www.fortisinc.com.

Suzanne believes that “Natural gas is a critical component of the energy system, and removing it can harm the system overall.” Here are some key points to consider when it comes to considering if Natural Gas is an important element in the renewable energy mix:

Natural Gas is a Clean and Reliable Energy Source

Natural gas is a clean and reliable energy source that has a lower carbon footprint than other fossil fuels. It is also abundant and domestically produced, which makes it a secure source of energy for North America.

Natural gas is used to generate electricity, heat homes and businesses, and power vehicles. It is also used as a feedstock for the production of chemicals, plastics, and other materials.

Natural Gas is Essential for a Balanced Energy Portfolio

A balanced energy portfolio includes a mix of energy sources, including natural gas, coal, nuclear, and renewable energy. Natural gas is an essential component of this mix because it is reliable, flexible, and affordable. It can be used to generate electricity when renewable energy sources are not available, and it can be used to back up intermittent renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

Removing Natural Gas Can Harm the Energy System Overall

Removing natural gas from the energy system can harm the system overall. It can lead to higher energy costs, reduced reliability, and increased greenhouse gas emissions. Natural gas is an important source of baseload power, which means it provides a steady and reliable source of electricity that is available 24/7. Removing natural gas from the energy mix can lead to a less reliable and more expensive energy system.

Natural Gas is a Bridge to a Clean Energy Future

Natural gas is a bridge to a clean energy future because it can be used to replace higher-emitting fossil fuels like coal and oil. It is also a complement to renewable energy sources like wind and solar because it can provide backup power when these sources are not available. Natural gas can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality by replacing higher-emitting fossil fuels.

The Southern Gas Association is Committed to Promoting Natural Gas

The Southern Gas Association is committed to promoting natural gas as a clean, reliable, and affordable source of energy. The association represents natural gas utilities, pipeline companies, and suppliers in the southern United States. It provides education, training, and advocacy on behalf of the natural gas industry.

THE ENERGY ECOSYSTEM

Here are 10 reasons why natural gas is critical to our energy ecosystem:

1. Natural gas is a relatively clean-burning fossil fuel that produces fewer emissions of nearly all types of air pollutants compared to other fossil fuels.
2. Natural gas is abundant and domestically produced, which makes it a secure source of energy for North America.
3. Natural gas is a reliable and flexible source of energy that can be used to generate electricity when renewable energy sources are not available.
4. Natural gas is an essential component of a balanced energy portfolio that includes a mix of energy sources, including coal, nuclear, and renewable energy.
5. Natural gas is a complement to renewable energy sources like wind and solar because it can provide backup power when these sources are not available.
6. Natural gas is used to heat homes and businesses, which is essential for a good standard of living and good health.
7. Natural gas is used as a feedstock for the production of chemicals, plastics, and other materials.
8. Natural gas is a bridge to a clean energy future because it can be used to replace higher-emitting fossil fuels like coal and oil.
9. Natural gas can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality by replacing higher-emitting fossil fuels.
10. Natural gas is a critical component of the energy system, and removing it can harm the system overall by leading to higher energy costs, reduced reliability, and increased greenhouse gas emissions.

Natural gas is a critical component of the energy system, and removing it can harm the system overall. Natural gas is a clean and reliable energy source that is essential for a balanced energy portfolio. It is also a bridge to a clean energy future and can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality. The Southern Gas Association is committed to promoting natural gas as a clean, reliable, and affordable source of energy.

TotalEnergies Marine Fuels and the Cruise Division of MSC Group have successfully completed the first Liquefied Natural Gas bunkering operation at the Port of Marseille Fos, Southern France, for MSC Cruises’ MSC World Europa.

MSC World Europa, which was delivered in October 2022 by Chantiers de l’Atlantique at the Saint Nazaire shipyard in France, is 333 meters long and the best-performing large cruise ship operating in the world in terms of CO2eq emissions per passenger.  

TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ chartered LNG bunker barge, the Gas Vitality, refuelled the MSC Cruises vessel via a ship-to-ship transfer of 2 500 m3 of LNG at the port on April 22nd, while guest operations continued as normal. The successful execution of these simultaneous operations (SIMOPs) underscores TotalEnergies’ Marine Fuels’ ability to safely deliver commercial LNG bunkering operations.

The operation marks the start of the previously announced LNG bunker supply contract between TotalEnergies and the Cruise Division of MSC Group in March 2021, as the companies drive forward their respective decarbonization plans. Under the agreement, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels will supply approximately 45,000 tons per year of LNG to MSC Cruises’ vessels at Marseille.

“We are excited to support the Cruise Division of MSC Group in their decarbonization journey and to help the Port of Marseille Fos become an LNG bunker hub for the Mediterranean region,” said Philippe Charleux – Senior Vice President of Lubricants and Specialties, TotalEnergies. “This operation also expands our LNG bunkering capabilities to the cruise ship segment, demonstrating our ability to serve a broader range of shipping clients, as the industry strives to reduce emissions. In line with TotalEnergies’ Climate ambition, we will continue to work hand-in-hand with our industry partners to develop and scale up new, lower-carbon and ultimately, zero-carbon fuel solutions for shipping.”

Patrick Pourbaix, Managing Director of MSC Cruises in France, said: “This first LNG bunkering operation in Marseille is an important milestone for our company as we welcome MSC World Europa for her first summer season in the Mediterranean. Featuring a range of unprecedented innovations in terms of environmental and marine technologies MSC World Europa represents a major step forward on our journey towards meeting our target of net-zero emissions by 2050. LNG is not only the cleanest marine fuel currently available at scale, but also a transitional fuel as we look ahead to source and use synthetic LNG or other alternative non-carbon fuels as soon as they become available at scale.”

Marine LNG sharply reduces emissions from ships and significantly improves air quality, in particular when at berth for the benefit of port cities and communities in coastal areas. The use of marine LNG, therefore, impacts positively not only the city where LNG bunkering will take place, Marseille. It also paves the way forward for all ports in the Mediterranean to meet the new International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations taking effect in 2025, as part of its new Emission Control Area (ECA) designation. Used as a marine fuel, LNG helps to cut: sulfur emissions and fine particle emissions by 99%, nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 85% and Greenhouse gas emissions by around 20%.

TotalEnergies supports the growing role of LNG in shipping’s energy transition. TotalEnergies Marine Fuels has actively invested in LNG bunkering infrastructure, critical to support its shipping customers’ decarbonization ambitions through the uptake of LNG as a marine fuel. The Company currently charters two 18,600-m³ LNG bunker vessels: the Gas Agility, at the Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands; and the Gas Vitality, at the Port of Marseille-Fos, France.

Since the start of TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ LNG bunkering operations in November 2020, Gas Agility and Gas Vitality have performed over a hundred LNG bunkering operations. Notably, both vessels have conducted world-premier, large-scale operations across these bunker hubs with high levels of performance and safety records.

TotalEnergies, the world’s third largest LNG player

TotalEnergies is the world’s third largest LNG player with a market share of around 12% and a global portfolio of about 50 Mt/y thanks to its interests in liquefaction plants in all geographies. The Company benefits from an integrated position across the LNG value chain, including production, transportation, access to nearly 20 Mt/y of regasification capacity in Europe, trading, and LNG bunkering. TotalEnergies’ ambition is to increase the share of natural gas in its sales mix by close to 50% by 2030, to reduce carbon emissions and eliminate methane emissions associated with the gas value chain, and to work with local partners to promote the transition from coal to natural gas.

About TotalEnergies Marine Fuels

With over three decades of market experience, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels is TotalEnergies’ dedicated business unit in charge of worldwide bunkering activities. A long-term partner to the global shipping industry, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels serves more than 200 shipping customers across over 130 ports in Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa. Its headquarters is located in Singapore, with two satellite offices in Paris and Geneva.

In order to help its shipping customers adopt the cleanest available marine fuels today, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels has made key commitments to supply marine LNG, bioLNG and biofuels at strategic bunker hubs. As part of its ongoing work in various maritime coalitions and cross-industry R&D initiatives, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels is also helping to shape the production of decarbonized future fuels for shipping.

MSC World Europa’s environmental technologies

MSC World Europa is the world’s first contemporary cruise ship to feature brand new solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology powered by LNG. The ship includes a 150-kilowatt SOFC demonstrator that uses LNG to produce electricity and heat on board in a highly efficient way by means of an electrochemical reaction.

MSC World Europa is equipped with shore power plug-in connectivity to reduce carbon emissions in port, as well as with an advanced wastewater treatment system (AWTS) that meets the world’s highest regulatory requirements, including the so-called Baltic standard. It treats all wastewater produced onboard to close to tap water standards. The ship also includes a ballast water treatment system that prevents the introduction of invasive species in the marine environment through ballast water discharges, in full compliance with IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention.

The vessel has an entire team of crew dedicated to implementing the strict waste management protocols which separate all wastes into seven distinct types, for example, glass, plastic, aluminum and paper, with specialized equipment to crush or bundle these waste types in the ship’s waste management facility.

In addition, MSC World Europa features an underwater radiated noise management system to minimize disturbance to marine life and a comprehensive range of onboard energy-efficient equipment to optimize engine use and hotel energy needs to reduce emissions further. It is also fitted with enhanced automatic data collection systems for remote energy monitoring and advanced analysis, allowing real-time shoreside support to optimize operational efficiency onboard.

About TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies on a global scale: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our 105,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, clean, reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in nearly 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people.

About the Cruise Division of MSC Group

The Cruise Division of MSC Group, the leading privately held Swiss-based shipping and logistics conglomerate with over 300 years of maritime heritage, is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has two distinct brands within its structure – contemporary and luxury brands.

MSC Cruises, the contemporary brand, is the world’s third largest cruise brand as well as the leader in Europe, South America, the Middle East and Southern Africa with more market share in addition to deployed capacity than any other player. It is also the fastest-growing global cruise brand with a strong presence in the Caribbean, North America and the Far East markets.

Its fleet comprises 21 modern vessels combined with a sizeable future global investment portfolio of new vessels and is projected to grow to 23 cruise ships by 2025.

MSC Cruises offers its guests an enriching, immersive and safe cruise experience inspired by the Company’s European heritage, where they can enjoy international dining, world-class entertainment, award-winning family programs and the very latest user-friendly technology on board. To learn more about contemporary brand’s itineraries and experience on board its ships please see here.

Meanwhile, the luxury brand, Explora Journeys, is set to start operating in 2023 with a fleet with the latest and most advanced environmental and maritime technologies available. The first of which will have a gross tonnage of 63,900 GT and feature 461 of the largest suites at sea, all with oceanfront terraces. These luxury ships will introduce to the luxury segment a broad range of new guest experiences and other activities as well as generous ratios of public spaces, in addition to showcasing highly innovative designs. For further information about Explora Journeys please see here.

MSC has long been committed to environmental stewardship with a long-term goal to achieve net zero emissions for its operations by 2050. The Company is also a significant investor in next-generation environmental marine technologies, with the objective to support their accelerated development and availability industry-wide.

Natural Gas Vehicles for America and Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas announced that 69 percent of all on-road fuel used in natural gas vehicles in the calendar year 2022 was renewable natural gas, surpassing the previous year’s record-breaking level.

Captured above ground from organic material in agricultural, wastewater, landfill, or food waste, RNG can produce carbon-negative results when fueling on-road vehicles like short- and long-haul trucks, transit buses, and refuse and recycling collection vehicles. California Air Resources Board data confirms that the annual average carbon intensity (CI) value of California’s bio-CNG vehicle fuel portfolio in its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program is carbon negative and below zero at -92.26 gCO2e/MJ.¹

RNG used as a transportation fuel grew 17 percent over 2021 volumes, up 218 percent from 2018 levels. NGVAmerica and RNG Coalition report that in 2022 a total of 663 million gallons (GGE)² of natural gas were used as motor fuel. Of that, 457 million gallons (GGE) were from renewable sources.³

“RNG-fueled heavy-duty vehicles are a scalable, affordable, and carbon-free-today solution for freight and transit fleets of all sizes,” said Dan Gage, President of NGVAmerica. “And with the upcoming availability of a 15-liter engine option, commercial fleet applications with the biggest torque and horsepower needs will also be able to transition to ultra-clean renewable natural gas motor fuel and displace diesel, saving on fueling costs and slashing their greenhouse gas emissions.”

“Renewable Natural Gas supply is growing,” said Johannes Escudero, Founder & CEO of Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas. “With 281 RNG facilities transforming waste into fuel, and another 476 planned or under construction, we are increasingly able to affordably offer consumers the opportunity to decarbonize with RNG – the cleanest of any fuel available today.”

RNG used as a motor fuel in 2022 displaced 5.63 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Put into perspective, RNG motor fuel use last year:⁴

• Lowered greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to removing the GHG from almost 14 billion miles driven by the average passenger car;
• Eliminated CO2 emissions, equivalent to removing CO2 emissions from almost 633 million gallons of gasoline consumed; and
• Sequestered carbon, is equal to growing over 93 million tree seedlings for ten years, or 6.66 million acres of U.S. forests for one year.

NGVAmerica is a national trade association of sustainability solutionists and experts in the clean transportation field. Our roughly 200 members are dedicated to the development of a growing, profitable, and sustainable market for vehicles, ships and carriers powered by natural gas and biomethane.  NGVAmerica member companies produce, distribute, and market natural gas and biomethane across North America, manufacture and service natural gas vehicles, engines, and equipment, and operate fleets powered by clean-burning gaseous fuels.

Find out more at: www.ngvamerica.org.

Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas is the non-profit association of renewable natural gas in North America. Membership is comprised of 360+ companies, labor organizations, municipalities, colleges, and universities.

Find out more at: www.rngcoalition.com.

CRP Subsea, an AIS company, has successfully delivered a contract awarded by ECOnnect Energy, providing Dynamic Bend Stiffeners for their IQuay™ jettyless LNG transfer system.

The innovative jettyless transfer system IQuay™ F-Class from ECOnnect Energy will be used to continuously transfer LNG gas from an offshore LNG production facility to a permanently moored floating storage unit (FSU), replacing the need for a fixed jetty. CRP Subsea’s Dynamic Bend Stiffeners will protect the flexible pipes to and from the IQuay™ system, providing additional stiffness and preventing them from overbending at the termination points. This will allow for increased operational uptime even in inclement weather.

Ben Stubbens, Sales Team Manager at CRP Subsea states: “This award is recognition of our technical expertise and unrivalled track record of providing Bend Stiffeners to the oil & gas industry for over 40 years.  It’s a testament to our commitment to delivering reliable customized solutions that meet the unique needs of our customers. We are honored to have the opportunity to work with such an innovative forward-thinking company and look forward to building a strong and long-lasting relationship.”

Produced at CRP Subsea’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the North of England, the Bend Stiffeners have now been delivered, to be installed when the IQuay™ F-Class is deployed later this year.

The IQuay™ leverages the traditional marine infrastructure and existing LNG transfer operations, as it is optimized to be scalable as well as compatible with a wide range of Floating Storage Units (FSUs) and Floating Storage Regasification Units (FSRUs). The jettyless scope accelerates consumer access to natural gas in a cost-effective and agile manner. A Bend Stiffener is a bend-limiting device used to protect flexible pipelines, umbilical, or cables. It does this in three ways;  (1) They ensure the flexible pipe does not bend beyond the manufacturer’s desired minimum bend radius (MBR) during the life of the project, in such a way as to optimize the fatigue performance of the flexible pipe. (2) They provide a suitable load path from the flexible pipe to the fixed structure. (3) Bend stiffeners reduce point loading at the termination point. We have an extensive track record in the supply of bend stiffeners, with zero failures.

CRP Subsea, an AIS Company

Using advanced material technology, CRP Subsea provides high-integrity solutions for the harshest and most demanding offshore environments. CRP Subsea specializes in the development and production of polymer and syntactic foam-based buoyancy and protection products for the offshore renewables and oil & gas industries. CRP Subsea, an AIS company, has been providing innovative solutions to the industry for over 40 years.

www.crpsubsea.com

ECOnnect Energy is an independent Norwegian technology company assisting the energy and maritime markets with the jettyless IQuay™ transfer terminal. The IQuay™ solutions feature a game-changing floating jettyless system for the loading, discharge and bunkering of LNG, ammonia, hydrogen and CO2 for storing carbon without the need for invasive, time- and cost-intensive fixed marine infrastructures. With proprietary infrastructure solutions, ECOnnect Energy is committed to accelerating the uptake of clean energy globally.

www.econnectenergy.com

Energy Aspects and Vortexa announced a new strategic partnership that combines industry-leading energy commodity data and intelligence with best-in-class cargo tracking analytics to provide energy markets with an even greater understanding of short-term market dynamics.

Under the partnership, EA will use Vortexa’s market-leading cargo tracking analytics as input to its world-class research and analysis on global crude, refined products and LNG markets. The partnership will help bring increased clarity to energy markets during a time of historic complexity, volatility and transition.

“We are pleased to announce that Vortexa is our new preferred third-party provider of global flows data”, said Fredrik Fosse, Chief Executive at Energy Aspects. “Trusted data is key to our best-in-class fundamental analytics, and it’s important for us to benchmark and complement our primary data sources with those of the leading third-party providers.”

“We are very excited to partner with Energy Aspects. Their stellar reputation and global reach across energy markets, now powered by the breadth and depth of Vortexa analytics will drive increased value to our clients and partners. We are proud of this clear endorsement of Vortexa’s best-in-class data in energy and freight analytics as compared to other legacy providers” said Fabio Kuhn, Founder & CEO, Vortexa.

About Energy Aspects

Energy Aspects was founded in 2012 by energy industry experts Dr. Amrita Sen, Fredrik Fosse, and Richard Bronze to meet the need for timely, independent research that provides deep dives into the energy market and macro fundamentals, grounded on robust data and timely forecasts, all while maintaining a commitment to timeliness and precision. Over 500 organizations rely on Energy Aspects’ broad product range covering short-term, long-term, and macro trends, and direct access to analysts for specific queries. It is headquartered in London with additional offices in New York, Houston, Singapore, Tokyo, Kolkata, Vienna, and Athens.

About Vortexa

Vortexa provides market-leading real-time data and advanced analytics for energy and freight markets. With the most accurate and complete picture of global flows, freight and inventories, Vortexa covers crude oil, refined products, LPG and LNG, across all vessel classes. We help traders, analysts and freight professionals gain a competitive edge in complex and opaque markets by making better trading decisions with confidence. Vortexa is a multidisciplinary force of over 115 employees combining the best of energy and freight expertise, data science and engineering across major hubs in London, Singapore, Houston, New York City and the UAE.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador released its budget and Energy NL welcomes a number of the initiatives, including reinstatement of the offshore seismic program, support for the renewable sector, continuation of the Offshore Exploration Initiative, and assessment of natural gas opportunities. The energy sector continues to be an economic driver, responsible for approximately 20% of provincial GDP and an approximately $100 million contribution to the Future Fund.

“Overall, I see Budget 2023 as positive for the energy sector. The return of the offshore seismic program is important to our industry. Seismic data is used to help determine where exploration should occur and has the best chance of being successful. Moreover, it is used to attract investment into the offshore through the land sale process. Seismic will also play an important role as we look for possible locations to store carbon. Early research indicates our offshore has the potential to store all of Canada’s carbon emissions and seismic data can help us find the pathway to carbon storage and net zero.” said Charlene Johnson, Energy NL CEO

There is an allocation of over $500,000 for the renewable sector, including increasing capacity for environmental assessment and regulatory oversight. Energy NL is pleased to see investment in the environmental assessment process to ensure appropriate protection and progress, not a delayed process. As well, increased resources to develop an efficient and robust regulatory approach are welcomed. Initiatives such as the green technology tax credit and Low Carbon Economy Fund may also help Energy NL members lower their carbon footprint and Energy NL looks forward to learning more about these initiatives and how its members can benefit.

“Continuation of the Offshore Exploration Initiative is important as we have seen the program stimulate important offshore activity, including exploration for this year. The almost $5 million to assess natural gas in the Jeanne d’Arc Basin is also a positive step to help open another energy play for Newfoundland and Labrador. We continue to make significant progress in our energy sector and I look forward to working with Energy NL members and the provincial government to ensure industry growth and success.” said Charlene Johnson, Energy NL CEO

Energy NL represents approximately 500 member organizations worldwide that are involved in the energy sector. Members are active in all areas of the supply and service sector and include a diverse representation of businesses that range from offshore supply vessels and helicopters, carbon reduction and sustainable technologies, health and safety equipment and training, engineering solutions and fabricators to law firms and human resource agencies.

BioTown Biogas, a leading renewable energy producer in the waste-to-value energy market, is activating its new digester and processing facility, one of the largest on-farm biodigesters in the world. The activation is being marked by an on-site commissioning ceremony and ribbon cutting, to be attended by Indiana Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch and other elected and business leaders.

BTB sources food waste, dairy manure, beef manure, and other agriculture waste to produce renewable natural gas (RNG) and renewable electric power. The new facility, located in Reynolds, Indiana, is expected to generate more than 42 million kilowatt-hours of renewable power per year, while also producing more than three million gallons of renewable fuel per year.

The facility’s commissioning represents a significant milestone for the North American renewable energy industry, as BTB charts the path toward circular agricultural practices and proves that farming and livestock operations can help to create renewable energy that powers the future.

“This day represents a tipping point for our region, for the energy industry, and for a more sustainable future,” said Indiana Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch, the state’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “With the commissioning of this renewable energy facility, BioTown Biogas and the State of Indiana are claiming our position on the leading edge of a new era in clean energy production. Indiana is eager to see and support more of this type of investment in the state.”

BTB’s energy assets were previously owned by BioTown Ag (“BTA”), a multi-generational family farm that has been a sustainability leader in the agricultural community for decades. BTA spun off the power business to BTB, in order to jointly partner with Green Rock Energy Partners, a sustainable infrastructure-focused private equity firm that invests in renewable energy companies and projects, and to expand its RNG business.

“A major community and industry milestone like this does not happen overnight. BioTown Ag and Green Rock Energy Partners put in years of work to lay the foundation and to prepare for a lower carbon future in farming that, at first, probably sounded like a pipe dream,” said Chad Hoerr, General Manager of BioTown Biogas. “The State of Indiana’s leadership, in addition, to support from Green Rock and BioTown Ag, have been critical in bringing our vision into reality.”

The BTB facility supports more than 50 full-time jobs in White County, Indiana and surrounding communities. Northern Indiana Public Service Company (“NIPSCO”) will provide the facility’s renewable electric power offtake, and United Energy Trading and others will provide the RNG offtake.

About BioTown Biogas

BioTown Biogas (“BTB”) is a leading renewable energy producer in the waste-to-value energy market. Based in Reynolds, Indiana, BTB operates one of the largest on-farm biodigesters in the world, transforming waste into valuable energy and other useable byproducts. BTB sources food waste, dairy manure, beef manure, and other agriculture waste to produce renewable natural gas (RNG) and renewable electric power. Focused on establishing replicable and sustainable models of circular agriculture, BTB’s work demonstrates how farming and livestock operations can help to create renewable energy that powers the future.

For more information, please visit www.biotownbiogas.com.

About Green Rock Energy Partners

Green Rock Energy Partners LLC is a sustainable infrastructure-focused private equity firm that invests in renewable energy companies and projects. Green Rock’s investments primarily target waste-to-value energy assets within the circular economy, which play a critical role in the ongoing energy transition to a low-carbon future. The firm deploys equity capital to develop, purchase, and operate environmentally responsible and financially attractive businesses and infrastructure. The projects that Green Rock targets for investment produce renewable natural gas, renewable diesel, renewable fertilizer, and other similar products. The firm was founded by a team of commodities executives who source, structure, and negotiate opportunities to build successful businesses using their expertise as owners and operators.

For more information, please visit www.greenrockep.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

THE OGM:
Why do we still need Petroleum?

CANADA ACTION:
Despite the push toward renewable energy, the demand for petroleum continues to grow. Petroleum products are essential for many aspects of modern life, including transportation, manufacturing, and agriculture. The energy shortages experienced globally in recent years have highlighted the importance of reliable energy sources. These shortages were caused by factors such as COVID-19 supply chain disruptions, lack of investment in new supply, and geopolitical tensions.

It is important to note that while we need to transition to renewable energy, we cannot do so at the expense of reliable energy sources. Taking on a “replacement” policy that replaces reliable forms of energy with intermittent ones risks serious consequences, such as supply shortages and rolling blackouts. The best method of implementation is to take on an “addition” policy, where renewables are added to our existing supply.

THE OGM:
Why do we need renewable energy sources?

CANADA ACTION:
The push towards renewable energy is essential to combat climate change and reduce emissions. The most important renewable energy considerations of our time include developing the resources required to transition from relying on liquid-based to material-based energy systems. However, we must also consider the human impacts of sourcing these materials from jurisdictions that do not share the same concerns for human rights, environmental protection, and democratic values.

The potential supply-demand bottlenecks with critical minerals used in renewable technologies, as we have seen with Russian fuels amid the war in Ukraine, highlight the need for a strategic plan to address this issue. For example, China currently dominates in global aluminum refining and smelting, lithium and cobalt refining, and graphite production and refining. As such, we may run into the same potential supply-demand bottlenecks with critical minerals as we have with Russian fuels. It is essential that we find these minerals in a sustainable and ethical manner.

THE OGM:
What are some of Canada’s Top Energy Natural Resources?

CANADA ACTION:
Canada has a wealth of natural resources that can contribute to the country’s energy sector. The liquified natural gas (LNG) sector on Canada’s west coast has a handful of Indigenous-led projects that have yet to receive regulatory approval from provincial and federal governments. These projects, such as Cedar LNG and Ksi Lisims LNG, have the potential to create huge economic opportunities for Indigenous Peoples and Canadians alike. 

A healthy LNG sector in British Columbia could generate more than $500 billion in economic activity over the next 40 years, creating nearly 100,000 jobs and over $6 billion in wages.

Canada’s oil and gas sector is also poised to continue its immense contribution to the country’s overall wealth and prosperity. From 2000 to 2019, the sector generated nearly $505 billion for Canadian governments, and from 2023-2032 it is expected to generate another $594 billion. 

The industry is the “backbone” of the Canadian economy, as many well-known economists have repeated time and time again.

THE OGM:
Why is there so much misinformation out there and how do we dispel it?

CANADA ACTION:
One of the most common misconceptions about the energy sector is the notion that we will be getting off oil and gas anytime soon. Anti-Canadian energy activists often point to “net zero” scenarios as proof that the world is using less oil and natural gas. However, the reality is that these are just possible projected scenarios. Shell has said that liquefied natural gas demand will grow 76% by 2040 in its latest industry outlook. Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency found in its most recent World Energy Outlook that global oil demand is projected to grow to ~104 million barrels per day by the mid-2030s.

The OGM:
How do we overcome our current energy challenges?

CANADA ACTION:
One of the biggest challenges facing Canada’s energy industry today is regulatory uncertainty. The regulatory process for energy projects in Canada is often lengthy and cumbersome, with multiple levels of government and stakeholders involved. This can create significant delays and uncertainty for energy companies, which in turn can discourage investment in the sector.

To address this challenge, Canada needs to streamline its regulatory process and provide greater clarity and certainty for energy companies. This could involve streamlining the approval process for energy projects, establishing clearer guidelines for consultation with Indigenous communities and other stakeholders, and ensuring that regulatory decisions are based on scientific evidence and sound economic analysis.

Another challenge facing Canada’s energy industry is access to global markets. Canada’s energy resources are located primarily in Western Canada, which is far from major international markets. As a result, Canadian energy companies often face significant transportation costs and logistical challenges when trying to export their products.

To address this challenge, Canada needs to invest in critical energy infrastructure, such as pipelines and export terminals, to improve access to global markets. This could involve working with Indigenous communities and other stakeholders to ensure that energy infrastructure is built in a responsible and sustainable manner.

Canada needs to continue to invest in research and development to drive innovation in the energy sector. This could involve supporting the development of new technologies for carbon capture and storage, renewable energy, and energy efficiency, as well as investing in research on the environmental and social impacts of energy development.

Canada’s energy industry is facing significant challenges as it seeks to balance the need for petroleum with the transition to renewables. However, by adopting a pragmatic and strategic approach to energy policy, Canada can continue to play a leading role in the global energy sector while also contributing to global efforts to address climate change. 

By investing in critical infrastructure, streamlining regulations, and supporting research and development, Canada can ensure that its energy industry remains competitive, sustainable, and prosperous for years to come.

Europe’s increased need for liquefied natural gas looks set to intensify competition with Asia for limited new supply available over the next two years and may dominate LNG trade over the longer term, according to Shell’s LNG Outlook 2023.

European countries, including the UK, imported 121 million tonnes of LNG in 2022, an increase of 60% compared to 2021, which enabled them to withstand a slump in Russian pipeline gas imports following its invasion of Ukraine. A 15 million tonne fall in Chinese imports combined with reduced imports by South Asian buyers helped European countries to secure enough gas and avoid shortages. Europe’s rapidly rising appetite for LNG pushed prices to record highs and generated volatility in energy markets around the world. 

With reduced Russian pipeline gas, LNG is becoming an increasingly important pillar of European energy security, supported by the rapid development of new regasification terminals in northwest Europe. In contrast, China is evolving from being a rapidly growing import market to playing a more flexible role with an increased ability to balance the global LNG market. 

“The war in Ukraine has had far-reaching impacts on energy security around the world and caused structural shifts in the market that are likely to impact the global LNG industry over the long term,” Steve Hill, Shell’s Executive Vice President for Energy Marketing, said. 

“It has also underscored the need for a more strategic approach – through longer-term contracts – to secure reliable supply to avoid exposure to price spikes.” 

The drop in Russian pipeline gas flows prompted unprecedented policy and regulatory intervention as governments in Europe sought to bolster energy security and shield their economies from high costs, including prioritizing LNG imports and quickly developing new import terminals. 

In 2022, Europe’s LNG demand forced other buyers to reduce their imports and switch to other fuels, generating more emissions. High global LNG prices led to a drop in LNG imports in South Asia, with Pakistan and Bangladesh importing more fuel oil to minimize power supply shortages and India using more coal. 

Total global trade in LNG reached 397 million tonnes in 2022. Industry forecasts expect LNG demand to reach 650 to over 700 million tonnes a year by 2040. More investment in liquefaction projects is required to avoid a supply-demand gap that is expected to emerge by the late 2020s.

Diverse new technologies to reduce emissions from gas and LNG supply chains will help to consolidate its role in the energy transition. And there is a growing industry focus on the development and deployment of decarbonized gases – including renewable natural gas, synthetic natural gas, hydrogen and ammonia – to deliver more sustainable energy security in the future.

To view Shell’s LNG Outlook 2023, visit www.shell.com/lngoutlook

The global demand for LNG is projected to reach 700 million tonnes per year by 2040 fuelling the need for greater LNG infrastructure including import-receiving and export terminals, FLNG vessels, and LNG carriers. Since these facilities are being designed with larger capacities and operating under increasingly more challenging conditions, advanced materials technology is required to maximize performance, reduce carbon emissions and optimize through-life costs. Fortunately, a N’GENIUS solution is on the horizon.

Patent-protected in 30 countries around the world, the N’GENIUS Series is a complete ‘family’ of high-strength austenitic stainless steels possessing major improvements compared to 300 Series stainless steels, and a highly economical alternative to various nickel alloys.

As with conventional austenitic stainless steels, the N’GENIUS Series has excellent ductility and toughness at sub-zero and cryogenic temperatures. But exceptionally higher strength and vastly superior corrosion resistance make this new family an entirely different proposition.

Its unique combination of design characteristics provides key engineering advantages for the onshore and offshore industries.

LNG piping systems, engineered products, fabricated products, and equipment can be developed and manufactured with reduced wall thicknesses, offering the potential to make products and equipment lighter and smaller, significantly reducing topside weight and helping facilities overcome space and height restrictions. Any space savings would also improve accessibility regarding servicing and maintenance, repairs, upgrading, or replacement work on products and equipment in the future.

In particular, large facilities with extremely heavy topsides including floating production storage offloading (FPSO) vessels, FLNGs, and upstream fixed platforms, would greatly benefit from the design and construction advantages that the N’GENIUS Series can provide. This includes the potential to reduce the overall construction time and costs, as well as benefitting from easier handling and lower associated transportation costs.

Dr. C.V. Roscoe, the inventor of the N’GENIUS Series, said:

“Some of these larger facilities can have topsides weighing more than 50,000 metric tonnes, which has a major impact on the design and construction cost of oil, gas, and LNG projects.

“The N’GENIUS Series has an infinite range of Alloy types, variants, and grades and is perfectly suited for all the different material specifications, scopes of work, and products including piping systems, pumps, valves, modules, vessels, and tanks. Therefore, the potential to optimize the weight and space of all these components, and in turn reduce costs, could be invaluable. It really is the total system material.”

The weight-saving benefits provided by the N’GENIUS Series are achieved from superior wrought mechanical strength properties. For example, the minimum yield and tensile strength of the N’GENIUS 304LM4N and N’GENIUS 316LM4N grades are typically 2.5 and 1.5 times higher respectively compared to the minimum strength values of conventional 304L and 316L. This enables the N’GENIUS Series to have significantly higher allowable design stresses than conventional austenitic stainless steels.

Similarly, the higher minimum Pitting Resistance Equivalent (PRE) values for N’GENIUS 304LM4N and N’GENIUS 316LM4N grades compared to those for 304L and 316L produce significant improvements in the localized corrosion and general corrosion resistance. This enables products and equipment to last longer, facilities to be designed for longer service life, and projects made more sustainable and cost-effective.

Furthermore, the extensive range of alloy types, variants, and grades that form the ‘family’ of grades in the N’GENIUS Series makes it suitable for all products, in all service conditions, and in the harshest process media environments.

The N’GENIUS Series will also help accelerate the wider implementation of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.  Inevitably, the addition of onboard CCS for upstream fixed platforms, FLNGs, and FPSOs means additional topside weight, volume, and space. So a reduction in the weight and size of onboard CCS systems, as could be achieved with N’GENIUS, would make this green technology become more feasible and play a fundamental role in driving down carbon emissions.

The N’GENIUS Series can be manufactured in both wrought and cast forms, in an extensive range of products for the oil, gas, and LNG industries. These include pipe, tube, fittings, flanges for piping systems, modules, heat exchangers, umbilicals, and line pipe for risers, flowlines, pipelines, and manifolds. N’GENIUS technology can also be applied to engineering products including pumps and valves, fabricated products such as vessels and tanks, and specialist products including casing and tubing for Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG).

A N’GENIUS technology with total system capability, truly living up to its name.

The N’GENIUS Series is available to be produced under license by premier manufacturers of stainless steel products.

End clients, engineers, and manufacturers interested in discovering more about the N’GENIUS Series can visit www.ngeniusmaterials.com or its sister company United Pipelines (www.unitedpipelines.com).

About N’GENIUS Materials Technology

N’GENIUS Materials Technology, based in Cheshire, England in the United Kingdom, is a materials technology company, specializing in the invention of next-generation stainless steels. The N’GENIUS Series™ possesses a unique combination of high mechanical strength along with superior resistance to corrosion. These properties provide engineers with superior engineering design characteristics to optimize the development of major projects throughout the world. The N’GENIUS Series™ of high-strength austenitic stainless steels is the complete reinvention of austenitic stainless steels, designed specifically to out-perform, supersede, replace or supplement many of the conventional 300 Series grades and the existing grades that are currently available for selection in the API Specification 5LC for CRA line pipe and DNV-ST-F101 standard for submarine pipelines systems along with the CRA Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) currently available for selection in the API Specification 5CT for Casing and Tubing.

For more information visit www.ngeniusmaterials.com.

Mitigating the risk and effects of natural gas contaminants can often present a challenge to natural gas pipeline operators, process industries, and natural gas utilities, with companies required to manage numerous technologies and devices to obtain a complete analysis. This legacy approach is complex, failure-prone, and expensive. Traditionally, each contaminant has often required a separate analyzer, maintenance schedule, and specific skill set to operate, validate, and service.

“With the new Sensi+ and the market-leading natural gas chromatograph series, ABB becomes the first company to offer customers a comprehensive gas quality solution that combines composition and contaminant measurements into a compact, modular, economical, and reliable system,” said Jean-Rene Roy, Global Business Line Manager for ABB’s Analytical business. “The Sensi+ analyzer also helps customers to meet custody transfer* requirements, minimize internal corrosion in system infrastructure, and prevent physical damage to mission-critical assets.”

Sensi+ requires about six times less sample flow rate for its measurement than other technologies reducing the total carbon emission of the analyzer and natural gas waste in the atmosphere. This reflects ABB’s commitment to enabling a low-carbon society by helping to reduce carbon emissions and support sustainable operations in key industries.

Natural gas pipeline operators have the critical task of managing their installed base of analyzers to ensure the necessary reliability, system integrity, and performance for their custody transfer*, emissions reduction, and process control applications. The hazardous area-compliant analyzer needs only a simple wall mount installation and process tie-in without complex system purging. Following installation and validation, the analyzer will deliver fast and reliable measurements in the field without calibration.

The Sensi+ analyzer includes ABB’s AnalyzerExpert™ features that provide experts with actions and insights directly from the device. Capabilities include built-in self-diagnostics, automated laser line-locking, real-time cross-interference compensation, and health monitoring.

ABB is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation, and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries.

www.abb.com

ABB’s Process Automation business is a leader in automation, electrification, and digitalization for the process and hybrid industries. We serve our customers with a broad portfolio of products, systems, and end-to-end solutions, including our # 1 distributed control system, software, and lifecycle services, industry-specific products as well as measurement and analytics, and marine and turbocharging offerings. As the global #2 in the market, we build on our deep domain expertise, diverse team, and global footprint, and are dedicated to helping our customers increase competitiveness, improve their return on investment and run safe, smart, and sustainable operations.

go.abb/processautomation

“The recycling and refuse industry has long embraced natural gas to mitigate the impact of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Chad Lindholm, senior vice president, of Clean Energy. “Our CCRRA station is one of the first on the East Coast to transition to RNG, and will further our sustainability goal of providing RNG at all of our stations by 2025.”

Clean Energy constructed the station, located at 100 Transfer Road, which will provide fuel for both CCRRA vehicles and other fleets, and is expected to dispense an estimated 500,000 gallons of RNG annually. Switching the station from conventional natural gas to RNG will reduce carbon emissions by 3,696 metric tons each year – the equivalent of removing 803 passenger cars from the road, recycling 1,484 tons of waste instead of landfilled, and planting 61,601 trees.

“As a refuse and recycling authority, we are constantly promoting the benefits of a circular economy by purchasing products generated from the materials we handle daily,” said CCRRA Executive Director Ted Onufrak. “Migrating to RNG is just another example of how closing the loop can be beneficial economically and environmentally.

CCRRA also collaborated with the local WM affiliate to provide RNG as fuel for eight new CNG tractor-trailer units hauling over 4,300 loads of waste annually. This will support WM in meeting its goals of fleet conversion from diesel to RNG.

“WM is proud to work with the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority and commends their transition to a cleaner, a renewable fleet with renewable natural gas,” said Christopher Pilzer, director of sustainable growth, WM Capitol Area. “WM is committed to the growth of our natural gas fleet and investing in renewable energy through RNG. The Centre County RRA’s investment in an RNG fueling station will help support our efforts locally.”

“The Borough of State College has a longstanding commitment to sustainability, and we are continually seeking ways to reduce our carbon footprint and to make our systems and operations more efficient and sustainable. We commend sustainability efforts made by our partners, and CCRRA’s conversion to fleet fuels with lower carbon emissions is an important step forward,” said State College Borough Mayor Ezra Nanes.

About Clean Energy

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. is the country’s largest provider of the cleanest fuel for the transportation market. Our mission is to decarbonize transportation through the development and delivery of renewable natural gas (RNG), a sustainable fuel derived from organic waste. Clean Energy allows thousands of vehicles, from airport shuttles to city buses to waste and heavy-duty trucks, to reduce their amount of climate-harming greenhouse gas. We operate a vast network of fueling stations across the U.S. and Canada.

Visit www.cleanenergyfuels.com and follow @ce_renewables on Twitter.

XL Global Group comprises a number of companies with diverse yet complementary expertise. Drawing from a wide range of technological disciplines, the organization specializes in the provision of integrated solutions for safety systems and process control, data management, telecommunications, business-critical IT, electrical services, and lift production for commercial vehicles, buildings, and the mobility sector. 

Quote from Colin Laird, CEO, of XL Global Group: “We are pleased to announce our partnership with the Beharry Group.  The XL Group of companies has decades of experience across all industries, as well as setting up local offices around the world, with a keen interest in building local capabilities in the regions we work.  We have been visiting Guyana for several years, watching the rapid growth of this country unfold, and are excited to have our partnership finalized this week with the Beharry Group.  With our industry knowledge and Beharry’s wealth of business and local experience, there are many great opportunities to come for our partnership.” 

Anand Beharry, Chairman of the Beharry Group, said on behalf of his board: 

“We are immensely proud of this partnership as it positions us to be able to offer a wide range of solutions to industry across Guyana and the Caribbean in a tech space not yet fully served in our region. 

“We would like to thank and acknowledge Caron Hawco Group out of Newfoundland Canada for identifying the synergies between us and getting us together, and the Canada Guyana Chamber of Commerce (CGCC) for being the platform that got us on the road to this partnership.”

About XL Global Group

Based in the UK, XL Global Group comprises ten companies with diverse yet complementary expertise. Drawing from a wide range of technological disciplines, the organization specializes in the provision of integrated solutions for oil & gas, energy, LNG, decommissioning, food handling, defense, offshore, safety systems, process control, data management, telecommunications, healthcare, business-critical IT, commercial vehicle, mobility, and building lifts. Headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, with operations throughout the UK and in St. John’s, Canada, XL Global Group operates globally across Europe, South America, North America, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

www.xlg.co.uk

As world leaders gather in Egypt for the COP27 world climate summit Oct. 8-18, the study, commissioned by the Canadian Energy Centre, demonstrates how natural gas from Canada could help energy-hungry Asian countries meet growing demand, while helping lower net global emissions by supplanting coal.

Given Canada’s vast natural gas reserves, proximity to Asian markets, and competitively priced products, Canada has an opportunity to become a key supplier for decades to come.

“In Canada, we have an abundance of natural gas. Someone will produce that natural gas – if it’s not Canada, someone else will,” said Matthias Bloennigen, Wood Mackenzie’s Director of Americas consulting.

“If we were to have more western Canadian LNG, that would allow a lot of the other sources to go to Europe. It’s like a domino.”

Canada currently has no ability to export LNG to global markets, but a handful of west coast projects could see Canada enter a global marketplace that has grown significantly as nations look for alternatives to Russian natural gas.

LNG from Canada would be very competitive with other suppliers due to lower transportation costs to Asian markets, as well as lower facility emissions and lower supply costs than many of its competitors.

“The shorter shipping distance and lower resource breakevens mean Canadian LNG is more competitive,” said Bob Kubis, Wood Mackenzie’s Director – Americas Natural Gas, LNG & NGL Consulting.

“Canadian natural gas resources are developed in a regulatory environment where they’re less emitting than certain U.S. shale basins.”

The report’s authors examined three scenarios – a base case that considers moderate growth of Canada’s LNG industry, one in which Canada greatly accelerates its LNG capacity and one in which it remains largely stagnant.

In the base case, by 2050, Canada could account for nearly 20% of the northeast Asia LNG market share, compared to 31.7% under the accelerated model and just under 7% if Canada limits LNG growth.

Under the scenario in which Canada accelerates its LNG capacity, helping Asia switch from coal to natural gas, net emissions in the region could be reduced by an average of 188 MtCO₂E (metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) per year, or about 29% of Canada’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of removing all of today’s cars from Canada’s roads. Should Canada limit LNG growth, total emissions in northeast Asia would continue to rise by an average of four MtCO₂E per year.

Other key takeaways from the report

• Examining two separate scenarios for global primary energy demand, natural gas will stay constant at 24% of the energy mix from 2020 to 2050 under the base case, while under the net zero case it will only drop to 22% of the energy mix by 2050.
• Asia now accounts for more than two-thirds (67%) of global LNG demand and is expected to grow to 300 mtpa (million tonnes per annum), or about 73% of total global demand, by 2050 due to rising economic and population growth, the need to replace declining domestic supply, and to decarbonize the existing power supply.
• By 2050, energy demand from Asian countries is expected to account for 47% of the global total, with China making up more than half of that.
• A global LNG demand gap of 150 mtpa is anticipated by 2035 and Canada, if currently planned west coast projects come online by 2035, could provide up to 59 mtpa to help address the shortfall under a scenario in which Canada accelerates its LNG capacity.

With the world gripped by a global energy crisis, many nations in both Asia and Europe have moved back to coal, among the dirtiest of fossil fuels, in an effort to ensure reliable power. Canadian LNG is a cleaner solution that could have a real measurable impact on global emissions by reducing dependency on coal over the medium term.

Meanwhile, the CEC has also launched a digital media campaign during COP27 targeting delegates with the message that Canada’s oil sands industry has “accepted the challenge” of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 

The campaign includes online display banner ads in Egypt as well as print ads in the New York Times international edition, which will appear in 190,000 papers. The ads will direct people to www.oilsandsnetzero.ca, which will highlight the important role oil and gas plays in meeting current and future global energy demand, and how Canada’s oil and gas industry is the supplier of choice for meeting the world’s growing energy needs.

Central to this effort is the Pathways Alliance, a coalition of Canada’s six largest oil sand companies, accounting for 95% of production, that have jointly committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050. Together they are developing one of the world’s largest carbon capture and storage projects, investing more than $24 billion in CCS and other emissions reduction technologies by 2030. The goal is to eliminate 22 million tonnes of emissions per year by 2030. 

The $136,000 campaign focuses on this world-leading collaboration and will run for the duration of the conference. 

Visit www.canadianenergycentre.ca for more information.

Excelerate’s President and CEO Steven Kobos and Dr. Patrick Graichen, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), signed the contract at BMWK headquarters in a ceremony also attended by Woodward Clark Price, Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Berlin.

“The deployment of the FSRU Excelsior to Germany demonstrates our commitment to strengthening energy security at a time when traditional energy sources have proven unreliable,” said Steven Kobos, President and CEO of Excelerate. “FSRUs have the ability to offer flexible access to greater supply diversification and can serve as a complementary backstop for the rapid scaling of green energy projects. These benefits are consistent with the stated goals of the U.S.-EU Task Force on Energy Security.”

BMWK previously announced that a consortium including Tree Energy Solutions, E.ON, and Engie would jointly develop and implement Germany’s fifth FSRU import terminal using an Excelerate vessel. The FSRU will accelerate the development of TES’ green hydrogen terminal at Wilhelmshaven.

Under the terms of the agreement, the FSRU Excelsior will go on charter in the first quarter of 2023. The Federal Republic of Germany intends to deploy the vessel in the Port of Wilhelmshaven. The Excelsior, which has an LNG storage capacity of 138,000 m³ and send-out capacity of 5 bcm/y, will go to drydock at the end of 2022 for scheduled maintenance prior to its deployment to Germany.

ABOUT EXCELERATE ENERGY:

Excelerate Energy, Inc. is a U.S.-based LNG company located in The Woodlands, Texas. Excelerate is changing the way the world accesses cleaner forms of energy by providing integrated services along the LNG value chain with the objective of delivering rapid-to-market and reliable LNG solutions to customers. The Company offers a full range of flexible regasification services from FSRUs to infrastructure development to LNG supply. Excelerate has offices in Abu Dhabi, Antwerp, Boston, Buenos Aires, Chattogram, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila, Rio de Janeiro, Singapore, and Washington, DC.

For more information, please visit www.excelerateenergy.com.

This project which will be deployed in March is the sixth project that ProSep has received for LNG gas conditioning since 2019, and the innovative application has earned its reputation of being a robust, versatile solution for natural gas conditioning for midstream and LNG projects.

Named Best Gas Processing/LNG Technology at last year’s Hydrocarbon Processing awards, ProSep’s AIM high-efficiency mixer achieves efficient mixing of injected fluid with multiphase, gaseous, or liquid dominant flows with a low-pressure drop over the operating range.

John Sabey, ProSep’s CTO said: “This project is another milestone for the ProSep team as it has resulted from the success of the initial AIM application for LNG feed gas conditioning. The client has been using the AIM injection mixers since December 2019, showing great success, so when the requirement arose to enrich the methane feed gas BTU content, they knew to turn to ProSep. As this application requires injection of 20 mol percent LPG fraction to achieve the desired BTU/SCF, CFD was extensively utilized to verify injection, dispersion, and vaporization. This work continues to build a strong operational foundation of the AIM technology.”

ProSep is committed to providing environmentally responsible solutions to the market that can help our clients meet their ESG targets and values and have a long track record of proven results of reducing chemicals and clean water.

ProSep continues to offer solutions for process efficiency products including proprietary high-efficiency mixers and produced water treatment technologies.

Established in 2005, ProSep has continued to build on innovative solutions to assist global industries to lower their chemical and water consumption, cleaning their water, and reduce their Greenhouse gas emissions footprint.

EPA’s Natural Gas STAR Program offers a platform for equipment and service providers to form cross-functional teams with other member companies to implement and voluntarily document methane reduction activities, creating a permanent record of accomplishments in reducing methane emissions.

“By joining the Natural Gas STAR Program, INNIO is underlining our commitment to implement methane-reducing technologies and practices that support carbon reduction,” said Bud Hittie, President & CEO of Waukesha Gas Engines Inc. and leading the Waukesha product brand. “Today, our rich-burn Waukesha technology enables a more than 90% methane emission reduction compared to other technologies. As the only natural gas engine manufacturer in the Natural Gas STAR Program, we look forward to sharing our current and future initiatives to reduce methane emissions.”

By joining the program, INNIO will have the opportunity to educate and collaborate with Natural Gas STAR Partners on the benefits of using rich-burn engine technology to reduce methane emissions in their day-to-day gas compression operations. The program highlights product and technology achievements in articles, industry journals, technical studies, and fact sheets engaging representation from management, EH&S, engineering, supply chain, project planning, and Natural Gas STAR principles to reach wider audiences. The program also helps members communicate achievements to shareholders, customers, and the public. The program also facilitates information and technology sharing through workshops and other web-based communications to build a strong network with industry peers to stay current on industry trends, initiatives, and the latest technologies.

INNIO is relentlessly committed to operating sustainably as demonstrated by INNIO’s Waukesha being accepted in the Natural Gas Star Program, and the INNIO Group – including its Waukesha product line – being awarded a platinum medal by EcoVadis as part of its sustainability performance rating. The platinum medal places INNIO in the top one percent of all businesses evaluated by EcoVadis.

About INNIO

INNIO is a leading energy solution and service provider that empowers industries and communities to make sustainable energy work today. With our product brands Jenbacher and Waukesha and our digital platform myPlant, INNIO offers innovative solutions for the power generation and compression segments that help industries and communities generate and manage energy sustainably while navigating the fast-changing landscape of traditional and green energy sources. We are individual in scope, but global in scale. With our flexible, scalable, and resilient energy solutions and services, we are enabling our customers to manage the energy transition along the energy value chain wherever they are in their transition journey.

INNIO is headquartered in Jenbach (Austria), with other primary operations in Waukesha (Wisconsin, U.S.) and Welland (Ontario, Canada). A team of more than 3,500 experts provides life-cycle support to the more than 54,000 delivered engines globally through a service network in more than 80 countries.

INNIO’s ESG rating places it the number one of more than 500 worldwide companies in the machinery industry assessed by Sustainalytics.

About Waukesha – an INNIO brand

INNIO’s Waukesha engines set an industry standard for low emissions, fuel flexibility, and high reliability. Ranging from 335 hp to 5,000 hp, our rich- and lean-burn engines provide distributed gas compression and power generation solutions. The latest Waukesha engine models and upgrades help operators stay emissions-compliant without sacrificing operational excellence such as extended service intervals, fuel flexibility, and increased power. Whether installing power at a site or retrofitting the existing fleet, Waukesha has new and reUp remanufactured engines and parts as well as upgrading kits for conversions and modifications—all backed by an OEM warranty and empowered by 115 years of engine expertise.

Waukesha connects with our customers locally for rapid response to their service needs, providing enhanced support through our broad network of distributors and solution providers with parts, services, and digital offerings. INNIO’s Waukesha engines are engineered in Waukesha (Wisconsin, U.S.) and manufactured in Welland (Ontario, Canada).

For more information, visit INNIO’s website at www.innio.com. Follow INNIO on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Eversource Energy and National Fuel Gas Co. are the latest prominent publicly traded utility companies to invest in ECV’s innovation in “green molecules™.” ECV will accelerate its deployment of capital at the Seed-plus and Series A stage in game-changing companies with exceptional leaders that address the natural gas industry’s ESG imperatives and enable its digital transformation.

ECV coined the phrase, green molecules™, to define technologies encompassing the decarbonization, sustainability, and digitization of the natural gas industry. As they relate to the natural-gas value stream, those technologies affect the use of hydrogen, renewable natural gas, carbon-capture utilization and sequestration, climate tech, decarbonization, ESG modeling and accounting, workforce and customer safety, methane detection and leak prevention, business process optimization, customer experience, and robotics. Many other venture capital firms focus on green-electron solutions particular to electrification or are broad generalist funds. Consequently, they do not realize the full potential of a diverse energy portfolio and holistic customer energy needs.

“Adding Eversource and National Fuel Gas Company to our platform categorically demonstrates the strategic importance and market validation of the work we are doing to advance innovation in green molecules™,” said Vic Pascucci, ECV co-founder, and managing general partner. “We could not be more excited about the future of our fund and its mission to accelerate clean innovation in the natural gas industry.”

ECV portfolio company Cemvita, which uses synthetic biology to decarbonize heavy industry, is emblematic of the firm’s green-molecule™ investment thesis. Cemvita is currently developing bio ethylene with Oxy and sustainable aviation fuel with United Airlines. The company is also enabling “gold hydrogen” with Chart Industries and other corporate partners in addition to numerous other exciting decarbonization efforts in biomining and biomanufacturing.

“Innovation is key to providing safe, reliable, and sustainable energy to the neighborhoods we serve,” said Bill Akley, Eversource Energy’s gas business president. “Energy Capital Ventures’ advocacy for green-molecule™ innovation helps us evolve our business to provide a better tomorrow for the communities we serve. Achieving greenhouse-gas reductions for our state mandates will require innovation and new solutions that don’t exist today across our entire energy sector. ECV is enabling the investments in our industry that advance these emissions reductions by bringing needed innovations to market.”

“ECV’s green-molecule™ revolution and natural gas industry digital transformation represents a total addressable market worth trillions of dollars worldwide,” Pascucci said. “That market continues to grow as the natural-gas infrastructure enables not just today’s sources of clean, safe, reliable cost-effective energy, but tomorrow’s sources as well.”

“Innovation is a core guiding principle at National Fuel,” said David Bauer, National Fuel Gas Co. president, and CEO. “Energy Capital Ventures enables us to access an entire ecosystem of new and emerging technologies that will help us better serve our communities, steward the environment and deliver safe energy. Our team is a proud supporter of ECV and its mission.”

Eversource and National Fuel join existing ECV strategic LPs: Avista Corp. (NYSE: AVA), Black Hills Energy (NYSE: BKH), NiSource (NYSE: NI), Southwest Gas Holdings (NYSE: SWX) and Spire (NYSE: SR).

“These additional partners will better enable us to drive breakthrough innovations through the Energy Capital Ventures platform. Together, we can transform how energy is delivered to customers and truly advance our industry,” said Suzanne Sitherwood, Spire CEO and founding ECV limited partner. “The more ECV grows, the more we can push the boundaries of what’s possible in delivering the affordable, reliable, clean natural gas that customers depend on.”

About Energy Capital Ventures

Energy Capital Ventures (ECV) is the only early-stage venture capital firm dedicated to the ESG imperatives and digital transformation of the natural gas industry. In addition to this unique focus that champions innovation in green molecules™, ECV further differentiates itself with a customized engagement and deep integration with its strategic limited partners. This model empowers Energy Capital Ventures to provide a platform for innovation so that the startup ecosystem and natural gas utilities can collaborate on technologies that enable clean, safe, reliable, and cost-effective energy. Learn more at www.energycapitalventures.com.

GlobalData’s latest report, ‘Europe, North America and Former Soviet Union (FSU) Gas Processing Industry Installed CapEx Forecast’, reveals that the US is set to have a planned gas processing capacity of 3,881 mmcfd (million cubic feet per day) and an announced gas processing capacity of 3,340 mmcfd by 2026.

Teja Pappoppula, Oil and Gas Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Smithburg II-VI is the largest upcoming gas processing plant in the country with a capacity of 1,000 mmcfd. This announced dehydration-type gas processing plant is expected to start operations in 2025 with Sherwood Midstream LLC being the operator.”

In terms of gas processing capacity additions, Canada ranks second with a planned and announced gas processing capacity of 2,860 mmcfd by 2026. NGL North II is expected to witness the highest gas processing capacity from 2022 to 2026 with 1,000 mmcfd scheduled to be added by 2023. Wolf Midstream Inc is the operator of this proposed announced gas processing plant. It will help to de-carbonize Canada’s oil sand industry by recovering higher carbons from natural gas liquids (NGLs) produced in Alberta.

Pappoppula adds: “Mexico accounts for minor capacity additions in the region with 313 mmcfd by 2026. The planned Papan I and Papan II are the major upcoming gas processing plants in the country with a capacity of 150 mmcfd each and are slated to begin operations in 2022 and 2023 respectively. The plant has a crucial role in processing natural gas produced at the Ixachi field, which will be transported to demand centers in central and northern Mexico.

About GlobalData

4,000 of the world’s largest companies, including over 70% of FTSE 100 and 60% of Fortune 100 companies, make more timely and better business decisions thanks to GlobalData’s unique data, expert analysis, and innovative solutions, all in one platform. GlobalData’s mission is to help our clients decode the future to be more successful and innovative across a range of industries, including the healthcare, consumer, retail, technology, energy, financial, and professional services sectors.

Oil and gas production

Oil and gas are vital for many aspects of modern life across the world, from fuelling transport and powering industry to heating homes and lighting schools. Shell’s Upstream business delivers reliable energy from shales, conventional oil and gas, and deep water in an increasingly cost-competitive way. The most ambitious scenarios show that even as the energy system transitions, the world will continue to need oil and gas for decades. We are focusing our Upstream portfolio to become more resilient, prioritizing value over volume to provide the energy the world needs today whilst funding the energy system of tomorrow.

We aim to find the right balance between managing our Upstream assets – which will produce the financial returns needed to help us fund the transition – and investing in our Transition and Growth businesses. Furthermore, we are shifting capital from our Upstream business to our Transition and Growth businesses as the energy transition accelerates and we sell more low-carbon energy products. Our oil production peaked in 2019. Excluding the impact of the Permian divestment, oil production is expected to decline on average by 1-2% a year until 2030.

We are also seeking to reduce emissions from our facilities which produce natural gas through pursuing operational efficiency in our assets, including reducing our methane emissions.

Deepwater operations

Shell has a long history of developing energy projects using its knowledge, experience, and proven deep-water technologies to unlock energy resources safely and efficiently. Our global deep-water portfolio represents two core positions in our Upstream business with prolific basins in the US and Brazil, along with an exciting frontier exploration portfolio in Mexico, Suriname, Argentina, and West Africa.

Seismic exploration

Shell is a responsible and leading operator and applies stringent controls and international best practice guidelines to its operations. Procedures for managing impact from seismic activities are well established and in line with the latest global industry standards.

Offshore seismic surveys are a safe mapping technique for gathering information about whether oil or gas may be present deep below the seabed of a given area using sound waves that are directed downwards. The sound produced during seismic surveys is comparable to many naturally occurring and other man-made ocean sounds, including wind and wave action, rainstorms, marine life, and shipping.

Shell has extensive experience in collecting offshore data from these surveys and we take great care to prevent or minimize impacts on fish, marine mammals, and other wildlife. Shell also contributes to joint industry programs, including the Sound and Marine Life Joint Industry Programme, which is at the forefront of leading research for sound in the marine environment.

In 2021, questions and concerns were raised about Shell’s activities in the ocean off the Wild Coast of South Africa. Shell respects the court decision made on December 28, 2021, in relation to the Wild Coast survey and suspended the survey. We are continuing to review the best way forward for our license in the longer term in support of South Africa’s energy needs.

Arctic regions

We do not plan to pursue new oil exploration leases offshore in the Arctic Circle. We evaluate other opportunities on a case-by-case basis, in line with our strategic objectives.

Shell ended frontier offshore exploration drilling operations in Alaska in 2015. We hold interests in a small number of exploration licenses in Arctic areas of the USA, Norway, and Russia. We also hold a number of other licenses from our previous activities in the Canadian Arctic, although we do not have plans for further development of these licenses.

Shell holds interest in two license areas in the legacy North Slope producing area of Alaska. In December 2020, Shell received regulatory approval to combine our near-shore leases in West Harrison Bay into a single unit, which we ultimately plan to divest after the exploration phase. Shell is currently seeking a co-owner who will operate the unit. The Nikaitchuq North prospect, in which Shell holds 50% ownership, is operated by ENI. Future plans are currently under assessment.

Natural Gas

We are a leading producer, marketer, and trader of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Natural gas piped and liquefied natural gas, provides lower carbon energy, for example, switching from coal and oil to gas during the energy transition can help cut emissions from generating electricity.

The IEA estimates that global natural gas operations have an average methane leakage rate of 1.7%. At this rate, natural gas emits over its life cycle around 45% lower greenhouse gas emissions than coal when used to generate electricity.

Natural gas can also make a significant contribution to lowering greenhouse gas emissions in industries, such as the iron and steel sector, where switching to natural gas from coal could lead to lower emissions.

Gas also has significant advantages when used to generate power alongside renewables: it can quickly compensate for dips in supply from solar or wind generation and can rapidly respond to surges in demand.

We are also seeking to decarbonize our operations through pursuing operational efficiency in our assets, including reducing our methane emissions, and transforming refineries into energy and chemicals parks, so we can sell more low-carbon and sustainable products.

Shales

We work to unlock shale resources safely and responsibly through strict adherence to our Onshore Operating Principles of Safety, Air, Water, Footprint, and Community.

Source: www.shell.com

The Search for Smart Gas Solutions

There is a scramble to secure reliable gas supplies across Europe ahead of the winter. The European Commission’s RePowerEU initiative recommends the diversification of gas supplies from other international partners in case of a disruption of Russian gas supplies in the near future. Energy providers are keen to find natural gas solutions that can swiftly fulfill the demand for power generation. This is where FSRUs come into the picture, as they are a customizable, accelerated Liquified Natural Gas import solution. Building conventional shore-based LNG import terminals can take years, whereas FSRUs are fully operational within months. Compared to onshore LNG terminals, FSRUs also require relatively low investment to start operations.  Ultimately, FSRUs provide new entrants into the LNG import market with a fast-track solution to cater to their energy needs.

GMS Director, Capt. Igor Tončić, remarked “This is truly a challenging time to be involved in the regasification and LNG import domain. Due to the regional energy supply insecurity, there is an increase in requests for floating storage and regasification units, new and converted, and each energy solution comes with its own unique set of advantages and challenges. Our team is ready to provide advisory services at every stage of the client’s floating technology project. We can advise various stakeholders during the start-up, commission, and operational phases of a floating terminal from the marine, safety, and cargo-handling point of view”

Decades of LNG Experience

Founded in 2008, GMS and its experienced Marine Team will now provide tailor-fit advisory services to clients exclusively engaged in floating technology projects for the FSRU/LNG sector. GMS’s principal experts bring with them more than 30 years of practical knowledge of LNG carriers and FSRU vessels – including extensive onboard experience.

“Not one FSRU project is like another and the pathway to a successful FSRU project involves a complex mix of factors–from satisfying regulatory requirements for swift approvals to identifying risks in the commissioning or start-up phases. We recognize the daunting tasks all stakeholders in an FSRU project may face and we are ready to provide both technical support and personnel to ensure a thriving maritime venture.”, said Tončić. 

GMS’s Marine Advisory Team can also provide support for a wide range of inspections – from the management system and environmental system audits, assistance with port-state control inspections, vetting and tanker management, and self-assessment inspections, to navigation, safety, cargo, and mooring equipment audits. The ten-person team includes a Marine Regulatory advisor with keen insight into the latest regulations and legislation affecting the maritime sector.

Bright Future Ahead

The rapidly evolving floating gas technology favors stakeholders focused on accessing more efficient and readily available gas supply options beyond conventional pipeline gas. Tončić, along with his team, aims to make a notable contribution to their client’s business excellence by using his team’s comprehensive experience in the Regas and LNG/FSRU domain. He believes this approach will encourage the development of sustainable and efficient maritime projects.  

About Global Maritime Services Limited 

Founded in 2008, Global Maritime Services Limited (GMS) is a service provider for the LNG/FSRU industry.  The team’s expertise includes LNG Transport & FSRU Import terminals, Marine Operations and Assurance, Vessel Operation Management, Optimisation, Maritime R&D, and conducting Compatibility Studies (LNG Vessels and new FSRU projects). Specializing in Marine Advisory and End User advising on EU/UK and other funded maritime projects, the team consists of Captains/Master Mariners, as well as legal, regulations, accounting, and technical personnel to provide comprehensive support to maritime ventures. 

For more information, visit: https://www.globalmaritimeservices.com/

Plasmalysis is an electrochemical technology that converts incoming LNG/LPG into clean-burning hydrogen and solid, high-purity carbon. A high-frequency plasma field generated by renewable electricity splits energy-rich hydrocarbon compounds (10kWh/kg H2) into hydrogen and solid carbon. This can be sequestered long-term in steel, cement, or soil enhancement.

“The EU can still achieve its decarbonization targets if LNG or LPG is not burned but rather converted into hydrogen and solid carbon using green electricity and our hydrogen plants directly at the terminal or at decentralized locations,” said Dr. Jens Hanke, CTO of Graforce.

Graforce has already built two demo plants – in Berlin and Brandenburg. Three additional projects with renowned investors will be completed by the end of this year: a Methane Plasmalyzer® for decarbonizing natural gas and producing solid carbon in an Austrian refinery, two for carbon dioxide-free heat and energy generation in a hotel, and a 40,000 square meter urban district in Germany.

For the development and customer-specific scaling of its modular plants, Graforce works with global leaders in the fields of engineering, procurement, and construction. The company is currently in the process of expanding its strategic partnerships with financial as well as strategic investors to quickly scale its hydrogen technology worldwide.

About

The German company Graforce is the technology leader in sustainable solutions and carbon dioxide removal technologies. The power-to-X plants produce dioxide-free or -negative hydrogen and synthetic feedstocks – with the highest efficiency and lower infrastructure costs in the multi-megawatt range. Thus, Graforce decarbonizes fossil energies, industrial sectors, and the heat, transport, and building sectors. www.graforce.com/EN

Through the surviving joint venture as illustrated below, Enbridge will increase its indirect economic interest in Gray Oak to 58.5% from 22.8%. The parties have agreed to transfer to Enbridge, from P66, the operatorship of Gray Oak, the long-haul, contracted pipeline which provides critical, low-cost connectivity from the Permian into Corpus Christi and the Houston area. The transfer of operatorship of Gray Oak is planned to occur in the second quarter of 2023. In turn, Enbridge will reduce its indirect economic interest in DCP to 13.2% from 28.3%, further reducing its commodity price exposure and strengthening the Company’s low-risk pipeline-utility model. 

The merger is expected to be immediately accretive to Enbridge’s distributable cash flow per share and result in an approximately US$400 million cash payment to the Company from the merged entity. The cash generated from the transaction will create additional financial flexibility and further the Company’s capital allocation priorities.

“We’re pleased to have reached this new arrangement with P66 to optimize the combined assets and drive operational and financial synergies from both assets,” said Al Monaco, President and Chief Executive Officer of Enbridge. “It’s another example of our continued focus on optimizing our portfolio and surfacing value for our shareholders, while further building out our already strong U.S. Gulf Coast export position. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with P66.”

Gray Oak Pipeline, in combination with Enbridge’s Ingleside Energy Center (EIEC), provides an industry-leading solution to deliver low-cost, long-lived Permian Basin oil to local Gulf Coast and global export markets. The EIEC currently loads nearly 30% of North American oil exports. By 2030, the Company anticipates that the Permian oil supply will grow by an estimated two million barrels per day, enhancing Gray Oak’s utilization and driving increased oil exports off the Gulf Coast. Further integration of Gray Oak and the EIEC is expected to support the development of new commercial solutions and future growth potential, unlocking additional value for Enbridge’s customers.

Enbridge intends to extend its solar self-power strategy by working with the other Gray Oak owners to develop solar facilities along the Gray Oak right-of-way in support of the Company’s net-zero emissions targets, and those of its customers.

Citi acted as financial advisor to Enbridge and Vinson & Elkins served as its legal counsel.

About Enbridge

At Enbridge, we safely connect millions of people to the energy they rely on every day, fueling quality of life through our North American natural gas, oil, or renewable power networks and our growing European offshore wind portfolio. We’re investing in modern energy delivery infrastructure to sustain access to secure, affordable energy and building on two decades of experience in renewable energy to advance new technologies including wind and solar power, hydrogen, renewable natural gas, and carbon capture and storage. We’re committed to reducing the carbon footprint of the energy we deliver, and to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 

Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Enbridge’s common shares trade under the symbol ENB on the Toronto (TSX) and New York (NYSE) stock exchanges. To learn more, visit us at Enbridge.com.

Across Southeast Asia, Thailand serves as one of the most dynamic countries where a secure and reliable energy supply has and continues to play a central role in supporting strong gross domestic product development and welfare for the people. In particular, B.Grimm Power (B.Grimm’s subsidiary) currently delivers more than 2.8 GW of power to Thailand, supporting strong economic growth and available power supply for the Thai economy and its people.

“INNIO is pleased to enter into this collaboration with B.Grimm to explore power generation options to secure a stable and reliable power supply in Thailand,” said Dr. Olaf Berlien, president and CEO of INNIO. “Our flexible power plant solutions and Ready for Hydrogen technology coupled with B.Grimm Power’s presence in the country offers Thailand both the expertise and scale to support its aim to reduce carbon emissions under the COP 26 commitment of the United Nations and to transition to net zero.”

“As Thailand has increased its climate change commitments, we are now aiming to reduce carbon emissions with the support of companies that can provide proven expertise in highly efficient green technology, such as INNIO,” said Dr. Harald Link, Chairman of the Board of B.Grimm. “As Thailand’s electrical energy demand continues to grow, it will require power generation technologies that run not only on natural gas but also on future fuels such as hydrogen and deliver sustainable grid support as well for the higher share of fluctuating renewable power like sun and wind in our portfolio.”

About INNIO

INNIO is a leading energy solution and service provider that empowers industries and communities to make sustainable energy work today. With our product brands Jenbacher and Waukesha and our digital platform myPlant, INNIO offers innovative solutions for the power generation and compression segments that help industries and communities generate and manage energy sustainably while navigating the fast-changing landscape of traditional and green energy sources. We are individual in scope, but global in scale. With our flexible, scalable, and resilient energy solutions and services, we are enabling our customers to manage the energy transition along the energy value chain wherever they are in their transition journey.

INNIO is headquartered in Jenbach (Austria), with other primary operations in Waukesha (Wisconsin, U.S.) and Welland (Ontario, Canada). A team of more than 3,500 experts provides life-cycle support to the more than 54,000 delivered engines globally through a service network in more than 80 countries.

INNIO’s ESG Risk Rating places it the number one of more than 500 worldwide companies in the machinery industry assessed by Sustainalytics.

For more information, visit INNIO’s website at www.innio.com. Follow INNIO on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Woodfibre LNG is a 2.1 million-tonne-per-year liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility with 250,000M³ of floating storage capacity being built near Squamish, B.C. The project is underpinned by two long-term offtake agreements with BP Gas Marketing Limited for 15 years representing 70% of the capacity, with additional commitments in development for up to 90%. Woodfibre LNG announced in April that it had issued a Notice to Proceed to global engineering and construction company McDermott International and that the project is expected to be in service in 2027.

Woodfibre LNG will use electric motor drives powered by renewable hydroelectric power, making this one of the lowest-emission LNG export facilities in the world. The project is the only one in Canada with a non-treaty Indigenous-issued environmental assessment certificate, the first project approved under the Government of Canada’s “Five Principles” for environmental assessment, and has received all major federal, provincial, and First Nations approvals.

“This partnership is a milestone for the Woodfibre LNG project,” said Ratnesh Bedi, President of Pacific Energy,” “and it further accelerates Canada’s ability to be a meaningful player in the global energy transition with the production of the world’s lowest carbon LNG.”

“Enbridge is an accomplished North American energy company with substantial natural gas operations in B.C. and Woodfibre LNG is pleased that the companies have entered into this investment agreement,” said Christine Kennedy, President of Woodfibre LNG. “We believe this agreement speaks to the credentials of the project, from our world-leading Indigenous partnerships to the incredible environmental due diligence, and the ambition of Woodfibre LNG to produce the lowest-emissions LNG in the world.”

“As a leader in the energy transition, Enbridge is excited to participate in the Woodfibre LNG facility through this partnership,” said Al Monaco, Enbridge’s President, and Chief Executive Officer. “This facility will provide global LNG markets with a safe, secure, and sustainable source of B.C. natural gas through a long-term transportation agreement on our T-South pipeline system. This investment is a natural extension of our export pipeline strategy, with strong commercial underpinnings.

“Expanding global access to natural gas through LNG will play a critical role in North America’s energy future and will help to reduce the world’s greenhouse gas emissions through the displacement of coal-fired power generation, creating strong alignment with our ESG goals,” added Monaco.

Under the partnership agreement, Enbridge will invest in a 30% ownership stake in the $5.1 billion Woodfibre LNG project, with Pacific Energy retaining the remaining 70% stake in the facility. Capital for the project includes a contribution in aid of construction for the expansion of FortisBC Energy Inc.’s (“FortisBC”) Eagle Mountain to Woodfibre pipeline which will connect the facility through FortisBC’s system to Enbridge’s T-South natural gas transmission system. 

Pacific Energy and Enbridge will each make pro-rata contributions during construction through a combination of asset-level financing and equity investments. In exchange for its capital contribution, Enbridge will receive a preferred equity interest that provides predictable future cash flows. The partners will jointly participate in the project’s execution and governance of ongoing operations, while Pacific Energy retains responsibility for daily operations.

Construction of Woodfibre LNG will be undertaken through an engineering, procurement, fabrication, and construction contract with McDermott International. McDermott President and Chief Executive Officer Michael McKelvy welcomed the partnership stating: “The addition of Enbridge is a natural fit as we work together to build the lowest-emission, most sustainable, and innovative LNG export facility in the world. Their proven commitment to enabling a new generation of sustainable energy solutions aligns directly with our goal to set a new standard for efficient plant design.”

BMO Capital Markets is acting as an exclusive financial advisor to Pacific Energy Corporation on the transaction.

About Woodfibre LNG

The Woodfibre LNG Project is owned and operated by Woodfibre LNG Limited, a privately held Canadian company based in Vancouver, B.C. Woodfibre LNG Limited is the owner of the former Woodfibre pulp mill site, which is located about seven kilometers southwest of downtown Squamish, B.C.

Woodfibre LNG will source its natural gas from Pacific Canbriam Energy, a Canadian company with operations in northeastern B.C. Pacific Canbriam is an industry leader in sustainable natural gas production. For more information, please visit www.pacific-canbriam.ca.

Woodfibre LNG and Pacific Canbriam Energy are subsidiaries of Pacific Energy Corporation Limited.

About Pacific Energy

Pacific Energy, which is part of the Singapore-based RGE group of companies, is an independent energy resources development company focused on helping North America and growing Asian economies meet their increasing energy requirements. The company strategy is to invest, develop, build, own, and operate innovative and cost-competitive projects throughout the energy value chain while maintaining constant attention to our role as responsible corporate citizens.

About Enbridge

At Enbridge, we safely connect millions of people to the energy they rely on every day, fueling quality of life through our North American natural gas, oil, or renewable power networks and our growing European offshore wind portfolio. We’re investing in modern energy delivery infrastructure to sustain access to secure, affordable energy and building on two decades of experience in renewable energy to advance new technologies including wind and solar power, hydrogen, renewable natural gas, and carbon capture and storage. We’re committed to reducing the carbon footprint of the energy we deliver, and to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 

Headquartered in Calgary, Alta., Enbridge’s common shares trade under the symbol ENB on the Toronto (TSX) and New York (NYSE) stock exchanges. To learn more, visit us at Enbridge.com

The Company commenced operations at the GALP-06 well within the 100% working interest Andorinha production concession in the Potiguar Basin, Northeast Brazil, on 20^th June 2022, using the MAPEEN-01 drilling rig. The GALP-06 well is located approximately 3km SW from the producing oil wells at Andorinha and targeted a separate structural closure from the accumulations found at the main Andorinha field.

The well was successfully drilled and cased down to 1272m. Conventional wireline logging tools identified 13m of potential net pay across seven Cretaceous-aged sandstone reservoirs from depths of 1130m to 1230m. Five of the seven zones were isolated for individual testing and reservoir fluid identification. While two reservoir intervals recovered oil to the surface, and one reservoir recovered gas to the surface, none of the five individual tests yielded a commercial discovery of hydrocarbons.

The GALP-06 well is now in the process of being suspended, allowing for the potential to re-enter and resume testing at a later date should Petro-Victory management decide to return to the well in the future.

While final costs for the well are being calculated, the Company estimates that the well was drilled for 25% less than the original well AFE. These cost savings, achieved through operational efficiency, are very encouraging and have a positive read-through for the remainder of the 2022 drilling campaign.

On completion of the GALP-06 well suspension, the MAPEEN-01 drilling rig will undergo an estimated two weeks of maintenance before mobilizing to the PVE-01 development well in the Andorinha oil field.

Richard F. Gonzalez, Petro-Victory CEO commented:

“Despite recovering hydrocarbons to the surface, Galp-06 testing did not produce commercial results. While disappointing, the Company was able to achieve significant cost savings and deliver an under-budget well based on the AFE. Successfully and safely drilling, casing, and testing our first well in Brazil is a great accomplishment for our team and establishes a concrete operating platform to execute the remaining three wells in our 2022 drilling program.

The Company is now moving to the development of drilling opportunities at our Andorinha field, starting with the PVE-01 well. We are excited about the production potential of our Andorinha field and look forward to updating the market following the commencement of operations at PVE-01. The aim of the campaign is to significantly increase the oil production and revenue generation of the Company at a time where higher oil prices will drive higher profitability.”

About Petro-Victory Energy Corp.

Petro-Victory Energy Corp. is engaged in the acquisition, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas resources in Brazil. The company holds 100% operating and working interests in thirty-eight (38) licenses totaling 257,604 acres in two (2) different producing basins in Brazil. Petro-Victory generates accretive shareholder value through disciplined investments in high-impact, low-risk assets. The Company’s Common Shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange (“TSXV”) under the ticker symbol VRY.

• 100% of Olympus’ YE21 operated assets are now Certified Responsibly Sourced Gas by Project Canary.
• Asset-level Platinum ratings indicate Olympus achieved the highest marks for environmental stewardship, including methane intensity, emissions reduction, and water recycling.
• The company scored exceedingly well in emergency response, well integrity, and community engagement programs.
• Data from continuous emissions monitors at certified good pad locations support commitment to minimizing emissions.

“Every day, the Olympus team works to produce natural gas in the most efficient and environmentally responsible manner possible. This certification validates our commitment,” Tim Dugan, President, and CEO of Olympus Energy said. “We’re deeply proud of the results achieved by doing things the right way and continually seek innovative approaches to unlock even better ESG performance.”

Project Canary’s high-fidelity, rigorous 800+ data point analysis of existing well sites represents the industry’s most comprehensive assessment program. Olympus’ low-methane verified environmental attribute performance alongside key initiatives including upgrading local infrastructure voluntarily, holding transparent community dialogue, establishing and practicing an industry-leading emergency response program, water recycling initiatives, and building a wildlife habitat area contributed to the company’s top ratings.

“Major domestic and international utilities are seeking the premium Certified Responsibly Sourced Gas producers like Olympus are offering. Net-zero requires solutions for low-methane verified environmental attributes and freshwater use, among other ESG markers,” said Chris Romer, Co-founder, and CEO of Project Canary. “Not often do we see a producer achieve best-in-class ratings across-the-board like Olympus has. It’s a credit to their industry leadership for making environmental integrity fundamental to the business.”

Olympus was the first integrated exploration and production company to seek complete upstream and midstream certification, with the Hyperion Midstream review beginning in July.

ABOUT THE COMPANIES:

At Olympus Energy, we strive to actively employ our core values daily, ensuring that we are the natural gas company that communities trust most. Olympus Energy has assembled a large contiguous acreage position in the Appalachian Basin. We currently operate in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, with an acreage position that expands into Butler and Washington counties. Our position consists of approximately 100,000 net acres positioned in Southwestern Pennsylvania’s dry gas core. Visit olympusenergy.com to learn more.

Project Canary is a data analytics company focused on accurate corporate climate ESG data for emission-intensive industrial companies. We are the leaders in holistic environmental assessments (air, water, land, and community). Project Canary scores responsible operations, delivering independent emission profiles via high-fidelity continuous monitoring technology to provide actionable environmental performance data. Our sensor portfolio includes high-fidelity spectroscopy-based methane detection and emissions quantification for the oil and gas sectors, plus Aeris Technologies’ laser-based gas analyzers covering other emissions, including methane, nitrous oxide, and formaldehyde, ethylene oxide, benzene, and more. Formed as a Public Benefit Corporation, Project Canary’s Denver-based team of scientists, engineers, and seasoned industry operators identify and quantify areas to reduce emissions.  www.projectcanary.com

“We are pleased to announce the appointment of Deborah Byers to Excelerate Energy’s Board,” said Don Millican, Chairman of the Board. “Deborah’s extensive energy industry knowledge will be invaluable to the organization as we strive to grow the business globally. This addition also demonstrates our commitment to strengthening and diversifying our corporate governance. We thank her for accepting this responsibility to lead and provide independent management oversight.”

Ms. Byers recently retired as a Partner from Ernst & Young LLP (“EY”) and brings 36 years of Public Accounting experience to the Excelerate Energy Board. During her tenure at EY, Ms. Byers held multiple leadership roles, including serving as EY’s Americas Industry Leader overseeing the growth strategy across its primary markets from July 2018 to her retirement in July 2022. Previously, she served as EY’s Houston Office Managing Partner and US Energy Leader and Managing Partner of EY’s Southwest Region Strategy & Transactions business unit. In these roles, she was a leader in the global energy market and worked with corporations and investment funds in all phases of energy investment across the sector. Ms. Byers holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Baylor University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

ABOUT EXCELERATE ENERGY:

Excelerate Energy, Inc. is a U.S.-based LNG company located in The Woodlands, Texas. Founded in 2003 by George B. Kaiser, Excelerate is changing the way the world accesses cleaner forms of energy by providing integrated services along the LNG value chain with the objective of delivering rapid-to-market and reliable LNG solutions to customers. Excelerate offers a full range of flexible regasification services from FSRU to infrastructure development to LNG supply. Excelerate has offices in Abu Dhabi, Antwerp, Boston, Buenos Aires, Chattogram, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila, Rio de Janeiro, Singapore, and Washington, DC. For more information, please visit www.excelerateenergy.com.

The contract, awarded by Cameron LNG, will cover activities relating to the development of a fourth LNG train, with a planned production capacity of approximately 6.75 million metric tons per annum (Mtpa), and improved production from the first three trains which currently deliver 12 Mtpa of LNG export capacity.

John Day, Senior Vice President of Conventional Energy, Americas, at Wood, said: “LNG has come into sharp focus as countries look to ensure energy security, particularly with the disruption to European energy supplies. The U.S. is positioned to become the largest LNG producer in the world and projects such as this one will enable the rapid and much-needed increase in the supply of cleaner natural gas.

“We are proud to continue our involvement with such a strategic project in terms of increasing the supply of cleaner, reliable, and more affordable energy to the world. Our knowledge of the facility, combined with our wealth of gas monetization expertise and experience in delivering world-class LNG projects, will enable us to successfully execute the scope entrusted to us.”

Located about 25 kilometers north of the Gulf of Mexico, the Cameron LNG facility was initially envisaged as a regasification terminal before evolving into a natural gas liquefaction export facility.

Charle Gamba, President, and CEO of the Corporation stated: “As the world navigates the complexities of climate change and other political and economic challenges, we continue to believe in the vital role natural gas has to play in displacing more carbon-intensive energy options. Specifically, in Colombia, we maintain our commitment to contribute to the country’s goal of 51% emissions reduction by 2030. As indicated in our ESG Report, Canacol currently leads the industry as one of the cleanest oil and gas producers in both Colombia and North America with Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions that are 80% lower than our oil-producing peers and 50% lower than our gas-producing peers, on average. Our ambition is to continue to lead the oil and gas industry in Colombia in terms of supplying the increasing energy demands of Colombians while reducing carbon emissions, exploring avenues for renewable energy generation, fostering national energy self-sufficiency, and catalyzing the growth and development of Colombia’s economy and its people.”

The move away from oil production in 2018 has positioned Canacol to become a proactive leader in Colombia’s energy transition and GHG reduction initiatives. Our primary objective is to generate value for all our stakeholders in a sustainable, collaborative, responsible, respectful, and transparent way. We support our neighboring communities through beneficial social investment projects that improve public and community infrastructure as well as provide access to educational opportunities. Canacol’s actions are based on our corporate values, strategies, and objectives. Within our focus on sustainability leadership, continuous improvement has become a fundamental axis of effort.

The methodologies and standards that Canacol uses include GRI Oil & Gas G4 Sector Disclosures, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), Corporate Sustainability Assessment S&P Global, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The 2021 ESG highlights for Canacol include the following:

A Cleaner Energy Future

• Reported scope 1 and 2 GHG emission intensities that are more than 50% lower on average than gas-focused peers (and more than 80% lower on average than oil-focused peers) in North and South America.
• Increased solar energy usage by 32% with the installation of photovoltaic systems in 100% of new well sites and at the offices of three gathering facilities.
• In our continuous commitment to identifying and decreasing fugitive emissions, we performed periodical in-house and third-party inspections to detect and repair leaks.
• Developed a long-term strategy to implement circular economy practices with the ambition to divert more than 34% of total direct waste from landfills and achieve a Zero Waste Certification (a global initiative, in partnership with ICONTEC Colombia).
• Strengthened the protection of biodiversity in the Córdoba and Sucre regions by establishing ten conservation agreements and seven community environmental projects with local stakeholders.

A Safe and Committed Team

• Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR: 0.9) for employees and contractors was 72% better than the target (3.16).
• Increased diversity and inclusiveness in the work environment including:
  • The establishment of a Diversity and Inclusion Corporate Policy and Committee.
  • The implementation of a Gender Equality Management System to identify and eliminate gender gaps.
  • Women make up 35% of the total workforce, 8% above the average of Colombia’s female workforce in the petroleum industry. Women represent 27% of top management positions.

A Transparent and Ethical Business

• Formalized a Share Ownership Policy and specific ESG-related KPIs linked to short-term and long-term compensation of the executive team.
• Updated the company-wide ethics and compliance system including a focus on anti-competitive practices.

Guided by Sustainable Development

• Created opportunities through local employment and development substantially exceeding regulatory requirements. 60% of Canacol’s skilled labor and 100% of Canacol’s unskilled labor were hired locally. Canacol purchased 95.1% of all goods and services locally, regionally, and nationally, representing an economic stimulus of $151 million.
• Implemented more than 60 social projects that have benefited over 25,000 community members across 13 municipalities.
• The Corporation executed the second phase of its gas massification project, which aims to reduce energy poverty and serve societal needs by constructing a local utility gas distribution network to replace firewood with a cleaner and more efficient fuel, benefitting hundreds of additional households.
• All social investment projects were aligned with National Development Plans and 11 projects included a gender focus.

About Canacol

Canacol is a natural gas exploration and production company with operations focused in Colombia. The Corporation’s common stock trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange, the OTCQX in the United States of America, and the Colombia Stock Exchange under ticker symbols CNE, CNNEF, and CNE.C, respectively.

However, despite its abundance of natural gas, Canada exports no LNG. It has only one export terminal (LNG Canada) under construction in British Columbia. At least four additional facilities are proposed for British Columbia, including Woodfibre LNG, Tilbury LNG, Cedar LNG, and Ksi Lisims LNG. While Canada has remained on the sidelines, other nations have attracted LNG investment and benefited from the rise in LNG export markets. Qatar is building three new LNG projects; Russia is building four new LNG projects, and five new projects are under construction in the United States (IGU, 2021).

There has been significant discussion among policymakers and others as to why LNG projects have not proceeded in Canada beyond the planning stage, except for the one LNG Canada project now under construction in British Columbia (McConaghy and Wallace, 2019; Grant and Grant, 2019).

This CEC Research Brief aims to focus not on that debate, but to review the growth in the global LNG market and the opportunities and challenges Canada faces if it is to be part of the lucrative global LNG trade.

Growth in the international LNG trade since 1990

Canada has abundant natural gas resources and is a net exporter of natural gas, with all of its exports going to the United States. Still, growing shale gas production in the U.S. has reduced that country’s demand for Canadian gas (Moore et al., 2014).

Consequently, natural gas producers in Canada, as well as those in the U.S., have sought overseas markets for their natural gas exports, including Asian markets where gas transportation through pipelines is not feasible (Moore et al., 2014). U.S. natural gas producers have increased LNG exports in recent years. In 2022, the U.S. became the world’s largest exporter of LNG, overtaking Australia and Qatar. Canadian natural gas producers have been limited— for various reasons—to one export market, the United States.

Many countries are active players in global LNG markets; they are currently operating export terminals and constructing additional facilities. In Canada, at one time, 18 LNG projects had been proposed (Natural Resources Canada, 2020). However, only one is currently under construction due to delays caused by the regulatory regime, financial barriers, or opposition to the projects, including anti-oil and gas activists (McConaghy and Wallace, 2019).

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA, 2020a), the 2020 decline in natural gas demand will reverse in 2021 and return to its higher pre-Covid-19 levels, with consumption rising even higher in the coming years. Of note, the Asia-Pacific region will account for half of the growth in global natural gas consumption. Global natural gas consumption showed a strong recovery in 2021, with an estimated increase of over four percent 2021 over 2020.

The world’s changing energy supply: The proportion of each type of energy

Between 1990 and 2020, global primary energy consumption increased from 342 exajoules (EJ) to 556 EJ. In the same period, the natural gas market share grew from 21 percent in 1980 to 25 percent in 2020 (see Figure 1A). In Europe, primary energy consumption accounts for 33 percent of the natural gas it uses, while in Asia, primary consumption accounts for 12 percent of natural gas usage. Asia is more reliant on coal for its energy needs and less reliant on natural gas than other regions (see Figure 1B) (B.P. Statistical Review of World Energy database, 2022).

International LNG imports

The growth in the consumption of natural gas has led to increased international natural gas imports both through pipelines and, where pipelines are not feasible, LNG. The international imports of LNG have risen from 75,968 in 1990 to 460,547 Mm3 in 2020 (see Figure 2) (Enerdata, 2022).

Worldwide international imports of natural gas: Pipeline shipments

Worldwide imports of natural gas through pipelines rose from 398,059 Mm3 in 1995 to 720,718 Mm3 in 2020, increasing 322,659 Mm3 or 81 percent. The breakdown by region is as follows (see Figure 3a):

• Europe: 395,048 Mm3 in 2020, 37 percent higher than in 1995; and
• Asia: 148,030 Mm3 in 2020, 553 per cent higher than in 1995 (Enerdata, 2022).

Worldwide international imports of natural gas: LNG shipments

Worldwide imports of natural gas via LNG rose from 97,923 Mm3 in 1995 to 460,547 Mm3 in 2020, an increase of 362,624 Mm3, or 370 percent. The breakdown by region is as follows (see Figure 3b):

• Europe: 97,871 Mm3 in 2020, 414 percent higher than in 1995; and
• Asia: 365,352 Mm3 in 2020, 365 percent higher than in 1995. The sharpest rise in LNG imports by volume occurred in Asia (up 286,942 Mm3) (Enerdata, 2022).

Major LNG exporting countries

Australia, Qatar, and the United States (U.S.) are the world’s top exporters of LNG. In 2020, Australia exported 108,047 Mm3 of LNG (see Figure 4a) and accounted for 22.6 percent of global LNG exports. It was followed by Qatar (22 percent) and the U.S. (12 percent) (see Figure 4b) (B.P. Statistical Review of World Energy database, 2022).

Trends in LNG exports from 1990 to 2020

Several countries, including those listed below, have seen their LNG exports grow significantly between 1990 and 2020 (see Figure 5). They are, in order of the size of the LNG export increase by Mm3:

• Australia: 2,791 Mm3, in 1990 to more than 108,047 Mm3 in 2020, or 3,777 percent higher;
• Qatar: 2,604 Mm3 in 1997 to 105,225 mm3 in 2020, or 3,940 per cent higher;
• United States: 1,351 Mm3 in 1990 to 61,933 Mm3 in 2020, or 4,484 percent higher;
• Malaysia: 10,295 Mm3 in 1990 to 31,313 Mm3 in 2020, or 204 percent higher; and
• Russia: 7,383 Mm3 in 2009 to 40,229 Mm3 in 2020, or 444 per cent higher (Enerdata, 2022).

Despite the global rise of LNG exports and the significant increases in LNG exports from the countries noted above, Canada has yet to participate in the LNG export market.

The worldwide value of LNG exports from 2010 to 2021

Over the past decade, the global LNG trade has increased by 147 percent. In 2010, total LNG exports were worth just over US$63.6 billion, a figure that increased to almost US$ 117.4 billion by 2017, before declining to about US$75.9 billion due to COVID-19 and then again increasing to US$157.1 billion in 2021 (see Figure 6) (International Trade Centre, undated).

Leading LNG exporters from 2010 to 2021

Between 2010 and 2021, Australia, Qatar, and the United States were the largest exporters of LNG. In 2021 alone, Australia’s LNG exports totaled US$37 billion, an increase of US$28.3 billion from its US$8.7 billion total in LNG exports in 2010. Data are available only intermittently for Qatar, but in 2017 alone, the country exported over $40 billion in LNG. U.S. LNG exports increased from US$600 million in 2010 to nearly $27 billion in 2021. Even new entrant Angola increased its LNG exports from US$200 million in 2015 to US$3.1 billion in 2021 (see Table 1) (International Trade Centre, undated).

Growth in LNG liquefaction capacity

As of 2021, 21 countries were LNG exporters (International Gas Union, 2021). To be competitive in the LNG export market requires a significant investment of capital and time. That is partly because it takes more than ten years on average to complete an LNG terminal from the start of the planning stage to the day that exports begin leaving the terminal (PWC, 2014).

Countries that export natural gas by sea require a liquefaction terminal, which turns natural gas into a liquid to make it suitable to transport. Presently, there are more than 115 liquefaction plants in the world. At 21 facilities, Australia has the greatest number of operational LNG export terminals. The United States follows with 17, while Qatar has 14 LNG export terminals (Enerdata, 2022).

Total liquefaction capacity worldwide was 452.9 million tonnes per annum (MTPA)³ in 2020. Australia has the most liquefaction capacity at 87.6 MTPA, followed by Qatar (77.4 MTPA) and the U.S. (71.6 MTPA) (International Gas Union, 2021). The top three countries, the U.S., Qatar, and Australia account for more than half of the global liquefaction capacity (see Figure 7).

More than 20 unsanctioned projects with a liquefaction capacity of over 186 MTPA are in the planning stage and reported some developmental progress around the globe (Rystad, 2022b). Currently, at this time, Canada’s share is just three percent (see Figure 8), but, as discussed below, there is much more potential from Canada in the longer term.

Opportunities and challenges for Canada’s LNG industry

The prospects for growth in the Canadian LNG industry have brightened over the last few months. High natural gas prices and ongoing energy supply disruptions in Europe due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict have created a unique opportunity and challenge for the Canadian energy sector. At the same time, natural gas and LNG are seen as fuels that can be relied upon as the world transitions to a low-carbon economy, especially in Asia, which is currently highly reliant on coal for its energy needs.

Historically, major economies in Asia and Europe have relied on imported natural gas to meet a significant portion of their natural gas needs. The share of LNG in the global natural gas trade increased from nearly 20 percent in 1995 to over 38 percent in 2020. In Asia, the share of LNG in natural gas imports is 77.6 percent, while in Europe, the share of natural gas that comes through LNG jumped from 6.2 percent to nearly 20 percent in 2020 (see Figure 9) (Derived from Enerdata, 2022).

A recent Shell study, Shell LNG Outlook 2022, projects LNG demand will double by 2040 and reach over 700 million tonnes (MT) from its current 2021 level of 380 MT (Shell, 2022).

Canada is the world’s fifth-largest producer of natural gas, and the largest exporter not exporting to Asia or Europe. For Canada to directly export natural gas to Asia and Europe, it will not only need to increase the volume of natural gas it produces but will need facilities on its west and east coast that can liquefy the natural gas in preparation for export.

Canada’s natural gas market is integrated with the U.S. market. In 2021, Canada exported nearly 79 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas by pipeline to the U.S. Canadian natural gas exports are projected to increase to 110 bcm by 2035 (see Figure 10) (Rystad Energy, 2022a).

As noted earlier, west coast Canadian LNG projects under construction and proposed have several advantages over those in other countries. One clear advantage is the shorter distance between British Columbia’s coast and many Asian markets than from facilities in the USGC. For example, the distance between the US Gulf Coast and the Japanese ports of Himeji or Sodegaura is more than 9,000 nautical miles, compared to less than 4,200 nautical miles between those Japanese ports and the coast of British Columbia (Steuer, 2019).

One of the main challenges for LNG projects in Canada is construction cost. Factors pushing prices up are ongoing inflation and the cost of finance (the rise in interest rates), which both affect construction costs. Increasing construction costs mean that projects would need to be able to secure higher prices to be confident of a minimum rate of return on investment before they bring their products online.

According to Rystad Energy, assuming all planned LNG facilities go forward, Canadian LNG production would begin in 2025 at 3.3 bcm per year, rise to 55.1 bcm per year by 2039, and then fall slightly to 52.6 bcm by 2050 (see Figure 11) (Rystad Energy, 2022). Most of this LNG would be exported to the Asia-Pacific through BC’s west coast. Still, there is a possibility that some of Canada’s natural gas production could be directed to Europe if suitable liquefaction infrastructure were built on Canada’s east coast.

Various studies have estimated the potential contribution that LNG exports could make to the Canadian economy. One of those reports, a 2016 Conference Board study, estimated that an LNG export industry equivalent to 30 MTPA in British Columbia could add roughly $CA7.4 billion annually to Canada’s economy over the next 30 years and raise national employment by 65,000 jobs annually (Conference Board of Canada, 2016).

CEC Research Briefs

Canadian Energy Centre (CEC) Research Briefs are contextual explanations of data as they relate to Canadian energy. They are statistical analyses released periodically to provide context on energy issues for investors, policymakers, and the public. The source of profiled data depends on the specific issue. All percentages in this report are calculated from the original data, which can run to multiple decimal points. They are not calculated using the rounded figures that may appear in charts and in the text, which are more reader-friendly. Thus, calculations made from the rounded figures (and not the more precise source data) will differ from the more statistically precise percentages we arrive at using the original data sources.

“We are collaborating with QatarEnergy on North Field East to accelerate the production of secure, affordable, and cleaner energy our world needs,” said Darren Woods, chairman, and chief executive officer for ExxonMobil. “ExxonMobil has a long history of working in Qatar, responsibly producing energy, and we look forward to continuing our relationship for the benefit of all of our stakeholders.”

“Today, we are signing a partnership agreement with ExxonMobil, our strategic and long-term partner, with whom we have enjoyed successful and fruitful relations in Qatar and across the globe. This is primarily due to the mutual trust and confidence between both parties, and to the State of Qatar’s safe and stable investment climate,” said His Excellency Mr. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, president and chief executive officer of QatarEnergy. “We look forward to working closely with ExxonMobil to implement this world-scale project, and to live up to our commitment to power lives with cleaner energy in every corner of the world for a better tomorrow for all.”

With North Field East, ExxonMobil’s participation in Qatar LNG volumes is expected to increase total capacity from 52 to 60 million tons per year. Under the terms of the agreement, QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil will become partners in a new joint venture company (JV), in which QatarEnergy will hold a 75% interest with ExxonMobil holding the remaining 25% interest. The JV will own 25% of the entire North Field East project, including four LNG trains with a combined nameplate capacity of 32 million tons per year.

The expansion of North Field East and increased LNG export capacity is one of Qatar’s key energy objectives. QatarEnergy is the operator and commenced the North Field East project in 2019. First LNG from North Field East is expected in 2026.

ExxonMobil has had a presence in Qatar since 1955 and long supported the development of the country’s LNG industry and energy sector.

About ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil, one of the largest publicly traded international energy and petrochemical companies, creates solutions that improve quality of life and meet society’s evolving needs.

The corporation’s primary businesses – Upstream, Product Solutions, and Low Carbon Solutions – provide products that enable modern life, including energy, chemicals, lubricants, and lower-emissions technologies. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading portfolio of resources and is one of the largest integrated fuels, lubricants, and chemical companies in the world. To learn more, visit exxonmobil.com and the Energy Factor.

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FLNG facilities make the production, liquefaction, and storage of natural gas possible at sea, from where it can be shipped directly to customers around the world. By optimizing and standardizing the FLNG unit design, ABB and WOM aim to significantly improve the production efficiency of LNG at sea. 

WOM’s competence as a premier provider of turnkey engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning (EPCIC) to the FLNG market will be coupled with ABB’s expertise in integrating electrical, control, and safety systems.  

Valued at over $14,187 million in 2020, the global FLNG market is projected to reach a value of over $104,281 million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 20.1 percent.^[1] 

Mr. Wei Huaqing, Assistant President of WOM said: “The FLNG market continues to grow. We are pleased to be working with ABB and look forward to leveraging our complementary expertise to deliver more value for FLNG customers around the world. By combining our bespoke offerings, we believe we can increase productivity in greenfield developments and in doing so improve overall CAPEX efficiency.” 

The agreement will also utilize ABB’s unique project methodology, Adaptive Execution™, which offers customers complete visibility of their project, from start to finish, via a single, streamlined and centralized approach. 

Cruise-Feng Li, head of ABB Energy Industries China, commented: “Adaptive Execution can help unlock significant project value for FLNG customers. By designing in a modular and standardized way, and testing everything in a virtual environment, we can tackle design challenges early on, boost performance and ensure the reliability of the infrastructure. This enables all the parties involved in the project to achieve more in shorter timeframes, optimizing the overall delivery schedule and saving on cost.” 

ABB has delivered safe and reliable power and automation solutions to over 70 floating production projects around the world.

Wison Offshore & Marine is a leading provider of clean energy technology services and solutions and is committed to providing the energy industry with highly integrated EPCIC solutions, including floating LNG facilities, modularized LNG plants, floating gas-to-power facilities, floating wind power, and other clean energy solutions. Based on a track record of successful project delivery, the experienced WOM team applies its expertise in technical innovation and two world-class plants to provide EPC services that meet the highest international quality and safety standards. 

ABB is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation, and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com  

ABB’s Process Automation business is a leader in automation, electrification, and digitalization for the process and hybrid industries. We serve our customers with a broad portfolio of products, systems, and end-to-end solutions, including our # 1 distributed control system, software, and lifecycle services, industry-specific products as well as measurement and analytics, marine, and turbocharging offerings. As the global #2 in the market, we build on our deep domain expertise, diverse team, and global footprint, and are dedicated to helping our customers increase competitiveness, improve their return on investment and run safe, smart, and sustainable operations. go.abb/processautomation

The delivery comprises seven Wärtsilä 50SG gas engines operating with natural gas fuel. They will be part of a modern, low carbon natural gas energy facility that will serve customers of WEC Energy Group utilities We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service in Wisconsin, USA. The fast-starting and stopping Wärtsilä engines have the flexibility to rapidly respond to the inherent fluctuations from solar and wind, and will thus provide the necessary grid balancing for a reliable power supply for Wisconsin’s electric grid.

“WEC Energy Group is a company with unmatched operational expertise. They know it’s all about reliability, flexibility, and efficiency, and we are proud to have been chosen as their engine supplier for the third time,” added Jon Rodriguez, Director, Engine power plants, Wärtsilä Energy in North America. “Wärtsilä is helping to create a carbon-neutral world for electricity providers and the Wärtsilä 50SG engine is a hallmark of that future-proof design. With the ability to convert the engine to run on various fuels including hydrogen blends, the Wärtsilä 50SG will be able to support the reliability and flexibility demands of our client now and well into the future.”

Delivery of the Wärtsilä engines will take place in October 2022, and the commissioning of the plant is scheduled for March 2023. WEC Energy Group has earlier ordered Wärtsilä engines for two other power plant projects, with a total output of 188 MW.

WEC Energy Group is one of the United States’ premier energy companies, serving 4.6 million customers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota. They plan to exit coal by 2035 and intend to retire 1600 MW of older, less efficient fossil-fuelled generation by 2025. A total of USD 5.4 billion is allocated to new investments in wind, solar, and battery storage.

With the new order included, Wärtsilä will have an installed base of more than 3,800 MW in the United States.

Wärtsilä Energy in brief

Wärtsilä Energy leads the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. We help our customers in decarbonization by developing market-leading technologies. These cover future-fuel-enabled balancing power plants, hybrid solutions, energy storage, and optimization technology, including the GEMS energy management platform. Wärtsilä Energy’s lifecycle services are designed to increase efficiency, promote reliability and guarantee operational performance. Our track record comprises 76 GW of power plant capacity and 110 energy storage systems delivered to 180 countries around the world.
https://www.wartsila.com/energy

Wärtsilä in brief

Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. We emphasize innovation in sustainable technology and services to help our customers continuously improve their environmental and economic performance. Our dedicated and passionate team of 17,000 professionals in more than 200 locations in 68 countries shapes the decarbonization transformation of our industries across the globe. In 2021, Wärtsilä’s net sales totaled EUR 4.8 billion. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
www.wartsila.com

Aimed at serving local and potentially regional customers, Chevron and Pertamina plan to consider novel geothermal technologies; carbon offsets through nature-based solutions; carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS); as well as lower carbon-hydrogen development, production, storage, and transport.

The partnership follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Washington, DC, attended by Jay Pryor, Vice President of Corporate Business Development for Chevron, Nicke Widyawati, President Director & CEO of PT Pertamina (Persero), Luhut B. Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, and Bahlil Lahadalia, Minister of Investment/Head of BKPM.

“We are excited to build upon Chevron’s nearly 100-year history in Indonesia. This MoU demonstrates Chevron and Pertamina’s commitment to continue identifying lower carbon opportunities through collaboration and partnership between Chevron, national energy companies, and governments, all of which have a shared interest in advancing national energy transition,” said Jeff Gustavson, President of Chevron New Energies. “Through our potential work in Indonesia, and the entire Asia Pacific region, we hope to provide affordable, reliable, ever-cleaner energy, and help the industries and customers who use our products advance their lower carbon goals.”

The partnership between Chevron and Pertamina is part of efforts from both companies to support the Government of Indonesia’s net-zero emission target in 2060. Pertamina is committed to increasing its renewable energy mix from 9.2 percent in 2019 to 17.7 percent in 2030.

“Pertamina, as the largest state-owned energy company in Indonesia, remains committed to accelerating the energy transition in accordance with the government’s targets. This partnership is a strategic step for Pertamina and Chevron to complement each other’s strengths and develop lower-carbon energy projects and solutions to promote energy independence and domestic energy security,” said President Director & CEO of Pertamina Nicke Widyawati.

Indonesia, the second-largest country with geothermal installed capacity, has developed geothermal since 1974. Currently, Pertamina through its Subholding Power & NRE, has a total installed geothermal capacity of 1,877 megawatts (MW) originating from 13 geothermal work areas, of which 672 MW come from work areas that are operated independently and 1,205 are joint operation contracts (JOC). The independently operated work area with a total capacity of 672 MW includes Sibayak Area at 12 MW, Lumut Balai Area at 55 MW, Ulubelu Area at 220 MW, Kamojang Area at 235 MW, Karaha Area at 30 MW, and Lahendong Area at 120 MW.

In addition, Pertamina is also diversifying geothermal development; an ongoing green hydrogen pilot project, among others, is being developed in the Ulubelu Area with a production target of 100 kg per day, and brines to power which is being developed in the Lahendong Area and has a potential capacity of 200 MW out of several other work areas.

Nicke added, that in collaboration with various parties, Pertamina is also developing the implementation of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) as one of the company’s strategies to reduce carbon emissions in two oil and gas fields namely Gundih and Sukowati. Pertamina is also reviewing the commercialization of the application of CCUS technology in the Sumatra region.

The Indonesian government currently has an energy transition roadmap as part of the Grand National Energy Strategy. In the roadmap, the use of renewable energy is targeted to reach 23% by 2025¹.

Meanwhile, the government has also acknowledged the importance of a collaborative approach to achieving lower carbon goals.

“Without a doubt, efforts to boost lower carbon energy projects cannot be done alone. In the future, we hope that world-class oil and gas companies, such as Pertamina and Chevron, can partner to further reduce carbon emissions and advance energy transition as mandated by the Government of Indonesia,” concluded Luhut B. Pandjaitan.

About Chevron

Chevron is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies. We believe affordable, reliable, and ever-cleaner energy is essential to achieving a more prosperous and sustainable world. Chevron produces crude oil and natural gas; manufactures transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals, and additives; and develops technologies that enhance our business and the industry. We are focused on lowering the carbon intensity in our operations and seeking to grow lower carbon businesses along with our traditional business lines. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.

About PT Pertamina (Persero)

PT. Pertamina (Persero) is a state-owned enterprise that manages the oil and gas exploration in Indonesia since 1957. As a Holding in the Energy sector which was inaugurated by the Indonesian Ministry of SOEs on June 12, 2020, Pertamina now plays a strategic role in leading its six Subholdings which include Upstream Subholding, Gas Subholding, Refining & Petrochemical Subholding, Power & New Renewable Energy Subholding, Commercial & Trading Subholding, as well as International Marine & Logistics Subholding. More information about Pertamina is available at www.pertamina.com.

Source and Image: www.chevron.com and www.pertamina.com

“We are pleased to welcome Lemar and Jennifer to the Certarus Board,” said James Estey, Chair of the Board. “Their finance and business experience complement and enhance our existing Board profile and match the evolving needs of the Corporation. Certarus is committed to building a sustainable platform that produces long-term value and I am confident that Lemar and Jennifer will make significant contributions to help achieve our goals.”

Ms. Brown has spent over 25 years working in the energy industry, where she has held a variety of leadership positions. She is the Founder and Managing Partner of Negocium Group, which provides executive-level consultation in negotiations, strategy, business planning, risk mitigation and management, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, and portfolio management. Prior to this, she was an Executive Professor at Texas A&M University in the executive MBA program and held various positions with Shell plc, most recently as Business Opportunity Manager of Shell Upstream Americas. Ms. Brown graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and obtained her Master of Business Administration with a major in Finance from the University of Pennsylvania.

Ms. Grigsby is a professional accountant with more than 30 years of energy and executive management experience. She currently serves as the Secretary of Economic Administration for the State of Oklahoma and prior to this, held the position of Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer with Ascent Resources, LLC. During her career, she has held senior leadership positions with several affiliates of American Energy Partners, LP, and Chesapeake Energy Corporation, and was a senior accountant with Deloitte. Ms. Grigsby graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and received her Master of Business Administration from Oklahoma City University. She maintains Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Global Management Accountant designations.

ABOUT CERTARUS

Certarus is the North American leader in providing on-road low carbon energy solutions through a fully integrated compressed natural gas, renewable natural gas, and hydrogen platform. Certarus safely delivers clean-burning fuels to energy, utility, agricultural and industrial customers not connected to a pipeline. By displacing more carbon-intensive fuels, Certarus is leading the energy transition and helping customers lower operating costs and improve environmental performance. With the largest fleet of mobile gas storage units in North America, Certarus is uniquely positioned to meet the growing demand for low and zero-emission energy distribution.

For more information, visit www.certarus.com.

“This certification further validates the steps we have taken to reduce methane emissions, which is part of our plans to achieve net-zero Scope 1 & 2 greenhouse emissions in our Permian Basin unconventional operations by 2030,” said Tom Schuessler, senior vice president of unconventional at ExxonMobil. “Certification gives our customers confidence that we are responsibly producing natural gas with best-in-class emission management programs to help them meet their emissions goals.”

MiQ was awarded the “A” grade certification because of ExxonMobil’s extensive multi-tiered technology approach to methane monitoring and mitigation at its Poker Lake facilities in New Mexico. These efforts include a combination of fixed monitoring systems, aerial imaging technology, optical gas imaging cameras, proprietary acoustic sensors, and robust leak detection and repair practices. Responsible Energy Solutions performed ExxonMobil’s assessment using the MiQ Standard.

“It’s widely accepted that it’s now the time to take steps to limit the effects of climate change and reducing methane emissions is one of the most significant actions we can take,” said Georges Tijbosch, CEO of MiQ. “MiQ is pioneering Independently Certified Gas to help accelerate methane reductions from the natural gas industry and, as one of the world’s largest energy companies, ExxonMobil’s expansion of the certification program demonstrates that Independently Certified Gas is rapidly becoming the status quo.”

ExxonMobil is expanding the certification process to other operating areas, including Appalachia natural gas operations in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It is now selling commercial volumes to customers, including Xcel Energy, which plans to use the natural gas to power homes, schools, and businesses in southeastern New Mexico with fewer lifecycle emissions than non-certified natural gas.

“Xcel Energy is committed to delivering net-zero energy by 2050 across all the ways our customers use energy, and that includes powering our generating fleet with natural gas purchased only from suppliers with certified low-methane emissions by 2030,” said David Hudson, president of Xcel Energy in New Mexico and Texas. “Fueling our New Mexico power plants with ExxonMobil’s certified natural gas is an important step in that direction and enables us to achieve the cleaner energy future we’re all envisioning.”

ExxonMobil has played a leadership role in methane mitigation and supports strong measurement, reporting, and verification standards as part of a broad suite of regulations to help reduce methane emissions. ExxonMobil is a founding member of the Methane Guiding Principles, and in 2020 introduced a model regulatory framework for industry-wide methane regulations. ExxonMobil supports the U.S. and European Union’s Global Methane Pledge, the proposed U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, and the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative’s Aiming for Zero Methane Emissions.

Mitigating methane emissions is an important component of ExxonMobil’s plans to achieve net-zero Scope 1 & 2 greenhouse gas emissions in the Permian Basin unconventional assets by 2030. Other parts of the plan include electrifying operations using renewable and lower-carbon power sources, eliminating routine flaring by year-end 2022, upgrading equipment, and enhancing processes.

Similar GHG emission-reduction road maps are being developed for the company’s major operated upstream, refining and chemicals assets around the world. ExxonMobil has announced an ambition to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions for its major operating assets by 2050, as detailed in the 2022 Advancing Climate Solutions Progress Report.

About ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil, one of the largest publicly traded international energy and petrochemical companies, creates solutions that improve quality of life and meet society’s evolving needs.

The corporation’s primary businesses – Upstream, Product Solutions, and Low Carbon Solutions – provide products that enable modern life, including energy, chemicals, lubricants, and lower-emissions technologies. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading portfolio of resources and is one of the largest integrated fuels, lubricants, and chemical companies in the world.

Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Source and Image: exxonmobil.com

Synthica’s facility is being developed on a 40-acre industrial property at the intersection of South Preston Highway and I-65 in the City of Lebanon Junction, Kentucky, approximately 30 miles south of Louisville. The project is expected to be completed in late 2024 and will process approximately 200,000 tons of bourbon stillage and food waste from producers across the region. The facility will use Synthica’s “Urban Friendly Digestion” technology while diverting food waste that otherwise takes up space in landfills and releases greenhouse methane into the atmosphere.

One of the largest food waste anaerobic digesters in the U.S., Synthica’s facility will generate carbon-negative RNG, which will help consumers reach their net carbon reduction goals. Recently, analysts have predicted a 45-fold increase in U.S. demand for RNG over the next two decades.

“Bourbon distilleries in Kentucky have ambitious growth goals, with over $5 billion in expansion currently underway,” said Sam Schutte, Synthica CEO. “However, existing outlets for distillery byproducts – which are sometimes produced at a 20-to-1 ratio to bourbon output – are inconvenient, seasonal, and face competition from the growth in ethanol, biodiesel, and other animal feed-generating industries. Without large-scale, affordable outlets for these byproducts, the growth of Kentucky distilleries will be stunted. As the largest AD facility in the state of Kentucky, Synthica’s facility will help relieve this pressure and allow for faster growth and more bourbon production. As fans of bourbon, we can all agree this is a good thing.”

About Synthica Energy

Synthica Energy is anaerobic digestion and renewable natural gas development company focused on the creation of organics-to-energy facilities in underserved markets. Synthica previously announced in August 2021 that it entered a partnership to develop renewable natural gas projects in Ohio and Kentucky with UGI Energy Services, LLC, a division of UGI Corporation. The partnership’s first Anaerobic Digestion project is being developed in the Cincinnati region (“Synthica St. Bernard”).

Source and Image: synthica.com

The China Energy Map provides a comprehensive visualization of the nation’s full energy system, featuring not only oil and gas infrastructure but also coal and nuclear power plants and electric vehicle battery factories. The 2022 update includes four new layers: natural gas pipelines, liquid natural gas (LNG) terminals, natural gas power plants, and hydrogen plants.

The map was created by Shih Yu (Elsie) Hung, a research manager at the Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies, Gabriel Collins, the Baker Botts Fellow in Energy and Environmental Regulatory Affairs, and Michelle Michot Foss, a fellow in energy and materials.

The map, first released in February 2019 as the China Oil Map, tracks nearly 5,200 energy facilities in China, serving as a data resource for both academia and the general public, Hung said. As it continues to evolve, the team plans to add layers such as electric vehicle manufacturing sites, battery mineral mines, and more natural gas infrastructure such as storage sites and processing plants.

Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks as the No. 2 university-affiliated think tank in the world and the No. 1 energy think tank in the world. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows, Rice University faculty scholars, and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blog.bakerinstitute.org.

Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 4,052 undergraduates and 3,484 graduate students, Rice’s undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 1 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as the best value among private universities by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.

Chief Justin Napoleon, Saulteau First Nations which is a member of the FN CGL Pipeline Limited Partnership said, “We are proud to advance our relationships with the Indigenous communities across the route through equity ownership in Coastal GasLink. Together, as business partners, we have the opportunity to learn, grow and change the way energy is developed in Canada. This is one of the ways we can advance reconciliation.”

The equity option recognizes the important relationship that TC Energy and Coastal GasLink have with the Indigenous groups along the approved pipeline route and the desire to be true partners. The equity option is in addition to 20 agreements Coastal GasLink has with Indigenous groups along the route which provide opportunities for contracting and employment as well as other long-term benefits. The equity option is exercisable after commercial in-service of the pipeline, subject to customary regulatory approvals and consents, including the consent of LNG Canada.

Chief Corrina Leween, Cheslatta Carrier Nation which is a member of the CGL First Nations Limited Partnership Management Committee said, “For years we have watched industry and governments generate revenues from the operations of their projects, while we live with the impacts. This investment in Coastal GasLink will finally start to shift the landscape, aligning industry and Indigenous peoples’ interests over the entire life cycle of a project.”

François Poirier, TC Energy President, and Chief Executive Officer said, “We recognize that enduring relationships need to include long-term economic opportunities that support the resiliency of Indigenous communities. We continue to learn a great deal from these relationships and value the opportunity to become true partners with Indigenous communities throughout the lifecycle of this Project.”

About Coastal GasLink    

Coastal GasLink is constructing a 48-inch-diametre, 670-kilometers (416 miles) pipeline to safely transport natural gas from the Groundbirch area west of Dawson Creek, B.C., to the liquefied natural gas export facility being constructed by LNG Canada and its joint-venture partners near Kitimat, B.C. Before construction began, the approved Coastal GasLink route was determined by considering Indigenous, landowner, and stakeholder input, the environment, archaeological and cultural values, land use compatibility, safety, constructability, and economics. Coastal GasLink will meet strict environmental and safety standards while helping to meet the growing demand for cleaner energy.

Over the course of the project, Coastal GasLink will create over 4,500 short-term jobs, which will bring millions in economic benefits to local communities. With a commitment to hiring local and Indigenous first, Coastal GasLink is delivering jobs and contracting opportunities that benefit northern B.C., the province, and the Canadian economy. TC Energy will operate the pipeline once in service. Coastal GasLink will have an initial capacity of 2.1 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) and represents the first direct path to connect abundant Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin supply to global markets. To learn more, visit CoastalGasLink.com

About TC Energy

We are a vital part of everyday life — delivering the energy millions of people rely on to power their lives in a sustainable way. Thanks to a safe, reliable network of natural gas and liquids pipelines, along with power generation and storage facilities, wherever life happens — we’re there. Guided by our core values of safety, innovation, responsibility, collaboration, and integrity, our people make a positive difference in the communities where we operate across Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.

About Monarch

Monarch provides natural gas contract compression services with its zero-emission electric drive EcoFlex™ compressor fleet.  Monarch also provides contract operations for customer-owned compression as well as turnkey solutions for compressor facility design and construction.

The monarch was founded in February 2021 by Brett Schubert – President and CEO, Randy Garcia – Vice President of Operations, and Kolten Kelley – Vice President of Sales.  

Monarch’s EcoFlex™ compressor package utilizes an exclusive E-Skid™ design allowing customers to take advantage of a modular variable frequency drive solution new and innovative to the contract gas compression industry.   Schubert stated, “Our EcoFlex™ fleet provides customers with increased volumetric flexibility, superior reliability, and an ESG compression alternative that eliminates the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a traditional gas-driven compression package. While we are excited about the technology we are offering, internally we remain focused on a vision of providing our team and customers consistent, exceptional service in a work environment that focuses on family, professional growth, and pride in the product and commitment to service we deliver.”

Monarch also provides contract operations for customer-owned compression as well as turnkey solutions for compressor facility design and construction. Garcia and Kelley both agreed, “Both our customers and team deserve consistency in what we provide – and it is our goal to provide both with an exceptional experience when it comes to the service and support we offer – regardless of who owns the equipment.”

About the Capital Raise

The equity raise was substantially oversubscribed and provides strong support for Monarch to establish itself as the natural gas compression industry leader focusing on transitioning to a more sustainable and environmentally responsible compression service offering for the oil & gas industry.  

“We are excited to be part of the growth and development of Monarch and to provide capital and support to Brett, Randy, and Kolten as they build a world-class electric compression company.  The existing installed base of gas-drive compression infrastructure has become one of the oil and gas industry’s single largest sources of carbon emissions and Monarch’s electric alternative will play a significant role in the industry’s efforts to decarbonize.” – Jerad McMayon, Managing Partner of Table Rock Group

“We are thrilled to partner with Monarch and its best-in-class, proven management team as Monarch introduces the first zero-emission electric drive compression fleet for natural gas compression. Monarch’s EcoFlex™ electric compression units provide the industry with a much-needed ESG friendly solution for lowering emissions and at a lower total cost of ownership than the legacy industry alternative, a win-win for Monarch’s customers.” – Todd Binet, Principal and Founder of Appareo Capital  

“Woodforest National Bank is pleased to be the agent bank providing senior debt capital financing for Monarch, which is led by a management team and investor base with a proven track record of delivering value to its clients and creating jobs for our communities.” –  Chris Dvorachek, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Middle Market Banking.

More about Table Rock Group, Appareo Capital, and Woodforest National Bank

Table Rock Group, based in Houston, is an independent sponsor focused on lower middle market buyouts and growth capital for entrepreneurial-led and family-owned businesses.

Appareo Capital is a middle-market family office/private equity firm focused on working with owners who are pursuing exit strategies, recapitalizations, reorganizations, or growth capital. Appareo provides operational and financial support to solid management teams that are seeking to grow and build meaningful businesses.

Woodforest, headquartered in The Woodlands, TX, supports middle-market companies throughout a 17-state footprint with commercial teams located in The Woodlands, Houston, and Dallas, TX, Charlotte, NC, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, FL, and Atlanta, GA.

For more info

With a mission of increasing the reliability of critical remote infrastructure while reducing its carbon impact, Adaptive Energy is bringing propane power generation technology into the next frontier, which recently earned it the 2021 Global Innovation Award at the Global Technology Conference (GTC) of the World LPG Association Forum.

“To receive such an award is the highest honor our industry can bestow on a technology partner and all of us at the Propane Education & Research Council we are so proud to see Adaptive Energy receive the recognition,” said Tucker Perkins, President and CEO at PERC. “To be selected as the Global Innovation Award winner is outstanding.”

Adaptive Energy is a leading designer and manufacturer of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), which provide rugged, dependable power for higher uptimes, less maintenance, and low-carbon operation.SOFCs enable greater use of alternative energy for critical infrastructure. Notably, here are three key alternative energy use cases for SOFCs:

• Uninterruptible power for critical transportation infrastructure, such as railway crossings, signals, and switches.
• Hybrid off-grid power (including solar, wind or other renewables) for remote applications like back-country radio networks or aviation and weather-monitoring equipment.
• Reliable uptimes for solar-powered trailers that provide mobile surveillance, environmental monitoring, communications, and other critical functions.

SOFC technology provides backup and off-grid power for customers where nonstop power is vital including rail crossings, remote radio networks, weather aviation cameras, and other critical infrastructure. In February 2021, this technology kept railroads in Texas safe by powering crossings and switches despite the power outages caused by Winter Storm Uri.

The Michigan-based company was also selected as runner-up for Most Innovative Propane-Powered Technology, making it the only SOFC company ever to receive this prestigious award.

“Remote sites often lack reliable access to grid power, so alternative energy sources like wind and solar are vital but when harsh weather interrupts power production, this critical infrastructure can fail,” said Michael Edison, CEO at Adaptive Energy. “That’s where our propane fuel cells come into play.”

Adaptive Energy is uniquely positioned to address these concerns thanks to patented, highly durable, clean SOFC technology that has been engineered to excel in extreme conditions, from -40°C to 50°C. With a 22-year history of commercializing SOFCs, it has been the leading provider of propane fuel cell technology across industries.

To learn more about propane, visit Propane.com. For more information on Adaptive Energy and its products, visit adaptiveenergyllc.com.

The result was a whole new E-World that ultimately will make us more versatile, globalized, and resilient.

When people stopped flying planes and the world pretty much shut down, people had to implement new business models for marketing, sales, hiring, investor relations, PR, supply/vendors and processes, partnerships, and more.

This new E-world means harnessing zoom and teams platforms and ensuring online meetings are connected and professional even if you were meeting from your bedroom.

While we now start to get back to a ‘new normal’ and travel becomes more available, the power of E-business will forever play a role in how we expand and grow from here forward.

See it as an opportunity rather than a problem.

Six E-Sales Opportunities To Grow Your Company In The New Digital World

If you want to sell a product or position your company for an important bid, how are you going to accomplish your goals in Covid times?  

When we are working from home, using zoom, or dealing with outside distractions, how can we succeed? Those are the challenges of the day. It is a new challenge, to find ways to keep ourselves and our clients connected, online.

Believe it or not, with creativity and engagement, we can have an effective E-Work environment that can out-perform old sales models.

1. Think about it, less travel, more meetings, less cost, more communication. It adds up. Business is nothing more than a network of conversations. People who organize meetings effectively, stack meetings, and create an E-Flow work environment will win the game of the E-work world.
   
2. Building great relationships that create trust and rapport is still the foundation of any relationship. Having clients get to know, like, and trust you is key; so, the rules have not changed. Building rapport still means a professional appearance online and an appropriate zoom background. It means good communication, understanding your client, finding common ground, discovering needs, sharing experiences, matching mannerisms and speech, future pacing, and finding solutions. 
   
3. Quickly adapting to this new E-World means recreating the outside world inside the computer world. It means finding new ways to connect and get personal with relationships so that there is a strong foundation of trust established online.
   
4. Computer advances and algorithms have taken over the laborious job of research and client acquisition. Business development costs came down, workflows became more efficient, and sales grow from there. 
   
5. The E-world will expedite globalization, and before we know it, doing business anywhere in the world at any time will be an affordable proposition. Global commerce is emerging, and the opportunities are truly endless.
   
6. We must look into the future and see where nations will unite in common goals. Languages will merge, and borders and boundaries will fall away. Free markets will be the foundation of the global playing field of business as we grow exponentially with E-Business automation and processes.

PAAS – PUBLISHING AS A SERVICE

As publishers of a global energy magazine, The OGM served clients around the globe ensuring suppliers and energy companies got their message to the right market.

Publisher Tina Olivero says, “During the pandemic it became apparent that tradeshows and flying to meetings was not an option for us or our clients. E-meetings became the norm and suddenly, the world got much smaller. Client contact became easier, faster, and automated. Computer advances and algorithms took over the laborious job of research and client acquisition. Business development costs came down, workflows became more efficient, and sales took off for us. That would not have happened, except for the pandemic. Long story short, there’s a silver lining in everything, when we are willing to embrace the challenges, we then reap the rewards.”

PaaS is a client solution that searches out potential clients, matches content with buyer and seller and creates an automated lead generation system. Where traditional advertising could be hit and miss at times, PaaS connects those interested, with those selling and the computer algorithm does all the work of bringing them together. As a result, expanding into new markets is now affordable. Finding your exact right client is now easier. All of this is because of the new E-Work environment and computer AI.

Visionary Tina Olivero says, “The E-world will expedite globalization and before we know it, doing business anywhere in the world at any time, will be an affordable proposition. Global commerce is emerging, and the opportunities are truly endless.”

WHAT INDUSTRY SAYS

Ryan Burrowes, CEO of Warehouse Transport Group and head of Canada/Guyna operations said, “As a CEO of a growing logistics and investment company, I was in dire need of new digital technology to take my business online. We needed a marketing and sales enhancement solution and a way to scale. I found everything and more with Tina and TheOGM Agency team. Having lived all over the world, Tina is a visionary who sees things from a global perspective.

Our operations have a foothold in Guyana, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. So Tina and her team are a perfect fit for us. The OGM’s new digital business development solutions are strategic and sustainable for the new world order where everyone is doing business on Zoom.

The OGM digital tools come with algorithms and automation that provide us with a flow of never-ending, high-level opportunities to quote on new work. Not just any work but leads with key decision-makers for our business. That is invaluable. The OGM is a platform with new digital tools that we all need in a business in this day and age. This new digital game is entirely different and capitalizing on that makes for really exciting times. Tina and her team have gone over and above our contractual agreement and, honestly I wouldn’t have it any other way. That’s the people we want to work with. Already, I consider her a part of our family, for now, and for the future.”

Ryan Burrowes CEO, Warehouse Transport Group Canada-Guyana – WarehouseTransport.ca

PICK THE RIGHT PARTNERS

There are many companies out there that are trying to adapt online. For energy companies choosing the right partners who have extensive experience in the energy industry is key.

Tina Olivero says, “The most important part of outreach and communication right now is content. You have to partner with key marketing and sales people who speak “energy”. Otherwise you are trying to bring your clients into your world, with someone who does not understand your business and most importantly, doesn’t understand what your clients need. That’s a one way ticket to no success.

Aligining with The OGM as 30-year publishers of energy content, coupled with our digital media agency, makes The OGM a premium choice. When you have that level of business competence, communication is easy. Adapting with new digital processes and creating automations has to be routed in powerful words, which create powerful actions, which create powerful results. It’s that simple. These are truly incredible times. Reach out and lets what we can create.

www.TheOGM.com

About the Author Tina Olivero

Tina Olivero is a conscious entrepreneur, managing a publishing company – TheOGM.com, a digital media firm – DigitalCollateral.ca and a new Sales Engine company – TheOGM.ca. She has 30 years in the marketing and sales business in the energy sector. She is committed to energy and sustainable development with her Our Great Minds. This innovative magazine shares the great minds and collective intelligence that are combating climate change and eradicating carbon emissions. 

“We are delighted to have acquired what is already a market-leading company in IMServ. The company has been at the cutting edge of  metering technology for twenty years and the team members are genuine pioneers in the sector. Steve and his skilled management team are hungry for growth; they take a hands-on  approach in the business and are supported by an experienced and knowledgeable 500-strong  workforce. We’re really looking forward to working closely with IMServ and enabling its next stage of growth,” said Thomas Sikorski, Co-Founder of Bluewater.

IMServ is a leading provider of electricity metering services (both installation and  management of smart and advanced meters), data services(smart and advanced meters data  analysis and management) and visualization services. At the business’ core is a range of  specialist electricity metering technologies, along with highly accurate energy data collection  services. This is presented to suppliers and end-users in a seamless, intuitive online data  management analysis and reporting platform. 

IMServ is now one of the UK’s largest independent energy data management providers, and  is enabling the decentralisation of power generation and digitalisation of the electricity  market. 

Steve Brown, Managing Director of IMServ, said, “Bluewater is the perfect partner for  IMServ. Their energy transition expertise and financial strength will allow us to take  advantage of the huge growth potential arising from energy transition. In addition, with  capital to deploy, we are now looking at several acquisition options to drive our expansion in the UK and other European markets.” 

Its technology today is managing more than 25% of all the electricity that goes through the  National Grid. The company has gone from strength to strength as smart meters have  become a fundamental platform to deliver data that helps reduce carbon emissions.  

IMServ will continue to be led by Managing Director Steve Brown, allowing the company to  transition seamlessly and to continue offering best-in-class service to customers (including  energy suppliers and end-users), employees, and other stakeholders. 

Steve and the IMServ leadership team were attracted to Bluewater’s deep sector knowledge,  supportive financial and business mindset, and the private equity firm’s drive to embrace the energy transition. Bluewater’s tried and tested approach to enabling rapid growth is a perfect  fit with IMServ’s own ambitious growth strategy, which has responded to government mandated demand for smart metering and more efficient management of energy use. 

The IMServ strategy sees significant growth opportunities in several areas in the UK and  internationally: the expanding data settlement market to support the needs of the flexible  energy transition; organic growth through increased uptake of smart meters in the  commercial and domestic electricity markets; and potential mergers and acquisitions  nationally and overseas, with announcements of this kind expected within the next six  months.  

About IMServ 

IMServ is one of the UK’s leading Energy Data Collection and Meter Operations service providers and  is an award-winning pioneer of metering and data collection services for the electricity, gas, and water  sectors. IMServ is headquartered in Milton Keynes, UK, and has expanding operations in the  Netherlands. 

Through the government-mandated smart meter rollout IMServ is playing a central role in the energy  transition, making energy usage more efficient while helping to cut emissions. 

In 2019, IMServ became the first non-domestic metering business to become a user of DCC services  in the Other User (OU) role for smart meters.

About Bluewater 

Bluewater is a specialist international private equity firm focused on the middle-market energy  sector. Their experienced investment and operating professionals drive value creation as they  manage $2.5billion of investment across a portfolio of 22 companies. Today, Bluewater has a prime  focus on projects or technologies that contribute to the energy transition agenda and works to a  diversified investment strategy based on the principles of sustainability and close working  partnerships with best-in-class management teams. Bluewater has a strong focus on ESG and is a  signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment.

Source and photos: Bluewater & IMServ

CCS JV, comprising Saipem, McDermott and Chiyoda, has signed a deal with ABB to provide comprehensive integrated and intelligent electrical systems for the east-African Mozambique LNG field which is expected to start production by 2024.

With LNG capacity of approximately 13 million tonnes per annum, the current development will spearhead crucial economic and social investment for Mozambique.

Brandon Spencer, President of ABB Energy Industries said, “Winning this project is a testament to ABB’s technical superiority in electrification technologies, as well as our highly skilled management and engineering capabilities. We are proud to be part of Africa’s economic growth story, especially Mozambique.”

ABB’s 26-month project will culminate in a significant installed base in Mozambique for ABB and will involve collaboration across multiple ABB divisions and regions, led by ABB in Singapore. Fourteen large onshore electrical houses (e-houses) or prefabricated electrical substation buildings (PESB) – specifically designed for oil and gas applications, will be built by ABB team in Singapore and transported to the Mozambique LNG Project site.

The company will also integrate its electrical control and power management system alongside 110kV gas-insulated switchgears (GIS), medium voltage switchgears (33kV, 11kV) and low voltage switchgears.

Johan de Villiers, Global Vice President, Oil and Gas commented: “We have optim­­­­­­­ized and customized our solutions to meet the specific technical and capital expenditure requirements of the customer. With ABB as the main original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for electrical systems, Mozambique LNG Project will benefit in terms of cost-efficiency, maintenance, service as well as upgrades and expansions.”

With operations in over 23 countries, ABB is a leading supplier of automation and electrification technologies across Africa. The company is committed to generating in country value across the region delivering several initiatives aimed at supporting local communities and workforces, as well as those promoting collaboration, social inclusion, and the importance of education.

ABB’s Process Automation business is a leader in automation, electrification and digitalization for the process and hybrid industries. We serve our customers with a broad portfolio of products, systems, and end-to-end solutions, including our #1 distributed control system, software, and lifecycle services, industry-specific products as well as measurement and analytics, marine and turbocharging offerings. As the global #2 in the market, we build on our deep domain expertise, diverse team, and global footprint, and are dedicated to helping our customers increase competitiveness, improve their return on investment and run safe, smart, and sustainable operations.

____________________

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com

Natural Gas could mean securing Canada’s energy supply and providing energy around the globe to much needed areas like Asia and India.

It is believed that we will still have gas and coal left by the time oil runs out in 2052. But if we increase gas production to fill the energy gap left by oil, then those reserves will only give us an additional eight years, taking us to 2060.

So we can say that the smartest thing we can do with oil and gas is use it to bridge us to new energy. Making LNG the priority is simply the best option to persue.

NATURAL GAS IS CLEANER

Natural gas releases up to 50% less CO2 than coal and 20-30% less than oil, when it is burned. So it’s a better fossil fuel than any other. Natural gas offers a significant contribution to improved local air quality and public health overall so it’ makes sense to develop it  as an energy solution.

NATURAL GAS OFFSHORE NEWFOUNDLAND

There are an estimated 200 trillion cubic feet of gas potential offshore Newfoundland, and it’s the provincial plan to have natural gas plays moving by 2030.

According to Minister of Natural Resources, Siobhan Coady, “The resource potential in our offshore is incredible. In just 9% of our offshore, we have a combined resource potential of 52.2 Bbbl oil and 199.6 Tcf gas. We have over 650 leads and prospects identified to date, eight new entrants in the past three years, and $4 billion in recent exploration work commitments. We will continue to position our province as an internationally preferred location for oil and gas exploration and development.”

Building on over 20 years of oil production success and an ongoing world-leading seismic program that has been shedding new insights on the nearly two dozen basins that surround the province, offshore Newfoundland and Labrador is poised for an exciting new round of exploration and development.

To date, offshore Newfoundland oil production has been oil, yet gas remains a strong possibility. Oil fields offshore Newfoundland have consistently been one, two, three, four, five, even six times bigger than original estimates. If gas follows suit, we could be in for highly prosperous times.

OPPORTUNE TIMES

Offshore Newfoundland currently has four world-class producing fields and two more about to come on stream. West White Rose and Equinor’s Bay du Nord, deepwater play, are forecasted to be producing wells within the next five years.

With 43 wells approved to drill and over 100 exploratory wells to be drilled over the next decade, things are bound to boom. The development of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador’s ‘Way Forward’ plan has a strong commitment to natural gas development as a low carbon fuel solution. 

With the discovery of additional resources, market opportunities, and anticipated natural gas, the future looks bright. The provincial commitment is to advance initiatives to ensure industry readiness for gas commercialization, including regulation, development models, local supply opportunities, and labour requirements. As well, the focus of attracting global investment for commercial gas production is a priority.

THE FUTURE LOOKS GOOD

By 2030, the long-term priorities of commercial natural gas production are evident. The province will promote investment in new infrastructure, technology, and leverage expertise to pursue market opportunities for commercial gas production while fostering natural gas resource exploration and development opportunities.

Given that natural gas is a cleaner energy source and the gas offshore Newfoundland is virtually untapped, there are strong reasons to focus on it. Offshore Newfoundland, most of the gas can be conveniently found in less than 200 metres of water. The resource base can support a world-scale project, and theoretically, gas projects could yield 2 million tonnes per year. This offshore gas opportunity could quite easily come together if industry players collaborate, share information, and infrastructure to develop it.

Developing gas resources on the Grand Banks is in the best interest of world energy demand and would make a significant contribution to the fight against climate change. With large gas areas potentially unexplored, definite shipping advantages to Europe, and the world’s demand for cleaner, greener energy, gas is a logical and sustainable solution.  

We got gas! 

Source, Images, Video: Government of Newfoundland & Labrador, Department of Natural resources, CAPP

The company’s report ‘H2 2019 Global Capacity and Capital Expenditure Outlook for LNG Regasification Terminals – India Continues to Dominate Global Regasification Capacity Additions and Capex Spending’ reveals that Asia is expected to add a new-build liquids storage capacity of 8.2 trillion cubic feet (tcf) by 2023.

Adithya Rekha, Oil & Gas Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “In Asia, a total of 47 terminals are expected to contribute a new-build capacity of 8.2 tcf by 2023. Of these, Bangladesh’s Matarbari terminal has the highest LNG regasification capacity of 0.54 tcf. The terminal is expected to start operations in 2023.”

GlobalData identifies Europe as the second highest region in terms of new-build global LNG regasification capacity additions. A total of 10 planned and announced regasification terminals in the region are expected to add a new-build capacity of 2.1 tcf by 2023. Among the upcoming terminals in the region, Wilhelmshaven Floating terminal in Germany is expected to have the highest capacity of 0.35 tcf by 2023.

The Middle East stands third with new-build LNG regasification capacity of 2.1 tcf in 2023. The Al-Zour terminal in Kuwait would account for more than half of the region’s regasification capacity. This planned onshore terminal is expected to come online in 2020 with a regasification capacity of 1.2 tcf.

About GlobalData 

Adjunct assistant professor of geophysics Abash Kumar and professor William Harbert of the Department of Geology and Environmental Science worked with the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Lab researcher Richard Hammack to develop a new method of detecting low-frequency earthquakes that could signal the release of significant volumes of oil and natural gas.

The previously undetected resources could be a windfall for an industry expected to produce an average of 90.3 billion cubic feet per day of dry natural gas this year and an average of 92.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day by 2020, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

“I want to emphasize that often, these sorts of measurements are not collected,” said Harbert. “Geophysicists previously had the opinion that they don’t need to look for them. Abhash has turned this around to where I hope the techniques he’s pioneered are routinely used to monitor all kinds of deep subsurface activities.”

  Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is the process where pressurized water and chemicals are pumped into strategically drilled underground wells in an effort to create and expand cracks in rocks to allow gas and oil to flow more freely for easier extraction.

Typically, explained Kumar, companies conduct the process in ways that are designed to widen and increase the amounts of preexisting fractures and produce instantaneous improvement in energy flow. Targeting rocks that are already cracked requires the use of borehole geophones, which measure seismic activity underground, or fiber optic sensors, which record subsurface sound and temperature.

“During the fracturing process, a small magnitude earthquake is created. Based on the location of the micro seismic earthquake, you can try to create a picture of overall quality of rock that’s been fractured. Based on that volume, companies can anticipate how much oil and gas they are going to produce,” he said.

For years, conventional wisdom has been that rocks worthy of targeting will show signs of fracturing not long after the process begins, which is known as brittle deformation.

However, research by Kumar, Harbert, Hammack and former NETL intern Erich Zorn has indicated that rocks with higher contents of clay and other soft materials don’t fracture immediately but, instead, release oil and gas slowly over longer periods of time during ultra-low-frequency earthquakes during a process called non-brittle deformation. They detailed the findings in the paper, “Geomechanical lithology-based analysis of microseismicity in organic shale sequences: A Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale example” which was published in 2017 in the journal GeoScience World.

“We found positive temporal correlation between low frequency earthquakes and increased fluid activity during hydraulic fracturing, suggesting that these unique events are generated in response to extensive reservoir fracturing, triggered by highly elevated fluid pressure,” Kumar said. “These low frequency seismic events of long duration are likely linked with non-brittle deformation in the reservoir during hydraulic fracturing and contribute both in the overall stimulation of the reservoir and gas production,” said Kumar.

Additionally, during field research at a West Virginia hydraulic fracking site, Kumar demonstrated the low-frequency earthquakes that signal plastic deformation and larger earthquakes could be detected using low-cost surface seismometers placed on the ground rather than borehole geophones and fiber optic sensors, which are much more expensive and requires a well to be drilled specifically for monitoring.

Combined, the findings could give oil and gas industry executives more precise methods to extract greater amounts of energy, cheaper equipment to get the process started and a broader view of the types of areas that are worthy of exploring.

“Our analysis proposed that overall deformation due to hydraulic fracking doesn’t belong to one particular type of deformation, it undergoes both types, brittle and non-brittle,” said Kumar. “Taking both into account can increase overall estimates of fracturing volume of rock, therefore estimate of oil and gas productivity will be much higher.”

Hammack said the theory still needs to be proved at other well-characterized sites that feature geophysical models and he’s hoping the team will be able to monitor less-characterized areas near Pittsburgh and Morgantown sometime this year.

And while he credited the work of Stanford University geophysicist Mark Zoback for the first work involving low-frequency earthquakes in shale gas wells, he said Kumar’s work with seismometers helped to advance that to new heights.

“No one else had ever gone the lengths to build a whole new science behind it,” Hammack said.

Diamond Green Diesel, a joint venture of Valero Energy Corp. and Darling Ingredients Inc, currently is the largest commercial advanced biofuel facility in the United States, producing 275 million gallons per year of Honeywell Green Diesel™, a high-quality renewable fuel. The plant expansion is expected to be completed in late 2021, and will increase the facility’s annual production by nearly 150 percent, to 675 million gallons.

“Demand has steadily increased for renewable diesel in the United States, Canada and Europe as advanced biofuel mandates seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Jim Andersen, senior business leader of Honeywell UOP’s Renewable Energy and Chemicals business. “With the expansion of its facility using our Ecofining technology, Diamond Green Diesel will continue to meet growing demand for low-carbon fuels, and become one of the largest plants in the world for producing those fuels.”

With low carbon mandates in North America and Europe projected to continue driving strong demand and premium pricing for renewable diesel, the expansion will add a second, parallel plant adjacent to the existing facility. With the expansion, Diamond Green Diesel will also produce about 60 million gallons per year of renewable naphtha for the production of gasoline.

The Honeywell Ecofining process, developed in conjunction with Eni SpA, converts non-edible natural oils, animals fats and other waste feedstocks to Honeywell Green Diesel, which is chemically identical to petroleum-based diesel. Honeywell Green Diesel offers improved performance over commercial biodiesel and petroleum-based diesel, and can be used as a drop-in replacement in vehicles with no equipment modifications. It also features an 80 percent life cycle reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to diesel from petroleum, and features a higher-cetane diesel value to provide better engine performance with fewer emissions.

The biomass-based diesel produced by Diamond Green Diesel is a qualified Advanced Biofuel under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires a minimum volume of transportation fuels sold in the U.S. to contain renewable fuel as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition to Ecofining technology, Honeywell has commercialized the UOP Renewable Jet Fuel Process™, which originally was developed to produce renewable jet fuel for the U.S. military. Honeywell Green Jet Fuel™ produced by this process technology can be blended seamlessly with petroleum-based fuel. When used in up to a 50-percent blend with petroleum-based jet fuel, Honeywell Green Jet Fuel requires no changes to aircraft technology and meets all critical specifications for flight. Learn more about Honeywell UOP renewable energy technologies at www.uop.com/biofuels.

Honeywell UOP (www.uop.com) is a leading international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries. Honeywell UOP is part of Honeywell’s Performance Materials and Technologies strategic business group, which also includes Honeywell Process Solutions (www.honeywellprocess.com), a pioneer in automation control, instrumentation and services for the oil and gas, refining, petrochemical, chemical and other industries.

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help everything from aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

Under the terms of the contract, Nexans will provide management, procurement, engineering, manufacturing and testing activities for the umbilicals and ancillary hardware.

The electrical cables and fibre optics will be manufactured at Nexans Norway plant in Rognan and the umbilicals will be developed, manufactured and tested at Nexans Norway specialized plant in Halden. The delivery will take place in 2021.

Vincent Dessale, Senior Executive Vice President for Subsea and Land Systems at Nexans said: “The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim contract is of strategic importance to Nexans in maintaining a market position in the West African region as well as being a part of a new, ultra-deepwater gas development. It highlights our continuous drive to develop competitive solutions for complex field developments.”

About Nexans

Nexans brings energy to life through an extensive range of advanced cabling systems, solutions and innovative services.

For over 120 years, Nexans has been providing customers with cutting-edge cabling infrastructure for power and data transmission. Today, beyond cables, the Group advises customers and designs solutions and services that maximize performance and efficiency of their projects in four main business areas: Building & Territories (including utilities, e­mobility), High Voltage & Projects (covering offshore wind farms, submarine interconnections, land high voltage), Telecom & Data (covering data transmission, telecom networks, hyperscale data centers, LAN), and Industry & Solutions (including renewables, transportation, Oil & Gas, automation, and others).

Corporate Social Responsibility is a guiding principle of Nexans’ business activities and internal practices. In 2013 Nexans became the first cable provider to create a Foundation supporting sustainable initiatives bringing access to energy to disadvantaged communities worldwide. The Group’s commitment to developing ethical, sustainable and high-quality cables also drives its active involvement within leading industry associations, including Europacable, the NEMA, ICF or CIGRE to mention a few.

Nexans employs nearly 27,000 people with industrial footprint in 34 countries and commercial activities worldwide. In 2018, the Group generated 6.5 billion euros in sales.

Canada’s Building Trades Unions proudly recruit, train and support over half a million skilled trades workers across Canada. We invest over $500 million to ensure our members obtain consistent skills upgrading and that we develop modern training to meet the ever-changing needs of industry. Canada is facing a growing skills trade shortage and it is paramount that to address this problem, Canadians must be given work opportunities – including the fabrication of modules for LNG plants – and these opportunities be kept in Canada.

On August 9, 2019, the Federal Government announced that they would provide full duty remissions on steel from China to supply two liquid natural gas projects in British Columbia. The two plants will be modularized, a relatively new business model that allows for a project to be built in smaller, shippable pieces with all of the equipment and components preinstalled and then connected on site.

“Our workers build Canada, and with changes in the way we do business, we need to work closely with industry and government on how to balance progress while protecting Canadian jobs,” said Arlene Dunn, Director, Canada’s Building Trades Unions. “The use of modules at the LNG plant may very well address a lack of domestic supply but these are not the last modules to be used in Canada. Government must sit with industry and labour, as equal partners and discuss how to develop a plan on how our domestic industry and subsequently Canadian workers, can meet the needs of these projects in the years to come.”

LNG Canada and Woodfibre LNG are projected to create 10,000 jobs in Canada, and the modules brought in from China account for approximately one third of the total steel required for an LNG plant. The projects will require a range of steel products in addition to the modules that will create more good jobs and opportunities for Canada’s steel producers and workers.

“We appreciate the measures the Government has taken to protect the Canadian steel industry, and while the use of these modules may be a necessary step to ensure these two projects move forward, it also sheds light on the lack of capacity that currently exists in Canada. In order for our training of skilled workers to be successful, we need the job opportunities that create a pathway to apprenticeship and completion. This will allow Canadians to address the skills trades shortage directly. We want to continue to work with industry and government to make that happen, but we need the Government to sit down with us as serious partners. This will be the only way to ensure Canadian Workers come first and we do not address the skills shortage with Temporary Foreign Workers. We need a Canadian made solution.” said Dunn.

About CBTU

Canada’s Building Trades Unions is an alliance of 15 international unions in the construction, maintenance and fabrication industries that collectively represent over half a million skilled trades workers in Canada. Each year, our unions and our signatory contractor partners invest over $500 million in private sector money to fund and operate over 175 apprenticeship training and education facilities across Canada that produce the safest, most highly trained and productive skilled craft workers found anywhere in the world. Canada’s Building Trades Unions represent members who work in more than 60 different trades and occupations, and generate 14 per cent of Canada’s GDP.

Gas isotopes are a flexible tool, adding value in any phase of the upstream activity. For many years natural gas was primarily characterized simply by its chemical composition, the dry gas definition being a clear example of this. In the early 1980’s, the isotopic characterization of gas was extensively introduced, mainly to distinguish between a thermogenic or biogenic origin of the gas.

The increasing availability of isotopic gas composition data has revealed the ability to provide many additional key pieces of information, including gas maturity, gas provenance, migration patterns, the presence of common or differing sources for gas and oil coexisting within the same reservoir, cap rock efficiency, reservoir continuity, well integrity and many others. Isotopes have also been used for geosteering in unconventional reservoirs, maintaining the wellbore within the most prolific organic facies. Today, the big and bulky mass spectrometers previously used in labs can be replaced by small and more robust equipment based on laser spectrometry.

GEOLOG offers a comprehensive range of carbon isotopic analyses at the wellsite by use of a patented analytical solution. The technology uses equipment based on laser spectrometry to bring isotopic analysis to the wellsite, with the capability to provide isotopic analysis of methane, ethane, and propane while drilling. This ability to perform a multicomponent analysis in real time combined with flexible sampling intervals, all backed by laboratory-quality levels of accuracy, provides a significant advantage to the operator. This service allows the development not only of a high degree of competency in data acquisition but also in the interpretation of the data gathered.

The figure below shows an example of a simple carbon isotope application: two gases in the same reservoir have different chemical composition; the Chung plot, obtained by using isotopic data, highlights that both gases have the same origin and characteristics, but that gas B has been contaminated by the presence of biogenic gas, probably trapped when reservoir was at a shallower depth. For more information, visit www.geolog.com

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As a full line manufacturer of honing tools, abrasive nylon brushes, deburring brushes, automotive brushes, power brushes, twisted-in-wire brushes and the Flex-Hone® Tool, they stand ready to assist clients in finding the best solution for finishing needs.

BRM can help with finishing and deburring. The Flex-Hone® tool, also known as ball hones or the ball cylinder hone, is great for deburring, edge blending and surface finishing, while the tube brushes and other twisted-in-wire brushes are the perfect solutions for cleaning soot and carbon deposits from pipes and other metal components.

BRM: Large Diameter Flex-Hone

APPLICATION IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

In the oil and gas industry things break down. Industry challenges include: failing to perform ongoing maintenance on equipment can have severe consequences including reducing equipment service life, causing unplanned shutdowns and degrading performance.  Ongoing maintenance is required to remove rust, corrosion and other accumulated material from the inside diameter (ID) of valves, pumps, piping, diesel engines, motors, natural gas compressors, flow meters and other large bore equipment.  Often, this maintenance work is performed in the field under harsh conditions. 

Large diameter Flex-Hone tools are the ideal solution because they can be run with virtually any rotating spindle, are self-centring, self-aligning to the bore and self-compensating for wear.

The Flex-Hone tool is a resilient, flexible honing tool with a soft cutting action that provides a superior surface finish with a non-direction or crosshatched pattern. Whether it’s deburring a hole or blending an edge, removing corrosion or machining marks, using the tool results in increased product performance and longer product life. The Flex-Hone is designed for a variety of automotive, hydraulic, pneumatic and industrial applications in standard sizes as large as 36.”

^{In Norway, state-owned oil projects often have upwards of 60% ownership in their oil and gas projects. This model of investment in the energy industry has served them well. Norway is now sitting pretty with the largest nest egg in the world; A sovereign wealth fund with over US$1 trillion in assets, including 1.3% of global stocks and shares. In May 2018 Norway’s fund was worth about $195,000 per Norwegian citizen. It also holds portfolios of real estate and fixed-income investments. Newfoundland should do precisely that.}

^{The trillion-dollar Government Pension Fund that Norway has created, pushes for more transparency and focuses on doing the right thing. It shuns individual companies and entire sectors like tobacco peddlers, and nuclear weapons makers because it’s the right thing to do. They operate from a higher good. They can afford to. That is a smart oil and gas strategy and societal formula. One we can all aspire to!}

^{Newfoundland, through Nalcor Energy, has marginal ownership in producing oil projects, ranging from 4.9% to 10% equity shares. This model promotes jobs and short-term needs but loses on the long term investment growth and security model, that Norway has been so successful in achieving.}

^{Oil and gas production in the Norwegian Continental Shelf comes from 107 identified fields with 85 fields currently in production. Comparatively, Offshore Newfoundland has four oil-producing fields. It’s time to catch up!}

^{This year and the next Newfoundland will have upwards of six aggressive drilling players offshore, with an estimated 80+ wells to be drilled. Not only is our drilling/find ratio high, at one in five wells, but we also have unprecedented exploration happening like never before. One significant find and we are on a fast track to future projects and the same opportunities as that of the North Sea.}

^{But before we go any further, we need to be oil asset owners and managers.  Canada should be smart enough to realize that oil and gas is the catalyst to new energy both from a monetary and infrastructure perspective.} 

^{Clearly, the smartest thing we can do with oil and gas is own our projects and use oil and gas to build new sustainable energy infrastructure. Oil and gas is the foundation of new energy coming on stream and given world demand it’s not going to be one energy source or the other; it’s going to be an energy mix of resources for the next 40-50 years. Those are the facts.}

^{It’s time for Canada to invest in our offshore projects and create investment successes like that of Norway. Why not? We have a proven infrastructure, the perfect investment climate, and unprecedented world-class opportunity offshore Newfoundland.}

^{If Canada doesn’t get the perspective right when it comes to oil and gas, perhaps it would be right for Newfoundland to join Norway.  In a time of globalization, aligning with the world’s energy giant and masterful investment strategist just might be the ultimate solution for our kids here in Newfoundland and Labrador. Having said all that, it looks like the next 2 to 5 years will see the most prolific growth in the industry to date, offshore Newfoundland.}

^{I often wonder what would happen if Newfoundland left Canada and joined Norway.  I imagine a different future. Aligning with the Norwegian model of developing our oil and gas, fishery and tourism sectors would allow Newfoundland to flourish as Norway’s has.}

^{That idea would entirely change Newfoundland history.}

Honeywell will design and supply a UOP Russell modular cryogenic plant with refrigeration and dehydration units. The plant design streamlines project schedules and is customized for the unique gas composition in the Basin.

“Cogent Midstream selected the UOP Russell plant because it is a proven and reliable technology and because the modular design vastly reduces the time before the plant can go into production,” said Neil Eckersley, UOP Russell general manager at Honeywell. “With the addition of this new plant, Cogent’s processing capacity at its Big Lake Plant will increase to 400 million cubic feet per day.”

How it works

Cryogenic gas processing plants cool natural gas until the heavier and more valuable NGLs form into valuable liquids including propane, ethane and butanes that can be used as fuels, fuel blending components and other valuable petrochemicals. The plants are built in modules in controlled factory conditions and shipped by truck to remote locations where they are quickly and easily assembled. This significantly reduces construction time and expense, enhances reliability after start-up, and enables customers to begin processing gas and earning revenue more quickly than with field-constructed plants.

The plant is designed to accommodate the NGL-rich gas in the Wolfcamp Formation. Its low capital and operating expense and high NGL recovery enable Cogent to meet producer processing needs, while also ensuring downstream pipeline specifications are met.

Cogent operates the largest private greenfield gathering and processing system in the Southern Midland Basin. Approximately 650 miles of pipeline and three active processing plants serve Coke, Crockett, Glasscock, Irion, Mitchell, Reagan, Schleicher, Sterling and Tom Green counties. Cogent’s customers represent many of the most active drillers in the Permian Basin.

About Honeywell

Honeywell UOP (www.uop.com) is a leading international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries. Honeywell UOP is part of Honeywell’s Performance Materials and Technologies strategic business group, which also includes Honeywell Process Solutions (www.honeywellprocess.com), a pioneer in automation control, instrumentation and services for the oil and gas, refining, petrochemical, chemical and other industries.

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry-specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help everything from aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable.  For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

Gas alert, gas alert! Those are words you hope you never hear. Hazards left unchecked put people in danger. Your best chain of defence against unimaginable outcomes and explosions is to ensure that gas detection and monitoring is well thought out and executed in your organization.

Are you prepared?

Poisonous gas puts people at risk. Are you prepared?

WHO USES GAS DETECTORS?

At an industrial facility, on oil rigs, in manufacturing facilities, processing units, and throughout the firefighting sector, gas detection has become common place as a foundation of safety! And with good reason, our team’s safety depends on a working environment gas monitoring is a priority and sensors that alert you to the presence of gas leaks are readily available. 

Gas detection and monitoring devices can be found in industrial plants, refineries, manufacturing plants, fumigation facilities, paper pulp mills, aircraft and shipbuilding facilities, hazmat operations, waste-water treatment facilities, vehicles manufacturers, distilleries, indoor air testing and even in our homes.  Applications are varied and wide.

PORTABLE GAS DETECTORS

Portable detectors are used to monitor the atmosphere around workers on the job and are either hand-held or worn on clothing or on a belt/harness for convenience sake. These gas detectors transmit warnings via audible and visible signals, such as alarms and flashing lights, when dangerous levels of gas vapours are detected and they may be monitored at another location especially in the case of remote gas monitoring.

FIXED GAS DETECTORS

Fixed type gas detectors may be used for detection of one or more gas types and are generally mounted near the process area of a plant or control room, or an area to be protected, such as a residential bedroom. Industrial sensors are usually installed on fixed type mild steel structure and a cable connects the detectors to a SCADA system for continuous monitoring.

HOW DO GAS DETECTORS WORK?

Gas detection equipment is used to detect a gas leak or other emissions and can interface with a control system so a process can be automatically shut down. A gas detector can sound an alarm to operators in the area where the leak is occurring, giving workers the opportunity to leave safely. There are many gases that can be harmful and it’s your job to understand those hazards and mitigate them if you play a role in your companies safety regime.

HOW DO GAS DETECTORS WORK?

Gas leak detection is the process of identifying potentially hazardous gas leaks by sensors and alarms that alert people when a dangerous gas has been detected. Exposure to toxic gases can also occur in operations such as painting, fumigation, fuel filling, construction, excavation of contaminated soils, landfill operations, entering confined spaces, so it is important to ensure the right type of gas detectors are used with the right application.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GAS DETECTORS?

Common sensors include combustible gas sensors, photoionization detectors, infrared point sensors, ultrasonic sensors, electrochemical gas sensors, and semiconductor sensors. More recently, infrared imaging sensors have come into use.

CEO, Lee Parmiter of EnviroMed Detection Services in St. John’s, Newfoundland says, “At the end of the day, we want to ensure people to come home safe to their families. Gas monitoring is essential, and gas leaks must be detected so that hazardous environments are eliminated.  Gas detectors can be used to detect combustible, flammable and toxic gases, and oxygen depletion so they are essential in the infrastructure of most industrial companies and any business really that has processing facilities.”

WHAT IS GAS LEAK DETECTION ALL ABOUT?

Gas leak detection is the process of identifying potentially hazardous gas leaks by sensors. These sensors usually employ an audible alarm to alert people when a dangerous gas has been detected.  Today technology is so advanced that systems not only alert to a gas leak but also alert incidences and failures in systems.  We have vastly advanced the gas detection world with the advancement of new tracking and monitoring devices.

Gas leak detection is essential in your facility.

HOW TO SELECT YOUR GAS DETECTOR

How to select the gas detector primarily depends on your operation, and it’s functions. You will want to consider what systems will ensure the safety of workers and help your company save time and money.

Lee Parimeter says, “There are several models with constantly evolving technologies are available on the market. It is therefore essential to understand the available features and options to make an informed decision.  Understanding the systems that are out there and ensuring your system is right for your facility is key.”

SELECTING THE RIGHT SYSTEM
5 KEY POINTS FOR GAS DETECTION & MONITORING THAT YOU MUST KNOW

According to Don Galman of Honeywell Analytics, selecting the right gas detection considers the following, “There are many gas detection products on the market that might appear to be the same, but a closer inspection of specification, functionality, and features reveals major differences in what products can do and the potential value they can offer. Similarly, individual applications are also unique in their respective designs, needs and processes undertaken.

1. DO A RISK ASSESSMENT

Before beginning to consider gas detection equipment, a risk assessment needs to be conducted. Any company employing staff should conduct risk assessments to identify potential hazards, and these can include potential gas, vapour or Oxygen deficiency risks. If gas hazards are identified, gas detection is applicable as a risk reduction method.

2. IDENTIFY YOUR PRIME OBJECTIVE

Depending on the processes being undertaken and the gases being detected, remote or off-site alarm notification plus event data logging/reporting may also be required for Health and Safety management records. Another factor impacting on the need for enhanced reporting functions might be regulatory compliance or a condition of insurance.

3. ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

Having identified the primary objective, the suitable equipment is selected by asking a number of key questions. These fall into three broad categories:

• The gases to be detected and where they may come from

• The location and environmental conditions where detection is to take place

• The ease of use for operators and routine servicing personnel

Identify the gases to be detected and where they may come from

The risk assessment should identify the gases to be detected; however, experienced gas detection equipment manufacturers and their approved distributors are often able to help in this process, based on their experience of similar applications. However, it is important to remember that it is the end user’s responsibility to identify all potential hazards.

It is also essential to identify the potential source of a gas release as this helps determine the number and location of detectors required for a fixed gas detection system.

4. CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENT

The performance, accuracy, and reliability of any gas detection equipment will be affected by the environmental conditions it is subjected to. Temperature, humidity and pressure levels at the location all have a direct bearing on the type of equipment that should be selected. Additional factors such as potential variations resulting from a production process itself, diurnal/nocturnal fluctuations and seasonal changes may also affect the type of device which is suitable.

5. UNDERSTAND THE PRODUCT

The next area of consideration relates to additional product functionality. Aspects like wiring configuration are important, especially when retrofitting into an existing application. If the apparatus is being integrated into a separate safety system, certain communication protocols may also be required such as HART®, Lonworks or Modbus®.

Consideration will also need to be given regarding the requirement for local displays on transmitter units, and local configuration of the unit and gas displays may also be a useful addition.

MEASURE EASE OF USE AND MAINTAINABILITY

Routine maintenance is another important consideration. Some gases and vapours can be detected with a number of different sensing technologies, e.g., Hydrocarbon gases with catalytic beads or Non-dispersive Infrared NDIR. Catalytic beads do not provide fail-to-safety operation and therefore can require a high frequency of routine maintenance; however, NDIR based solutions tend to have a higher initial purchase price but may require less routine maintenance. In-house resource to undertake such routine maintenance needs to be identified, and in the absence of such a resource, budgeting for third-party maintenance is an important factor in selecting the right equipment.”

ENVIROMED DETECTION SYSTEMS

EnviroMed Detection Services, located in St. John’s Newfoundland has been serving the industrial based businesses in the region for 30 + years. EnivroMed is a safety/environmental instrumentation company specializing in the sale, installation, and servicing of life-saving detection instrumentation. As an ISO 9001:2008-certified, a full-service laboratory, EnviroMed offers repairs, N.I.S.T. traceable calibrations, maintenance, service and training on most of the equipment it provides today.

In addition to its specialization in gas detection equipment, EnviroMed also sells, rents and leases a wide variety of products in the areas of Gas Detectors, Water, Soil & Noise Monitors, Ambient Air, Indoor Air Quality, Meteorology, and other specialty areas related to safety/environmental instrumentation.

EnviroMed’s expertise and instrumentation inventory assist in providing an additional three-month labor warranty on most equipment purchased, refurbished, or calibrated at its facility. All installations, stationary or portable, must meet our quality assurance/quality control program, verified by a preventative maintenance schedule. Working closely with our clients, EnviroMed continues meeting today’s environmental challenges while understanding industry’s regional and economic requirements.

CEO, Lee Parmiter says, “The complexities of choosing, installing and maintaining gas detectors can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve created a full-service detection and monitoring company that ensures we support our customers in the best possible way.  We work every day to ensure that people onsite, in confined spaces and requiring a high level of protection, get what they need.

The Blackline G7 Gas Detection Safety Monitor reports back to your head monitoring office. The Blackline G7 is state-of-the-art technology and is Ideal for remote location monitoring.

DON’T FEEL UP TO THE JOB OF SELECTING YOUR GAS DETECTOR?

For many people not directly involved in the gas detection and monitoring sector of their industry, the whole process can be overwhelming. Lee Parmiter says, “EnviroMed Detection Systems, with their gas detection consulting specialization, take the headache out of assessing and implementing your safety worksite systems. Are you bump testing? Did everything calibrate and is it up to date? Know who’s safe and not safe on site? Does your team know how your systems work and are they compliant right now, in the field today? Can I locate a person in the field in real time if something goes wrong? These are the safety questions that EnviroMed will take care of you.”

With the EnviroMed locally serviced and supported wireless real-time monitoring system, sensor deterioration and other unit shortfalls are relayed in real-time through the customer’s choice of media and with an established protocol to its operators and supervisors for appropriate recall and the avoidance of false alarms creating unnecessary downtime expense in operations.  Lee says, Our products are new state-of-the-art systems that are fit for the times, for example, EnviroMed G7 Gas Detection Tracking and Monitoring System covers all the bases of your situation. In my 35+ years of using, servicing and promoting safety in gas detection applications, this system hits a ‘grand slam home run’!

For more information go to www.EnviroMed.ca

YES, I WOULD LIKE A FREE CONSULT WITH ENVIROMED ABOUT MY GAS DETECTION AND MONITORING SYSTEM

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Dr. Ciaran O’Shea, a co-founder of AOMS, has acted as the Director of Occupational Health and Medicine providing Governance for all medical operations while his wife and owner, Laura O’Shea, overseeing day to day operations until their son Liam took over the day to day operations. Dr. O’Shea said, “We are proud of the clients that we have in this region and are honoured that they continue to seek our services and advice. We work hard with our clients every day to maintain our title as a Best in Class in Oil and Gas service provider.”

Having safe, healthy workers is key to any oil and gas company or contractor, and therefore the treatment of offshore workers medically has to be thorough and diverse. The vision for AOMS is to provide medical solutions that embrace a full range of physiotherapy and occupational services utilizing state-of-the-art equipment and advanced therapies.

Liam O’Shea, Chief Executive Officer of AOMS, explains their offerings, “We have an established network of designated physicians across the island of Newfoundland and in Labrador, and in other provinces throughout Canada, as well as abroad. AOMS physicians perform pre-employment medicals and independent medical assessments on behalf of our oil and gas clients. We are extremely excited about the expansion of our business to include our new Rehabilitation Suite. Our services now include outpatient physiotherapy services and occupational rehabilitation services. We feel that the introduction of physiotherapy and occupational rehabilitation services in collaboration with the occupational physician management will greatly enhance the currently available models in the Province. Our model will also serve the public, and the Occupational physician will collaborate with the treating GP whenever possible to engage all primary health care providers and get the patient back to work/full fitness expeditiously and safely. The true collaboration between occupational physician, third party care practitioners and treating GP’s should be the model from our perspective here at AOMS. Finally, AOMS also will be offering tele-health solutions to any individuals that are in remote environments or rural areas across the island, but this is a conversation that our Physio and Occ Rehab clinic team will have with you!”

Rehabilitation Clinic
Treatment of Orthopaedic conditions including: Low Back Pain, neck pain, whiplash, post-surgical rehabilitation, osteoarthritis, sciatica, tennis elbow, sport-related injury, overuse injury, plantar fasciitis, jumpers knee, Achilles tendonitis, general strength, and conditioning programs.

New Clinic Services & Equipment
Occupational Rehabilitation:
AOMS is now offering a full suite of Occupational Rehabilitation services including Functional Capacity Evaluations, Targeted Functional Evaluations, Work Site Occupational Rehabilitation, Work Station Reviews, Adjudication Assessments, Physical Demands Analysis, and the Progressive Goal Attainment Program for the treatment of pain-related disability.

Specialized Equipment:

TDX spinal mechanical traction: a specialized mechanical traction device offering the latest technology in spinal traction to assist with back pain, herniated discs, spinal movement disorders and other disorders of the spine.

Shockwave Therapy:
AOMS has acquired a Shockwave Medical Device from Shockwave Canada that has been shown through peer-reviewed scientific studies to improve clinical outcomes for the following conditions significantly: Achilles tendonitis, tendonitis of the elbow, wrist, and hand, plantar fasciitis, patella tendonitis, rotator cuff tendonitis, calcific tendonitis of the shoulder and frozen shoulder. Clinical improvements typically seen in shockwave treatment include decreased recovery time, reduced pain, decreased movement loss, decreased the lost time from employment and sporting activities and decreased time delay for return to full function. Tendonitis, one of the common on-the-job complaints.

More information on AOMS services

I thought a lot about that and realized that discontent comes from the disparity between where we are and where we can be. It’s that uncomfortable edge that has an annoying call that just won’t quit. There’s a reason for it. When it comes to Newfoundland’s offshore oil exploration and production rate, there is that same level of discontent. A disparity between where we are and where we could be.

Most other oil nations of the world have far surpassed our drilling success in the same amount of time.  Places like Norway and Abu Dhabi are booming and have their own investment funds which will secure their future. It took a national mindset with state-owned oil companies to get there. Underdeveloped countries like Guyana are setting out at a record pace. Check out Guyana

What’s stopping us?

Back in 1992 when John Crosbie, Cabot Martin, and other esteemed business community members, took the bull by the horns they invited the federal government to invest in our first offshore oil project, Hibernia. The federal government became a critical partner to ensure the project went ahead. That one move alone, ultimately became the catalyst for our offshore industry as it exists today. Government driven, that was entrepreneurial minded. We need more of that.

The Hibernia oil platform looked like it was never going to happen in the early 1990s when project stakeholder, Gulf,  pulled out of the project. At the time, the Canadian government had already offered $2.7 billion in loan guarantees and grants and then went on to further take an equity stake in the project. It proved to be an undeniably profitable move. The government still owns its stake in the Hibernia project and has done so for twenty years. In 2017, the government garnished $75 million in profit. The overall project picture is positive for the nation with $1.8-billion in dividends garnished since oil started flowing in 1997 which is an average of about $100-million a year. Investing in further offshore projects simply makes good business sense.

Fast forward to today. While I’m really proud of our four world-class oil-producing projects, I am also discontent with the disparity between our resource potential and our resource output. I’ve seen other oil regions of the world far surpass our drilling and finding ratio’s offshore. Not because we don’t have oil. We do. We are 1.5 times the size of the North Sea. And by all indicators have just as much oil, or more.

Newfoundland could have been as lucrative as the North Sea.  So why aren’t we?  Some say it’s political. Others say it’s regulatory issues.  Some say it’s the cost of labour and unions. Everyone has an opinion as to why we aren’t there yet. But where do those opinions get us? They get us a whole pile of reasons and justifications as to  “why not” and don’t really advance us. What we really need is the team that will make it happen regardless of the challenges.  The answer to our success is having people make it happen. Those who are willing to go beyond the status quo, like John Crosbie did, all those years ago, and make the “damn thing” happen. Get the job done.

That’s the attitude and leadership we need to drive exploration and drilling offshore. We need to get the federal and provincial government to step in like we did so many years ago and built our own oil exploration programs. Offering seismic data for other companies to become stronger, profitable and global in our region is one thing. Exploring and producing ourselves is another. We could be the “owners” of our own drill bits. And friggin’ well, why not?

Oil exploration is the key to oil industry growth in the region.

Oil Potential: The difference between a ‘have’ and ‘have-not’ province.

We have accumulated 60 years of data offshore, identified 650 leads and prospects and analyzed 112 offshore wells. All that data is available on the Nalcor Ness system designed to inform, educate and attract investors. Lets use that important information and invest in ourselves.

We have 20+ basins offshore Newfoundland and Labrador with very strong oil indicators. We could be so much further ahead. The conversation that it’s still “early days” doesn’t feel so good when we look at the North Sea having drilled 6000 + wells in about the same amount of time. Compared to the North Sea, offshore Newfoundland is 1.5 times bigger and we have drilled less than 200 wells offshore Newfoundland. 

With 20 + basins, does it mean that we could potentially be 20 times the offshore industry we have now? I feel it right down to my fog-filled bones; the answer is yes. Imagine 20 oil-producing basins with 3 or 4 oil projects producing in each one. An industry 20 times that of what it is today. Now that’s a game worth playing.

In this part of the world, we build castles in the sea. Giant concrete castles that bring oil to the surface. The greatest technological advances in the world happened here. The greatest minds are here. We don’t need the transfer of technology from other regions any longer. We are the technology.

With all that potential the only difference between being a “have” and a “have not” province is the decision and leadership to do so.  Shag the deficit, lets rise above all that and be profitable as a province and a nation, with energy.

Offshore Newfoundland: Nalcor Energy has identified 20+ basins. Graphic: Nalcor Energy

Invest in ourselves

Why are we waiting for other companies to invest offshore Newfoundland when we should be putting much more skin in the game and further investing in ourselves. That’s what entrepreneurs do; they take a huge, massive leap of faith and jump. That’s what the Feds did with Hibernia, and it worked to the tune of $billions in royalties for Canada and Newfoundland. That’s what Danny Williams was doing when he was in office creating equity for the province in our own projects. Thanks to the foresight of the Mulrooney government all those years ago, that initial federal investment paid off in spades. All indicators suggest that when it comes to oil and gas, investing in ourselves works. Newfoundland and Labrador has enjoyed yearly royalty returns of as much as $2.8 billion from the offshore oil industry. Imagine what that figure could be if we owned majority shares in our projects. All indicators point to one thing “do it yourself”.

That’s what Norway did with Statoil (STATE OIL). Today, it is a national oil company of stellar, record performance. Statoil was formed by the 2007 merger of Statoil with the oil and gas division of Norsk Hydro. As of 2017, the Government of Norway is the largest shareholder with 67% of the shares, while the rest is public stock. The ownership interest is managed by the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy. Newly named Equinor, Statoil has evolved with a new brand and identity that embraces the new energy era. “The world is changing, and so is Statoil. The biggest transition our modern-day energy systems have ever seen is underway, and we aim to be at the forefront of this development. Our strategy remains firm. The name Equinor reflects ongoing changes and supports the always safe, high value and low carbon strategy we outlined last year,” says chair of the board in Statoil, Jon Erik Reinhardsen.

We can wait for the oil price to be right, we can wait for other companies to explore but it’s slow going bye’s. Slow as molasses, and it costs us our potential and global advantage. When I think about the 40,000+ Canadians who lost their jobs because of the oil price drop, you quickly realize that we have not secured our own future in Canada. We have not created a scenario of success regardless of market trends and outside influences. Provincially, we have not created the “no fail” solution for our offshore industry. Why haven’t we, when clearly the best insurance we have, is in developing our own resources ‘with’ our own resources?

Focus on what ‘can’ be done

We know that we have 25.5 billion barrels of oil and 20.6 trillion cubic feet of gas potential. Let’s get the stuff out of the seabed now because there is no promise of tomorrow. Let’s find that oil and double, triple or quadruple our current discoveries. We need to be like pirates going for the gold. Driven beyond driven. Not only does it take the tremendous seismic work that Nalcor did, to make oil and gas happen at the rate it should, but it also takes us having the guts to put our money where our mouth is and invest in ourselves, explore for oil ourselves, find oil ourselves. Forget fighting over Muskrat Falls project overruns. Focus on what ‘can be done’. It’s the fastest route to success.

Five years is the window of opportunity that we have for oil and gas exploration and infrastructure development before things dramatically change. Things like world oil demand in developing countries, world oil markets changing, pipeline access and security, established shipping lanes to market, global trade alliances, developing oil nations, the emergence of new energy and exponential technological advances will all impact our ability to succeed with oil and gas. We have five years to become the ‘owners of our destiny’. I’m afraid the 2030 plan may be a little too late.

Oil exploration and production have a lot of moving variables. We have to be strategic and laser sharp focused like the oil companies and get in there and make it happen. You have to ask yourself, are we going to act and be globally competitive and overcome oil market variables or are we going to sit around fighting with each other about policies and procedures and environmental agendas of nay-sayers. Do we have time for that?

We need to be a ‘hotbed’ of oil discoveries in this regions because success breeds success. We could have the entire world’s eyes on us as we show the world how to succeed with our resources. That’s exactly what Norway did with oil and gas and their fishery. That’s what Silicone Valley did with Technology. That’s what Dubai did with real estate. It’s a business play, and we can be in that game.

If we are not leaders, we will be followers

If we are not leaders, we will be followers, and we will feel the “direct impact of being a follower” and all the angst and loss that comes with it. Money loss, taxes loss, medical system loss, lifestyle loss, job loss, pension security loss, health, and wellbeing loss. We already saw it happen with the oil price drop and it wasn’t pretty. Imagine if we lose our oil foothold globally as the number three oil resource-rich nation in the world. We won’t be talking about oil environmental policy then, because we’ll be busy fighting for a job to pay the rent.

It seems like the federal focus is on new energy which is great and will provide us with a sustainable future. But people who work in the energy business know that new energy won’t happen without oil and gas. Oil and gas is the bridge to new energy. You can’t have one without the other. Oil and gas is the foundation of everything else we do. Oil is the one resource that makes every other industry work. Think of transport. Think plastics. 

With an idealistic view, as honorable as it may have seemed at the time, Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, had the vision of a zero-free carbon city until they realized it wasn’t possible without oil and gas. Let global experiences be our teacher.

The entrepreneurial mindset

When I started The OGM magazine six years before we had any oil in this province, I had no resources, no money, and no experience. But I created something from nothing. All guts as they say. No major credit to me because I’m not the only one. The majority of businesses in Newfoundland and Labrador are small to medium-sized companies who all did the exact same thing. We, as Newfoundlanders are bullish for business. We are hearty people, full of guts and determination. We had to be, we came from the fishery. That level of stamina and our “make it happen” attitude is our greatest resource.

I am now 55 years of age and have lived my life through the eyes of the oil and gas industry. I am informed and experienced enough to know that we aren’t even close to where we could be as an oil and gas nation and as a new energy provider. I want to be proactive and secure our future and the future of our companies and families. This is the place where the new energy mix arises. Where oil and gas will remain the leader in energy consumption overall. It is a time of exponential technological advancement. It is a time to strategically make it happen. It’s now or never.  It’s bull by the horns.

Sources, Graphics and Pictures:
ExxonMobil, Equinor, Nalcor Energy, Masdar, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

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STORIES OFFER PERSPECTIVES AND INFLUENCE

If you would like to create content for the new digital era please let us know.
We will get your message to the market.

TINA OLIVERO: Publisher & Content Strategist for clients worldwide.

To gain more insight into digital media support and training please contact:
tinaolivero@theogm.com.

Tina Olivero

NALCO CHAMPION

Nalco Champion is an Ecolab company with one million customer locations; within more 40+ industries in over 170 countries. They are a mammoth company and are now located in Newfoundland. A strategic partnership between Nalco Champion and local company Alpha Chemicals, came together to supply the Hebron project with production chemicals and other chemical associated services. “The strategic partnership didn’t happen overnight, said Paul Rawding, Vice President, Alpha Chemical Limited. This has been in the making for decades and it all culminated with us winning the Hebron contract, making Nalco Champion a company that is now firmly rooted in Newfoundland.”

CHEMICAL OPERATIONS

Nalco Champion’s current focus is the execution of our ExxonMobil Hebron oil field chemicals program. The project ensures asset integrity, flow assurance, and oil/water separation to meet regulatory and fiscal requirements. That’s a lot of chemical movement and it requires a lot of safety structure to execute. With this base of product and service offerings, Nalco Champion is now well poised for other contracts that will arise in the oil and gas industry. Offshore Newfoundland represents a world-class resource with an estimated 60 billion BOE. There is a lot more business in the future.

Oilfield speciality chemicals are risky business and require the utmost of professionalism and safety for pristine operations. Nalco Champion was up for the task. To execute the Hebron project a facility operation was needed on the ground floor for the local supply and service of chemicals in St. John’s Newfoundland. District Manager and Director of Technology for Nalco Champion in Eastern Canada, Christopher Morrison says, “Internally, our supply chain adheres to “Zero Defect Delivery” standards. Externally, our chemicals are used to ensure facility asset integrity so that there are no breaches of containment. As well we provide flow assurance and oil/water separation ensuring environmental compliance in the environmentally sensitive Grand Banks. From manufacturing through supply chain, to our offshore personnel, all staff is trained in the safe handling of production chemicals.”

CHEMICAL SAFETY

When it comes to people, first and foremost, Nalco Champion new hires have to embrace and live Nalco Champion’s “Goal Zero” safety philosophy. They believe that zero accidents, incidents, and environmental releases are achievable.

Frank Brockerville says, “There many tools and methods in our arsenal to help us achieve our safety goals. I believe that safety policies and procedures have to be strictly adhered to, no “shortcuts”. I believe that a strong safety culture is developed over time by a positive discussion around safety during daily operational toolbox talks (everyone has a voice in safety), routine safety audits/safety meetings and incorporating safety lessons learned into daily routines.”

THE FUTURE

Garrett Rogers, Area Manager of Oilfield Chemicals for Nalco Champion says, “We know there will be a lot more drilling offshore Newfoundland with the exploration and production programs that are happening. It’s an exciting time when you realize that more oil discoveries are happening. Just last week we had another oil find.”

Being a part of Newfoundland, its culture, workforce, and future are most important to Nalco Champion. Garrett says, “We see an opportunity for Nalco Champion to grow with customers in this region. Our goal is to have a strong local footprint and capabilities that enable us to bring our global expertise and leading technology to Newfoundland’s oil and gas customers.”

Ross O’Dell, Nalco Champion, VP OFC North America says, “At Nalco Champion, we have a division focused solely on deepwater CapEx projects and ongoing support for the production from new oil through the mature field. We like being alongside the best operators, in growing markets, in the most challenging environments. We are excited to have set up operations to bring world-class support to the deepwater oil and gas industry here in Newfoundland.”

Ross says, “Talent is a big priority for Nalco Champion around the world. Talent will fuel our future growth. That is why we are focused on attracting, hiring, and retaining outstanding teams. We also like to hire and develop talent from the communities in which we work while giving strong support from our global network of experts. We believe that we are enhanced by having diverse and inclusive teams.”

NALCO CHAMPION FACILITY – GRAND OPENING

The brand new facility in White Hills includes the Nalco Champion office, warehousing, and chemical lab. It is a state-of-the-art operation designed for handling chemical operations.

June 21st marks the grand opening and guests will join team members for a showing of the facility and learn about the vision for expansion.

Guests will take a tour of the facility and will discover that it was designed by high-level, world-renowned, fire and safety specialists, RJ Bartlett Engineering, who adhere to or exceed US and Canadian fire regulations and specifications. It’s an incredible world-class chemicals handling site.

From idea to completion, the St. John’s Nalco Champion facility is now a reality. Frank Brockerville says, “Congratulations to all those involved in making this a success and for elevating Nalco Champion to be a leading chemical provider in Eastern Canada.”

“It is time to reimagine the traditional trade show and focus on education and training for the energy industry,” says Wes Scott, President and CEO of EventWorx Corporation, which purchased the Show from dmg events in 2017.

Scott says exhibitors want to see more of the right people attending, and the right attendees want access to more education, training, live demonstrations and networking options.  “We have spent a lot of time talking to exhibitors and attendees, to help us shape a new focus to a more grass-roots approach,” says Scott.

“A lot of business still needs to be done face-face – large contracts in the energy sector are built on relationships and fostered by face-face interactions. We look forward to generating a refreshed platform for both companies and individuals to get together to find innovative supply chain solutions.”

Like the industry it supports, the upcoming Atlantic Canada Petroleum Show is evolving to include clean technologies, renewables and environmental technologies.  For the first time in the Show’s history, for example, the Newfoundland & Labrador Environmental Industry Association will be hosting a new clean technology pavilion.

Kieran Hanley, Executive Director of the Newfoundland & Labrador Environmental Industry Association, (NEIA), says the association’s new clean technology pavilion will include members with environmental, clean and renewable technologies. NEIA is celebrating its 25th year in 2018.

 “What we want to do through participation in the Show is to start telling the story about the connection between cleantech and oil and gas, and continue to build that story and encourage others to really get involved and explore opportunities in that space,” says Hanley.

 The pavilion is important as it begins to shift the Show from primarily an offshore oil and gas event, towards becoming Canada’s east coast premier all-energy event.

 “We’re a not-for-profit association of businesses that are involved in the development of cleantech and the growth of the green economy here in Newfoundland & Labrador,” says Hanley.  “The Government of Canada is now aggressively supporting clean technology, environmental sustainability. Newer studies have shown that if Canada is to gain a competitive advantage in the clean technology business it’s likely going to be related to our natural resource sectors,” says Hanley.  “NEIA sees a real opportunity for Atlantic Canada to leverage its expertise in ocean industries and ocean technology to really become competitive globally in the clean technology space. And of course, from a Newfoundland & Labrador perspective…we see a great opportunity to really become leaders on a global scale in terms of how clean technology can apply to oil and gas.”

Curtis Jerrom, President of DHVI (Downhole Video & Intervention), is a long-time supporter of Atlantic Canada Petroleum Show. DHVI, a Calgary-based company supplies the oil and gas sector in Canada with downhole video camera and calliper inspection services for leak detection, fishing assistance, fluid entry surveys and mechanical failures.

Jerrom has been exhibiting at the show for 12 years.   “One of the things I like about Newfoundland it’s a different type of oilfield environment. They’re down-to-earth people. They’re easy to talk to. They still do business the old way. They like to do meetings face-to-face,” says Jerrom, adding the Show is a great place for him to get exposure for his company. “We’re bringing new technology. By the time we get to that Show, we’ll have our latest and greatest camera sitting in that Show for the first time.”

The Show is proudly held in conjunction with the Newfoundland & Labrador Oil & Gas Industries Association’s (Noia) annual conference.

“People don’t want to just come and walk the aisles – they don’t have time for that,” says Scott. “They need solutions to their challenges and have questions answered.  Atlantic Canada Petroleum Show will allow for that real connection and collaboration.”

Atlantic Canada Petroleum Show will attract 125 exhibiting companies and over 2,000 attendees. Fresh content on the Show floor includes the “Meet the Experts” Series – a parade of experts on a variety of different topics across the supply chain, which allows attendees to get questions answered during scheduled meet-ups. Live, interactive demonstrations and ample networking events will add more value to the Show experience. Networking experiences include the VIP Industry Reception with live entertainment, food and refreshing cocktails from the Martini Ice Bar; The Fish and Chips Day on the Show Floor on June 21, and Craft Beer Tasting to close out the last two hours of the Show on June 21.

Oil & gas demand is stable or rising in all regions of the world, meaning additional investments are needed for production to keep up. Growing indigenous requirements reduce volumes available for exports in many regions, IOGP’s new Global Production Report shows.

The report establishes an IOGP Production Indicator© (PI) – the level at which a region is able to meet its own oil or gas demand – for seven regions across the world. A PI higher than 100% means the region produces more than it needs to meet its own requirements and so can export.

The main conclusion of the report is that demand growth and the annual depletion rate of 6% of existing fields are driving the need for investment to gain additional volumes. Such investment will depend on regional and local policies that encourage responsible resource development.

The Report’s data shows three distinct groups of regions when it comes to supply/demand balance: net importers (Europe, Asia Pacific) self-sufficient ones (Central & South America and North America), and those that are net exporters of oil & gas (Africa, CIS and the Middle-East).

However, the rising demand trend – for natural gas in particular – could well turn a number of exporting regions into net importers in the coming years, including major exporting regions such as Africa and Central & South America.

“Clearly, oil & gas demand growth remains strong across the globe. The question is how we mobilize the investments necessary to make up for the depletion of existing fields and to meet this rising demand responsibly over the long term” says IOGP Executive Director, Gordon Ballard.

Production Report

You can access the IOGP Global Production Report by clicking here: https://www.iogp.org/production-report-2018/

The OGM: How is the Saudi royal family working to create unity globally?

Dr. Ellen Wald: The Saudi royal family, known as al Saud, is most concerned with its geopolitical priorities of 1. Counteracting the power reach of Iran and 2. Making money.

For the first goal, it has prioritized its relationship with the U.S., but it is also hoping that Europe, Canada, and others will side with them and with the U.S. against Iran. There are credible rumours and some clear evidence that the threat of Iran has also brought Saudi Arabia into an official relationship with Israel, but we will have to wait to see where that goes.

To pursue the second goal, profit, Saudi Arabia has built friendships across the globe but most notably in East Asia. This, however, has been pursued mostly by the national oil company, Aramco, with some assistance from the Oil Ministry and the king.

The OGM: Please explain the intricacies and vision of the Saudi royal family for Aramco and how this will impact offshore oil and gas exploration and production around the globe.

Dr. Ellen Wald: Historically, al Saud saw an independent and healthy oil industry as a vital component of its rule. There is a saying there that “oil is a gift from God,” and revenue from a well-run oil industry has been the reason that the country has modernized and prospered and the reason that al Saud has maintained a stable monarchy.

Now there are signs that the rulers may wish to exert greater influence over the direction of Aramco. However, so far Aramco has been able to maintain its independence and has consistently led the way in Exploration and Production investment.

I have been told by Aramco executives that they do not plan to purchase oil rights outside of the kingdom anytime soon, but they will invest in any and all opportunities within Saudi borders and off the Saudi coastline.

The OGM: How will Aramco’s vision impact the price of oil?

Dr. Ellen Wald: Aramco itself does not run the oil ministry, which is a government agency. However, since 1995 the oil minister has always been a former Aramco CEO, so they say that Aramco has significant influence. Aramco does not need higher oil prices right now, because the company is profiting well and still investing for the future. Some analysts speculate that Saudi Arabia wants higher prices in anticipation of an Aramco IPO, but the Saudis have provided no evidence for this theory to date.

The OGM: What are the three most impactful initiatives of Saudi Vision2030?

Dr. Ellen Wald: One part of Vision2030 is to bring more foreign businesses into the kingdom to create jobs and build an entrepreneurial atmosphere. For a country that was once extremely insular, this is part of a decades-long trend to open to the international community. Still, there are questions about how global corporations will mix with an authoritarian and religious society on a larger scale.

Vision2030 also incorporates a new plan for the sovereign wealth fund. Called the Public Investment Fund Program, this plan would see the fund grow to two or three trillion dollars while investing in a mix of projects, including foreign business operations in Saudi Arabia, Saudi-run businesses, and global startups. Part of this plan is to promote job opportunities in Saudi Arabia, but it is a significant dedication of capital to a program that—as of now—has not described how it will financially help the people or the government budget.

Vision2030 also incorporates centrally planned development areas, most notably Neom. Neom is intended to be a 10,230 square mile industrial and tech city in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Plans call for it to be powered by renewable energy and be open to people of all countries and faiths. Still, the concept is only in its infancy and it is unclear how much of the vision will actually be realized.

The OGM: How will technology play a role in the Aramco vision?

Dr. Ellen Wald: For a while now Aramco has been a major technological innovator, much like Exxon or BP. In the 1990s, Aramco built its Shaybah facility, which is still seen as cutting-edge upstream technology. When the company takes journalists or dignitaries on tours of its facilities, it stops to show off the top innovations such as its carbon capture vehicles or its nanotechnology. Aramco has also been exploring alternative energies since the 1970s when it was still partially American-owned. Back then the company was using solar panels to power desert installations, and the company outwardly maintains a devotion to developing effective alternative energy. It sees itself as an energy company, not just an oil company. It is evident that Aramco is devoting significant research and development funds to developing new energy technologies and, in particular, those that can increase the life of Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves.

The OGM: How will globalization play a role in oil developments with Aramco?

Dr. Ellen Wald: In 1986, Aramco first invested in an international downstream facility, with a partial ownership of what is today Motiva. Since then, Aramco has expanded its downstream operations, most notably in East Asia. Oil is a globalized business by its nature, but Aramco’s strategy has focused significantly on customers, distribution channels, and downstream partnerships over the last 15 years. Aramco is still far behind the largest IOC’s in terms of downstream capacity, but the company’s strategy continues to focus on developing midstream and downstream assets.

The OGM: How will the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) grow to the predicted $2 trillion in the next 2-7 years?

Dr. Ellen Wald: It is a mystery how the PIF will grow to $2 trillion or more in such a short time, and it is unlikely to happen. In September of 2017, the PIF had assets of less than $225 billion. One possibility is to give government shares of Aramco to the PIF. This would immediately grow the size of the PIF, but unless the PIF sells more shares in Aramco after the IPO, those assets cannot be invested in anything new. (Note that even the most generous projections only see a $100 billion sale for the five percent of shares that would be issued in an IPO).

Another possibility is to take cash from the state treasury, but that would be difficult since the government has run a deficit in recent years. The last option would be to grow the PIF through returns, but the government claims to be seeking returns of between four and five percent annually, which will not create that kind of growth.

The OGM: What’s the smartest thing Canada and the US could do right now to advance oil and gas exploration and production?

Dr. Ellen Wald: The U.S. and Canada need to incentivize E&P investment. Most IOCs are behind in their CapEx spending, meaning we may not have enough production in the coming years. Building better transportation infrastructure is also necessary as transportation costs eat into the profits of each barrel produced.

The OGM: Are there plans to align Aramco with further opportunities in the US and Canada?

Dr. Ellen Wald: Aramco goes where the profit opportunities are. Aramco already owns the largest refinery in the United States, as well as innovation centers across the continent, and a venture capital arm that invests in startups here. Aramco claims it does not yet foresee investing in oil rights outside of Saudi Arabia, but they have indicated an interest in investing in natural gas assets in North America.

If Aramco is going to be the IOC it sees itself as, then it will be open to working with any U.S. or Canadian opportunity. Aramco knows from its American past and American heritage, that there are few better partners than U.S. and Canadian companies.

The OGM: Where is the price of oil headed?

Dr. Ellen Wald: Ali al-Naimi, the former Aramco CEO and Saudi oil minister, once said that only Allah (God) knows where the price of oil is going. That said, I believe the drop in prices from 2014 to 2017 was the result of overproduction. Of course, the impetus for the actual drop was the decision by Saudi Arabia in June and November 2014 to allow for essentially unlimited production from OPEC.

Saudi Arabia did not want to enact OPEC cuts that it alone would suffer for while the rest of OPEC cheated and non-OPEC producers (Russia, North America, and others) increased production to make up for Saudi reductions. Now, Aramco and Saudi Arabia have achieved what they wanted—they forced the weaker producers in US shale and Venezuela to cut production involuntarily and they forced the rest of OPEC (and even non-OPEC partners like Russia) to comply with new cuts. There is no reason, at this point, for any producer to seek lower prices. The question is whether demand or geopolitics will force prices up.

When it comes to understanding Saudi Arabia and Aramco’s goals, it is important to look at their past. One must understand what drove them to success and what they are planning for in the future.

Publisher and CEO, Tina Olivero says, “Creating a globa publication that bridges to readers and buyers around the globe is what we do.  Perhaps our client wants to attract investors or garnish new hires from around the world, we pride ourselves in finding creative ways to make that happen. We love the challenge of using new programmatic technology and algorithms to bridge the gap between the seeker and the solution. It’s a creative process that bridges the business development gap for our clients. I’m hoping in the not too distant future there won’t be any such thing as marketing, just ‘direct to sale’. That would make life alot easier for everyone. We have the solution that’s the closest thing to it!”

The OGM network spans over .5 million viewers online and has special print distribution for exhibitions and subscribers. It’s world class presentation puts it in a league unto itself. It’s credible, positive and always focused on connecting and uniting the industry.  The game of business takes a tribe of committed and dedicated people and The OGM has the privilege of working with those people every day.

Take a video adventure through some of The OGM’s great brands and realize just how many companies entrust their message with The OGM.

Ask us about programmatic solutions where we can reach people who searched for your product or services by broadcasting out to over 2000 other magazines, thereby reaching 1-2 MILLION viewers in a month! The results are simply the most cost effective in comparison to any other medium on earth. Programmatic solutions are the future folks, so learn everything you can about it.

LEARN ABOUT PROGRAMMATIC NATIVE CONTENT
Find out more on programmatic native content right here:

SEE PROGRAMMATIC IN ACTION
See how our clients used programmatic native content to fill up their CAD training program with strategic content, a multi-media mix, and a lead generator.

HERE’S WHAT OUR CLIENT HAD TO SAY:
“Rounding up students for our CAD training was a real challenge and to be hones, we were getting nowhere. After several months of spending huge sums on traditional advertising, in came Tina Olivero from The OGM who completely revamped our marketing approach. It felt a bit like Gordon Ramsey Boot Camp. But coming out the other side, we began to see real results. The problem flipped to being overwhelmed by responses!  The winning formula Tina developed combined targetted social media with sponsored content. In simple terms, our internal team managed the social media messaging which included a link to the OGM article with a call to action. The key her was the combined effects of targeted social media messaging reinforced by the OGM article which was effectively a third-party recommendation. Three months on and we’re still up there on google with a constant stream of inquiries from around the globe. The world is suddenly much smaller!”  Gareth Owen – Partner and General Manager, Metroworth & North Atlantic Technical.

Enjoy the ride!

Tina Olivero

GREAT BRANDS IN THE OGM

YES! I WOULD LIKE TO ACHIEVE MY BUSINESS GOALS WITH THE OGM. Please contact me.

Tracking and Responding

Technology has allowed our workplaces, remote locations and hazardous environments to be much safer. New detection, tracking and responding devices are taking over the scene and allowing us to feel much better about our workspaces and goals of zero incidences on the job. Technology is now working where it matters most – safety. With safety alerts, monitoring, tracking and full transparent communication, workplaces are now connected and much safer.  Knowing who’s on your site, where people are, how they are, where evacuation needs to take place, real-time response, remote area access, real-time incidence response, and following leading indicators of “near misses”, are all possible with the new state-of-the-art G7 Blackline system.

Lee Parmiter, CEO of EnviroMed Detection Services says, “Technology mitigates risk. It’s that simple. New advances in detection and response are so effective these days that we reduce human error dramatically. For example, the Blackline G7, which is a real-time, state-of-the-art, electronic gas detection unit is far outperforming what humans can do in much less time. Detection and reporting are replacing human reporting. Extensive gas detection training is no longer necessary. These day’s people have full access and communication in difficult places, remote locations and hazardous regions. This is the future of safety”

The G7 tracks workers and their performance and positioning. For example, if a worker trips, falls and goes down a G7 alert is triggered, transmitted and help is on the way within seconds. It’s all automated and immediate.

The G7 is breaking new ground through no motion detection, fall detection, missed check in’s, gas detection and just about anything you can think of on the job. It provides operator tracking, real-time tracking and communication, remote communication, third-party communication, in-house monitoring with two-way voice communications and on-the-spot Reporting. The system itself takes care of data logging so that follow-up and paperwork becomes a thing of the past.

Think Ahead

The G7 excels in proactive safety protocols. It provides an SOS Pull-Station Emergency feature for on the job emergency situations. It also allows for gas detection monitoring and “PREDETERMINED” maintenance execution which mitigates the possibility of accidents in the future.

Lee says, “offshore or on land this G7 devise works via satellite or cellular, allowing a full scope and range of communication, tracking and detection. We are extremely proud to be supplying such an advanced system to the industry because at the end of the day, our goal is the same goal as our clients – zero incidence.  We sleep at night knowing that the technology we provide keeps people safe.”

Would you like to know about the upcoming Blackline G7 device for your company?

Let us know how to reach you and we will have an ENVIROMED representative contact you.

____________________________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________________________

Publisher & Content Strategist

Tina Olivero is the Publisher and Content Strategist for clients around the globe through TheOGM.com and The OGM magazine.

With a passion for progress and a sustainable high tech future, tina combines digital strategies into a conversation that builds your business.

SPEAK TO TINA:  
To gain more insight into how content can support your business goals please contact:
tinaolivero@theogm.com

The NOIA Outstanding Contribution Award recognized exemplary individuals who have influenced the development of our local oil and gas industry and who have demonstrated qualities of vision, integrity and leadership through their work and lives.

Noia awarded this honour to Bill Fanning, president and country manager for Kvaerner Canada. Bill is a senior oil and gas executive with over 30 years of international upstream oil and gas experience who has held many management positions throughout his career.  For most of the first two decades, he worked with Mobil Oil Canada in western and east coast Canada.   He moved on to work with HMDC and the Hibernia Project for 10 years, and since then has served as director of Atlantic XL Inc. (which he also co-founded), president and CEO of Spectrol Group and senior vice president and GM with SNC Lavalin. For the past six years, Bill has held his current position with Kvaerner Canada.  Bill has also served six years on Noia’s Board of Directors and was a key leader in the development of Noia’s Redefining Oil strategy.  He currently sits on Newfoundland and Labrador’s Oil & Gas Industry Development Council.

Rising Star Award
Stephen Edwards, ExxonMobil Canada

The Rising Star Award was launched in 2014 to recognize the talents of an impressive individual who are 40 years old or younger and have made remarkable strides in their role in the local oil and gas industry.

This year’s NOIA recipient was Stephen Edwards, P.Eng., engineering & HUC manager – Hebron Project with ExxonMobil Canada. Stephen has been directly involved in the Hebron project since joining the project team in 2010. His work over the past seven years has significantly and directly impacted design and operational decisions taken on the project and contributed to the project’s success, culminating in first oil on November 27, 2017.

Both Bill Fanning and Stephen Edwards were celebrated at Noia’s Industry Achievement Awards luncheon on Friday, March 9, 2018.   CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH!

The Brad Gushue Team taking the Brier 2017

What does curling have to do with recycling?

Well, nothing really.

But the latest green-innovation for industrial workwear has just raised a game-changing flag.  It’s a new-age solution for industrial waste management that has captured the attention many including, World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Brad Gushue.

Brad Gushue won the 2006 Winter Olympics gold medal for curling. Brad and team Gushue took home Canada’s first Olympic gold in men’s curling and Newfoundland’s first gold medal in any sport. Since his Olympic experience, Brad has become a Canadian household name. He is currently the owner of several companies in Newfoundland including Orangetheory Fitness in St. John’s, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt in St. John’s and Mt. Pearl, a he is a real estate investor and a public speaker. As well as an entrepreneur Brad is a strong supporter for innovative solutions that serve our people.

Brad recalls, “I met Tom Legare at a golf tournament near Red Deer, Alberta. We had a great time together and I could see Tom’s passion for his safety apparel business. As I learned more about his business I felt they were doing something really great. With everything going on in the world today, it is becoming more and more apparent that we need to take care of the place we live. We all need to start thinking about the world we are going to leave to our kids and our grandkids. If we can make use out of something that has been used before, we should do it. That’s what this project is all about. I admire this project because the end result is that the product they make is just as good, if not better, and everyone gets a chance to do that little bit extra to help.”

The new workwear solution – Recycled workwear

Recycling Industrial Workwear – It’s a really GREAT idea!

Most of us in the industrial business world, wear safety clothing but we don’t really take the time to think about where our safety gear goes after we are finished with it. Discarded Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) workwear is typically disposed of in landfills which mean that 85% of our collective apparel ends up creating mountains of clothes.

Workwear is often non-biodegradable, chemically treated, and potentially toxic. Discarded safety clothing usually ends up in the garbage and ultimately landfills. This makes industry and government huge contributors to industrial waste and to landfills. This is not only long-term harmful to the environment it also is expensive in terms of disposal costs!

Industrial waste accounts for about two-thirds of waste in landfills. Over the last 50 years since the development of man-made, fire resistant fibers and fabrics for workwear this type of industrial waste has had a big impact on landfills. Industrial workwear that is fire retardant or chemically treated also may also carry harmful chemicals that, over time, could also leach from the landfill and potentially be damaging to the environment.

The landfill disposal solution becomes a concern when you consider that landfills create Methane. Methane gas is far more dangerous to the environment than C02 emissions.  Methane gas is 21 times more potent than CO2 and 22% of methane pollution in Canada comes from landfills. Reducing methane emissions is key in the fight to reduce greenhouse gases. If we reduce waste sent to landfills, we can reduce methane gases from being released into the environment.

Recycled inventory in various colours and sizes

Here’s the good news!

Recognizing that safety and fire resistant workwear is a potential hazard to the environment, Canadian entrepreneurs Ted Parker and Dave Kasper, set out to find a better solution for used work wear than landfills. The answer came in recycling. Taking old fire retardant work clothes and recycling them into brand new fire-resistant clothing. What a full-circle concept!

Through innovation, much persistence, significant investment, and extensive R&D efforts, the founders of General Recycled came up with a game-changing solution.  A solution that allows companies and their employees to be “green” with work wear.

This is a recycling solution that is a win-win for all stakeholders involved:
1. It’s a win for the companies that purchased industrial clothing and now have a new green disposal solution.
2. It is a win for the environment that benefits from the reduction of methane and CO2 emissions.
3. It’s a win for future wearers of PPE clothing in that the recycled goods are equal to and or better than regular PPE work wear, meeting PPE safety clothing standards and demands.

It’s a practical, cost-effective, feel-good solution all the way around. Your company would be environmentally conscious!

Recycled Fire Resistant Jackets

Meeting standards

Recycle enthusiast Ted Parker said, “Rather than disposing of used garments and sending them to landfills, the technology that we have developed allows us to recycle the fiber from used coveralls and reprocess it into new ones. Based on thorough testing of the recycled fabric, it has been proven that the recycled material has the same properties and performance characteristics as that made from virgin aramid fibers, and meets or exceeds the North American “flash fire” and “arc flash” standards for personal protective equipment. (CGSB 155.20-2000, NFPA 70 E).”

Partners make perfect

Recycling technology was an exciting breakthrough in the research completed by General Recycled. The next step was to ensure they had a partner in the workwear apparel business that could elevate the solution into industrial sectors like the oil and gas industry. With consideration or the partner that was in the apparel business and had a Canada wide presence, Ted and Dave chose to partner with Apparel Solutions International.

Apparel Solutions International’s (ASI) has a 30-year history in the PPE clothing industry. CEO of Apparel Solutions, Thomas Legare said, “For many years I have pondered solutions for the accumulation of used PPE clothing. A few years ago I did extensive research and even approached the Alberta Government as to some possible solutions and at that time nothing was available. Two years ago we met Ted and Dave from General Recycled and saw that they did have a viable solution, we are delighted to partner with General Recycled to spread the good word, take on the challenge of further promoting the recycling of PPE and other clothing. We now need industry and government’s partnership for success.”

Through a unique combination of vision and talent these partners we were able to see a better future for PPE clothing, recycling, and industry. The process has enabled them to provide an environmentally responsible and economically sound closed loop cycle solution for fire-resistant workwear that meets industry standards.

Cofounder Dave Kasper said, “The formula for delivering this green project is built on key processes for creating recycled garments, through industry partnerships, we:
Collect, clean and shred
Reconstitute, creating fibre
Spin the fibre back into usable yarn
Weaving or knit and dye the fabric
Converting back into certified wearables and goods.”

When it feels right, do it!

When great minds like Tom Legare, Ted Parker, and Dave Kasper get together and make the world a better place, and when celebrity athletes like Brad Gushue embrace green initiatives like this, it makes us realize that we can all make a positive impact in our own way.

Clearly, we all play an important role in transforming the way we live and work. Ask yourself where your safety clothing is going in your organization and ensure you have a solution that is sustainable for your company and your community.

Recycling Workwear – It could be the next industry standard for clothing on the job!
____________________________________________________________________________

www.apparelsolutionsinternational.com

Yes! I’m very interested in my company recycling workwear.
Please contact me with details:

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Increasing efficiencies and productivity are the name of the game in the oil patch these days. With the oil price drop and no major price increase in sight, companies have had to re-invent themselves and find thier ‘new normal’ for operations.

For strategic energy companies, that new set-point includes embracing technology to increase operational capacity. Operational efficiencies of 20-50% gains are considered a significant contribution to profitability margins.

According to the 2017 PwC Oil and Gas Trends report, “Companies will explore new forms of technology deployment….Digitization should be a lever for innovation that improves productivity and efficiency in the field.” For instance, robotics are likely to become more commonplace in the industry, handling complex and repetitive tasks such as connecting pipes and replacing broken machinery, which in turn will reduce labor requirements. In some cases, technology will be acquired through partnerships. GE has announced an array of agreements with large and small oil companies to implement digital devices, databases, and sensors that could predict equipment breakdowns before they occur and expand exploration and production efficiency in deep sea and offshore oil platforms.” And then there are platforms…

Platforms going beyond oil rigs

Computer platforms are raging these days. They offer the exponential model of scale that every entrepreneur dreams of having. On the business to consumer platform scene think Uber, Airbnb, and Facebook. In the business to business platforms arena think Dropbox, Alibaba, DHgate, Global Sources, and more.

Powered by online technologies, cloud-based, game-changing platforms are sweeping across the global economy and changing everything we know about business. It’s exciting to think about what’s next…

Nick Candito – Founder and CEO of Progressly

An operations solution that is taking the oil patch by storm has bloomed out of Silicon Valley. It’s called Progressly. Progressly is the world’s first cloud-based Operational Performance Management solution, working on the premise that the process of business is no longer a process. It’s a progressive cloud solution.

Progressly is an all-inclusive centralizing platform that delivers real-time insights and an increase in efficiency by ensuring all company stakeholders are localized to a project. In other words, every process component is tied into the platform and therefore there is no lost information. Think about how much time we spend looking for stuff. Progressly fixes that.

You can better understand Progressly by seeing it as a solution that centralizes your own critical information, and delivers real-time operational feedback, all the while increasing efficiencies in a way that meets the growing demands of your own specific business – it’s customizable.

Progressly’s mission is to become the de-facto system of record for enterprise business processes. Enterprises today are plagued with difficult to use, antiquated business process solutions that hinder them to run their operations efficiently and effectively.

Nick Candito, founder and CEO of Progressly is a passionate leader who’s driven to build diverse products and teams that win. Nick says, “At Progressly, our vision is to empower every customer to innovate faster, perform better, and solve bigger problems than ever before. We see the opportunity for the energy sector to consolidate operations in new and innovative ways. Progressly takes that on.”

Ruslan Belkin

Progressly gained the interest of Silicon Valley Veteran Ruslan Belkin, who is a former Salesforce, Twitter and LinkedIn executive who believed that oil and gas companies today are hindered with difficult to use, siloed business systems that fail to simplify communication around processes and improve how businesses operate.

Now the Chief Technical Officer at Progressly, Ruslan said, “Progressly is poised to completely transform the way enterprises organize and execute their business processes and gain insights to improve business outcomes. I’m excited to join this incredible team that is deep-rooted in a culture built on transparency, execution, and teamwork.”

Nick Candito, acknowledges Belkin, “Ruslan provides strong vision and solid experience that will help us seize the opportunity to disrupt a market that’s long overdue for innovation. With this investment, we are in a great position to accelerate the adoption of our platform and help enterprises automate their processes that result in more profitable revenue, greater competitive advantage, and higher efficiency.”

Ruslan Belkin, Silicon Valley veteran and Chief Technical Officer at Progressly

Applications for your company operations

Nick says, “Progressly is the first SaaS platform that enables companies such as Valero, Comcast, and Shell to standardize and centralize processes with their operations. The platform provides powerful data-driven insights so teams can benchmark progress, improve the speed of collaboration, remove human error and manual activity and ultimately make better decisions about driving effective business change. Progressly currently integrates with existing productivity and collaboration tools including Outlook, SharePoint, Slack, Google Chrome, Confluence, and Jive.”

Integrating Progressly into your organization means you can:

• Replace paper-based forms and spreadsheets with an easy to use web interface (no coding required)
• Centralize health and safety activities to increase transparency and accountability
• Improve safety and mitigate risks by reducing the time to action
• Complete steps and capture data as work is done in real-time
• Access data anytime, anywhere and on any device
• Reduce operational costs by avoiding paperwork
• and improve business performance overall

What do executives think about Progressly?

500 global executives over a span of two months were surveyed to discover how they are pursuing key initiatives in operational excellence and the problems they’re encountering in achieving their operational goals. 65 percent of the executives surveyed were in the energy sector. “The survey findings further validate that businesses are increasingly aligning their strategy with operational excellence to drive scalable, enterprise-wide transformation like never before,” said Nick Candito.

Survey findings concluded that “Organizations are seeking operational excellence and digital transformation – and getting IT aligned on business goals and driving excellence will be a key initiative to getting there,” Nick said. “It’s also important to have visibility of what’s going on across the whole business in real-time and then adapt as needed. Change doesn’t mean an overhaul of everything in one go, nor ripping and replacing existing software. It’s much easier for organizations to model and build flexibility and efficiency within their existing infrastructure.”

Would you like to learn more about Progressly solutions for your company?

Yes! I’m very interested in speaking with a representative at Progressly!
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Kalnin Ventures has acquired its fourth Marcellus Shale acquisition in just over 22 months by understanding the macro trends and value chain discontinuities of the industry.  The company’s strategy is being realized in real-time and it’s deployed over $200 million in equity to capitalize on that strategy which is focused on acquiring, managing and monetizing these assets. As a result of this deal, Kalnin Ventures will hold an interest in 241 active wells with 6 additional wells waiting on completion, and provide the company with net production to the interest of more than 50 million cubic feet per day. Kalnin is one of those rare companies succeeding in a volatile oil and gas time and they remain profitable as evidenced by its strong cash flow yields and fund’s bottom-line profit.

This summer (May, 2017), Kalnin Ventures LLC  signed a Purchase and Sale Agreement (PSA) on its fourth acquisition of a non-operating portfolio in the northeast portion of the Marcellus Shale, on behalf of its BKV Fund and investor Banpu Pcl. Valued at $16.25 million, the agreement was executed with Zena Energy LLC and is comprised of interests in 34 wells, operated by Warren Resources. The asset will generate cash immediately and fits within Kalnin’s strategy of acquiring profitable assets. Other terms of the deal include net production to an interest of approximately six million cubic feet per day, 33 BCF of 1P reserves and access to nearly 1,000 net contiguous acres in the productive Marcellus Shale area of Wyoming County.

With the addition of this fourth acquisition, Kalnin Ventures will hold an interest in 241 active wells with 6 additional wells waiting on completion. The transactions provide Kalnin Ventures with net production to interest of more than 50 million cubic feet per day. In less than two years, Kalnin Ventures has executed four transactions and deployed more than $200 million of equity toward its strategy of building a scalable model of acquiring, managing, and monetizing non-operated portfolios.

Christopher Kalnin, Managing Director & Co-Founder of Kalnin Ventures

The OGM had the opportunity to interview Chris Kalnin.  Here’s what he had to say…

THE OGM: What’s the vision and goal for Kalnin?

CHRIS: Our goal since opening our doors has been to use big data and technology to identify strategic assets and apply our unique approach to managing non-operated assets,” said Christopher Kalnin, managing director and Co-Founder of Kalnin Ventures LLC. “We continue to seek – and find – attractive opportunities and operating partners.  Looking toward the future we will continue to operate in a space where we utilize technology and non-operator management to help improve operator performance and drive attractive risk adjusted returns for our investors.

THE OGM: How did you get involved in oil and gas investment?

CHRIS: I was exposed to the oil and gas industry during my consulting career with McKinsey and Company in Asia. We served a lot of major energy clients in the region and I ended up doing a lot of strategy work for them. I fell in love with the industry then and was eventually hired to be a Chief Strategy Advisor to the CEO of Thailand’s National Oil and Gas Company PTTEP.

When the unconventional boom started in the U.S., I had the opportunity to mobilize money from Asia to be directed towards attractive risk-adjusted unconventional plays. That was the beginning of our $500 million oil and gas investment fund.

The OGM: What variables make an interesting ‘play’ in your view?

CHRIS: We look at a combination of risk (how much variability there is in the well results) and return (what type of cash flows can we expect over the life of the field).

We find that there are a number of plays that have been “overlooked” due to the hype around plays such as the Permian. These plays that have been “overlooked” offer very low risk in terms of reserve estimation and very nice cash flows over the life of the field. This is where we focus our attention.

The OGM: Why oil and gas and not renewables?

CHRIS: I don’t see oil and gas and renewables as competing sources, rather as complementary sources of energy. This is particularly true if you think of natural gas.

The problem with Renewable energy sources is that they generally offer large swings in energy/power generation. For example you get a major burst of energy when the sun is shining or when the wind is blowing particularly strong, however, you also have major downturns when the opposite is true. Natural gas offers a perfect augmenting and relatively cheap (and low emitting) energy source to smooth out these major fluctuations in energy output from renewables.

In terms of actually investing in renewables, there are a number of funds already out there doing that and our team doesn’t have particular expertise to outperform existing funds in this area. Our expertise is in upstream unconventional oil and gas investments, so that’s where we have chosen to focus.

Over the long-term, we would not rule out an expansion into renewables, if we can create a differentiating capability in this area. For now, however, we are focused on oil and gas where there are many attractive opportunities and a bright future in conjunction with renewables.

THE OGM: Where do you see fracking in the US going?

CHRIS: I see increasing regulation being put in place for fracking. I believe that it’s important that neutral and transparent bodies that are trusted by the public at large provide transparent monitoring of activities conducted by oil and gas drilling and fracking operations. In the short-term, this may sound painful for the industry, but over the long-term, I think it will enable the industry to sustain and grow as public trust in fracking gradually increases and becomes more grounded in transparent facts.

I also see the technology around fracking evolving continuously whereby we use a lot more machine learning and automation (including potential robotics) to help with driving increase efficiencies and reduce safety/environmental concerns. We already see this in offshore activity.

The OGM: What are the factors that led to your success in acquiring assets in the Marcellus region?

CHRIS: We focus on a couple of specific things: (i) picking the right spots: identifying and targeting opportunities in core areas (unconventional plays are all about location, location, location), (ii) value investing approach: pricing acquisitions attractively by identifying undervalued assets (right now this is typically gas assets that are non-operated), (iii) focus on cash flow and strategic flexibility: acquiring assets that are cash flowing day 1 and using only equity (no leverage) so we have maximum flexibility and staying power in a volatile market, (iv)building trust-based relationships: working with operators to optimize these assets using Big Data approaches that we are pioneering and (v) building a track-record of performance with operators and investors, so we are seen as a preferred party to deal with.

The OGM: What’s important for people to know about the Marcellus play?

CHRIS: People need to have an appreciation of how important the Marcellus play is in terms of not only absolute energy output but for the US economy as a whole.

Across the globe, no other country on earth has the combination of massive economy and energy resource sitting (literally) in the same spot (New York City is only 200 miles from some of the best areas in the Marcellus).

Think about the fact that the Marcellus has the potential to produce over 30 BCF/day (that’s over 40% of today’s total natural gas production for U.S.). With an economy that’s increasingly going to move towards electric power generation (think of electric vehicles, Tier 3 Data Centers, etc.) natural gas is going to be an increasingly important source energy that produces that power generation.

The Marcellus is at the heart of this energy renaissance which will drive low cost electricity and gas feedstock to stimulate long-term U.S. industrial and technological growth.

We are entering an exciting new phase in the Marcellus which should start to consolidate to a few players and economics of scale and the learning curve ultimately drive profitability in the play.

The OGM: Do you have a list of factors do you consider when choosing an opportunity?

CHRIS: Back in 2014 we conducted an exhaustive strategic review of over 40 unconventional plays across North America. We broadly looked at (i) attractiveness (in terms of financial returns), (ii) ability to access opportunities (in terms of numbers of players and their willingness to transact, (iii) technical risk of the play (in terms of number of wells drilled and the level of certainty around reserves), (iv) major bottlenecks/constraints e.g., water access, midstream infrastructure, etc. and (v) access/proximity to key markets.

Based on our analysis we ranked 3 oil plays and 2 gas plays as being most attractive. When we actually started to review on-the-ground deals, we found the Marcellus to be the most practical and attractive play where we could acquire core acreage at reasonable prices.

The OGM: What are Kalnin Ventures greatest challenges?

CHRIS: We have three major challenges:
i. Getting operators to understand and appreciate how we can add value as a non-operator. They are just not used to a proactive non-operator like us, and initially are often resistant to our approach. However, we have managed to gain very good traction with certain operators that see value in our proactive non-operated approach, particularly if we can bring unique insights through our Big Data approach and then put our money where our mouth is with our funds.

ii. Our second major challenge is working with the midstream infrastructure and midstream agreements to create sustainable value for the upstream position. In particular, most midstream gathering and compression contracts in the Northeast are very onerous to the upstream operators and extract a tremendous amount of the value off of well head net back prices. Long-term a solution needs to be made here how more reasonable gathering and compression rates can be negotiated to sustain the economics for upstream operators.

iii. Finally, continuing to recruit and find high-quality people is always a challenge. We spent over 100 man hours per employee hired in our company, as it is critical to hire people that have the right capabilities, character, and chemistry with our team. Being in Denver is an advantage as there are plenty of talented people who live or want to move here. However, this is always something that is top of mind for me.

The OGM: How has technology and innovation changed the game?

CHRIS: Technology is really driving the industry in two areas:

i. Productivity – Increasingly, technology and innovation around things like completions designs and artificial lift improve the productivity of wells and estimated ultimate reserves that are recoverable.

ii. Efficiency – Using technologies such as automated well surveillance and real-time field data/analytics, allows operators to increasingly drive down costs while maintaining production levels. This translates into bottom-line improvements for upstream operators.

The OGM: How much of oil and gas exploration and discovery is luck and how much of it is a strategy?

CHRIS: For unconventionals today, in the major plays, very little is actually luck. The luck part usually comes into effect early in the life of a play when people are trying to lease up an area because they suspect that they can produce economic unconventional wells from that area e.g., the Scoop and Stack play in Oklahoma.

However, once enough wells are drilled in a play (say several hundred or thousands), the core areas of the play become clear and then the game moves into a full-field development of the play, which is really a strategy game. In this regards, the name of the game is location and consolidation. So the winners in unconventional plays long-term (I believe) will be the operators that have worked diligently to build the best acreage positions, have utilized the best technologies and process approaches to streamline their operations and who can attract the best cost of capital to consolidate their positions in the play (and drive returns). Of course, there is always a degree of luck involved, but the long-term winners in mature plays will be more strategic than lucky.

The OGM: Why do you think oil and gas companies get such a bad rap?

CHRIS: I think it’s because the mindset of the industry has been one which is reclusive and non-transparent (broadly speaking). This largely is a hangover from the conventional oil and gas days, where information about oil and gas areas was fiercely guarded and could make or break a company (if leaked). This combined with the fact that the industry attracts a number of very financially driven folks who build smaller independent companies that lack the sophistication and social consciousness of larger more established (and socially conscious) companies.

This is particularly true of on-shore unconventionals where the entry costs to get into the industry are relatively low. However, I think this perception will change with time, as operators realize that positive public perception of the industry is critical to sustaining the long-term survival of the industry.

As a new generation of leadership (like our company) takes over with much more socially conscious investments and development, I think the mindset of the industry (and ultimately of the public at large) will change – and hopefully for the better.

The OGM: How did things go ‘so wrong’ at Chesapeake?

CHRIS: I think it boils down to hubris. They had a lot of good ideas but the company (at least in its old form) thought they could “change the laws of economic gravity” and, in the end, gravity always wins. This pertains specifically to their practices with dealing with land owners, other operators and how they managed their funds.

TheOGM: What do you think about international factors and how they impact investment? For example, what do you think is ‘really’ going on in Qatar?

CHRIS: That’s a tough question. I think international factors are clearly driven by politics. My sense is that Qatar’s closeness to Iran is ultimately what is driving tensions with Saudi Arabia. These conflicts are incredibly challenging to understand and often involve hundreds of years of history between the various ruling families of Shite and Sunnis in the region.

I don’t pretend to understand all the politics there. However, one thing is clear, making investments that rely purely on OPEC decisions to cut supply is an unsound strategy. Operators in either oil and gas need to accept the new reality that prices could be lower for much longer, and the new normal is about surviving and becoming cash flow positive in a low commodity price environment.

TheOGM: Has Kalnin Ventures considered Offshore Newfoundland as a place for investment?

CHRIS: No, not at this time. Our focus has been on on-shore investments as we can more easily bracket that risk and the cost of entry is lower.

Longer-term as we grow as a fund, I wouldn’t be surprised if we look at offshore opportunities as well as international opportunities, however, that’s definitely a few years out.

About Kalnin Ventures

Kalnin Ventures is a values‐driven firm that believes that the combination of visionary strategy, focus on execution, and balance in day‐to‐day life are the keys to creating long‐term sustainable value.

Kalnin Ventures is backed by investor Banpu Pcl with equity fund commitments of $500 million within its oil and gas fund BKV Oil & Gas Capital Partners, L.P. The company seeks to invest in attractive upstream oil and gas opportunities in North America with the goal of creating long‐term sustainable value in the energy industry. More information is available at www.kalninventures.com.

Nevertheless, access to fuels and everyday goods in recent years has been challenging. With the Global Financial Crisis in 2008 and the political turmoil of the Arab Spring in 2011, the Egyptian economy has experienced a deep economic crisis. Despite returning GDP growth and an IMF-led economic reform program, the North African country remains under stress with high levels of unemployment, inflation and increasing public debt.

Despite such strains, access to fuel for cooking continues to be a priority for the country. According to the World Bank, more than 75% of Egyptian households rely on LPG gas. The country consumes approximately 4.3 million tonnes of the fuel each year, of which 1.47 million tonnes is produced domestically while another 2.18 million tonnes is imported from abroad.

And more and more LPG may be making it’s way into Egypt from outside the country. At Planet, we’ve been monitoring the expansion of Egypt’s oil and gas infrastructure at Ain Sokhna—a port located less than 25 miles south of Egypt’s strategically important Suez canal. It’s there, Planet’s 3-5 meter resolution imaging satellites show Egypt in the process of building a third basin and expanding a liquid bulk terminal. The space snapshots show the erection of six new storage tanks to be associated with the expanded terminal which, upon completion, will hold additional LPG and gasoil. The tanks were in various states of build at the time of capture.

Moreover, the port also happens to be home to Egypt’s Floating Storage Regasification Units (or FSRUs) which pump .70 billion cubic feet (bcf) per day of foreign natural gas to feed Egypt’s grid and commercial sector. They were chartered in 2015 for a five year period. In February, Egypt announced plans to push between 100 and 108 liquified natural gas (LNG) cargos through the terminals in 2017. While these numbers may fall as Egypt increases domestic production, Planet’s high cadence imagery has started to captured these vessels arriving alongside the FSRUs at the port.

In recent years, natural gas has become a competitor to LPG as Egypt has moved to connect additional households to the natural gas grid through a prior World Bank funded project. Accordingly, over 355,000 consumers have been connected to the gas grid in the Greater Cairo area, alone. Through the project, the state plans to connect about 1.5 million households in 11 of Egypt’s 27 governorates. Most recently, France, an important partner in the region, pledged another 68 million euros to expand gas connections to 2.4 million households. However, overall progress has been slow.

Both imported LNG and LPG will likely be integral to reducing the magnitude of Egypt’s energy security problems, especially until Zohr—a “super giant” gas field in the Mediterranean—begins production in earnest. Zohr is estimated to contain a reserve of approximately 850 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Eni, an Italian energy group which discovered the field in 2015, projects costs for development around $14 billion, a substantial sum, given gas companies are reducing global expenditures.

If all goes according to plan, Eni believes the field will produce 2.5 bcf of gas per day by 2019. That gas may further support domestic consumption, further easing pressure on Egypt’s energy demands—especially if more households are connected to the grid. However, depending on price, Egypt could restart significant exports and still use LPG as it continues to construct additional storage capacity and import infrastructure. If that occurs, Planet’s imaging fleet stands ready to capture Egypt’s LNG liquefaction terminals near Damietta and Idku and will be able to alert market participants.

As of 2017, Damietta’s LNG terminal remains offline as Egypt sends more domestic gas production to the grid, a policy that’s helped ease electricity shortages. The situation is unlikely to change in the short term as disputes persist around Egypt’s decision to declare force majeure in 2014. However, as Zohr’s production increases in 2018, we could see significantly more cargoes leaving from Idku, a terminal we continue to monitor. In 2016 for example, Planet’s imagery captured 7 of the reported 9 cargoes at port while another 4 have already been observed in 2017.

In the meantime, despite returning GDP growth and an IMF-led economic reform program, the North African country will remain under significant stress. GDP numbers from the first quarter show a 1.7% decline compared to last year, and consumption of LPG and other fuels remain taxing on the state’s coffers. In the first half of FY 17, Egypt has already seen a $2.11 billion fuel subsidy bill, a jump of 46% over the same time last year. According to Egypt’s Petroleum Minister, 50% of the subsidy is spent on diesel, 20% for LPG, 20% for gasoline, and another 10% for fuel oil and petroleum derivatives. Egypt’s officials expect to spend more than $8 billion over FY17-18 for the bill.

To learn more about the role imaging satellites can play in reducing the risk of failure for companies managing oil and gas pipelines go http://www.planet.com.

Drones operating offshore

How it works

Imagine being able to fly over a remote location and immediately see its potential for a real estate development project by mapping the terrain with exact precision.
Imagine capturing the full width, scope, and scale of an iceberg headed straight for your oil rig giving you all the information you need to change its course. Imagine using LiDAR information to help identify potential mineral deposits. Imagine assessing an environmental crisis by seeing it from a unique vantage point and being able to mitigate damages as a result.  Imagine the freedom of being able to evaluate operations on a rig that would be otherwise daunting to humans because of variables like height and location.
Imagine being able to monitor pipelines with unprecedented accuracy. (See Video here)
Imagine building an oil platform, GBS or topsides, and having drone photo-progress and LiDAR reports on a regular basis that optimize efficiencies of operation.
It’s now all possible…

LiDAR Landscape Image

Drones with LiDAR

Mapping, measuring, manipulating and modifying, that’s what the “light inventors” had in mind when they created LiDAR for drones.

LiDAR on drones is a new technology that uses a laser light scanner to replicate the landscape that it measures. A laser scanner attached to a drone (or UAV) uses light pulses to observe, measure, picture and reproduce a scene. This is the fundamental principle behind LiDAR, but the applications are truly limitless.

Quickly being adopted by world leaders in oil and gas and engineering sectors, drones equipped with LiDAR have become one of the “next best things” for harnessing efficiencies and reducing projects costs all the while addressing safety measures at an entirely new level.

With Drones and LiDAR, the oil and gas industry can fly over an iceberg and measure with accuracy its height and full composition making it super easy to track, move or assess the best course of action to take with that iceberg. Because Drones are Unmanned, projects are less risky, more profitable and safer.

LiDAR can support global projects such as the construction of the West White Rose gravity base structure. This advanced technology would permit site location analysis, project development efficiencies, identify possible safety hazards, advance progress and processes, be an essential tool in situational monitoring, support asset management, enhance environmental assessment, as well as offer a critical vantage point for safety.

The applications of LiDAR are unlimited, and it depends on the ingenuity and creativity of a team to adapt the technology to its highest function and user-ability. Engineering teams who seek to architect, build and execute projects will utilize LiDAR in new and unique ways, ultimately saving time, money and lives.

RPM brings LiDAR to Newfoundland & Labrador

For the first time in history, unmanned aerial LiDAR will become airborne in Newfoundland, with the use of Drones. The brainchild of visionaries Claudette Hickey and Brian Lundrigan, owners of RMP Aerial Services, have adopted the LiDAR technology in the province. It is “the next best thing,” happening to large-scale construction and oil and gas projects.

LIDAR Technology in action

Brian says, “Drones and their payloads are becoming so incredibly advanced that they can support the construction and operation of offshore platforms more effectively and efficiently than before. ”

Brian proudly described a drone’s purpose offshore, “This past summer we completed our first mission of placing a GPS tracker on icebergs offshore.  With the assistance of John Olivero and Rick Stanley of the Ocean Quest team, we were able to use our drones to position GPS trackers on the iceberg which allowed us to track that iceberg with phenomenal accuracy. We expect drone advances in the offshore to continue to improve and we predict they will be the foundation of operations in the coming years”.

RPM Aerial Services tracking icebergs

Claudette Hickey has dedicated her life to her company RPM.  She’s committed to the advancement of this technology in our province and says, “We can define a Drone as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) combined with a ground control station. With applications far-reaching this technology has now proven itself a profitable solution for exploration and production in the oil and gas sector. We are extremely excited to work with the energy and construction industries to optimize project efficiencies.  Some of the immediate applications we see with Drones include; assisting in offshore oil process efficiencies, asset monitoring, and maintenance, procedural efficiencies, iceberg tracking, elevating operation and production results, environmental integrity and assessment, safety regimes and reducing costs overall.”

Claudette says, “We envision the application for our drones to be in some leading industry sectors including; oil and gas, real estate, construction, and property restoration. LiDAR is so new that we haven’t even begun to understand the full capabilities of its applications in those sectors, but we are excited to discover them.  Our core focus will be to provide Aerial Services for companies requiring high-end UAV services and to work on larger projects that want to save on project expenditures with the use of our drones and LiDAR.”

The drone hovering over a construction site used for video surveillance and industrial inspection.

READ MORE ABOUT DRONES:
The OGM reports on the UK Guidelines for use of Drones.
Canadian UAVs and Lockheed Martin CDL Systems completed the first BVLOS pipeline, well site and power line inspections using the Lockheed Martin Indago 2 at the UAV Testing Facility in Foremost, Alberta

RPM AERIAL INC.:
For more information on Drones and LiDAR in Atlantic Canada, please go to www.rpmaerialinc.ca

The Weather Company, an IBM Business predicts weather and optimizes performance. That’s a novel concept that is about to make smart rigs happen.

Think laterally. Did you ever imagine that there would be mini-weather-forecasting stations around the globe?  What about an oil rig becoming a weather station?

That’s the latest innovation happening at IBM’s Weather Company, these days.  This latest innovation is the opportunity to harness innovation and allow oil companies the ability to turn their offshore oil platforms into smart rigs.

When an oil company harnesses this technology, they have an on-rig, weather stations that forecast weather events in real time. The result? Better performance, better prediction, better operations and higher safety.

REDUCING CLAIMS FOR INSURANCE

Many applications exist where weather forecasting improves business. For example, to improve customer satisfaction and reduce claims, a property insurance company sends out weather alerts based on hyperlocal forecasts so clients can take action to avoid/minimize property damage due to severe weather. The company is also reducing the number of fraudulent claims by using historical weather data for verification.

UNDERSTANDING WEATHER’S IMPACT ON SPORTS SALES

A Europe sports retailer uses weather analytics to understand better sales impacts on 500 stores to boost sales, predict demand, enhance supply chain management, improve staffing, and optimize product placement.

HYPERLOCAL FORECASTS VIA GOVERNMENT

A government has upgraded its weather service to The Weather Company’s data and alerts to provide more accurate, hyperlocal forecasts to its citizens to improve safety.

OIL RIGS TURN INTO SMART PLATFORMS

The Weather Company, an IBM Business, is a company working closely with some oil companies to help them turn their rigs into ‘smart’ platforms that are better able to predict weather and its impact on their billion dollar assets.  Through a holistic approach, The Weather Company is helping offshore operations centers, carefully analyze the weather, provide weather alerting, operate rig-based radar, and employ cognitive computing tools to improve their efficiency and output where the weather is concerned.

Mr. Jim Menard is the General Manager of Enterprise at The Weather Company. Jim joined The Weather Company in 1987 and has held management positions in both their Boston and San Francisco offices. Previously an on-camera meteorologist in the Tampa Bay area. Jim was the first to introduce computer graphic visualizations to television weather presentations. Additionally, he has implemented a variety of leading edge efforts such as aviation and energy forecasting and has been at the forefront of developing weather applications for both mobile and web, throughout his career.

Jim says, “Oil companies are turning their offshore oil platforms into ‘intelligent’ rigs, helping to compensate for a dramatic decline in the number of operational oil rigs.  And they’re doing it in many creative ways. One such way is through advanced weather forecasting and cognitive computing tools that enable them to increase their operational capacity significantly.”

Oil companies are looking for new ways to optimize rig performance. If they are as successful as they hope, we will likely see a continued drop in the number of offshore rigs, with an inversely proportional rise in the operational capacity of each rig.

Jim explains the fundamentals, “Our goal is to break technology and bring it to do something good. That means harnessing technology and utilizing advanced Weather radars to see storms in detail. Regardless of location, remote access is no longer a limitation when the weather station is on the rig that you are working on”.

The mini weather radar is designed to be mounted on a platform and is a system that is about the size of a human. The dish is relatively small and transportable. Doppler radars are used to see the changes, advances, and intensity of weather. Computer algorithms immediately notify users of severe weather, which allows for response and real-time solutions. This system ensures that emergency preparedness, safety, and efficiencies are obtained, at optimal levels on a rig.

Companies are using weather insight to accurately predict outages, storms and other work inhibitors such as wave action. This system allows rig personnel to proactively allocate and deploy resources which ultimately saves lives and reduces cost.

On-demand forecasting is becoming the mainstream of operations for safety at sea. Rigs availing of the technology will have an incredible advantage that serves to keep people informed, safer and ultimately more protected. As well, with billions of dollars of assets onboard having a Weather predicting solution could prove to be a wise decision for rig owners.

To learn more:
https://business.weather.com/industry-solutions/energy

In its just-released monthly LNG report, the respected independent energy consultancy, EnergyQuest, says that as APLNG and Gorgon continue to ramp up and new LNG projects come into production (Wheatstone and Ichthys), Australia’s 2017 exports will be close to 60Mt, up by 63% from 2016.

Notwithstanding the lower oil price environment present through much of last year, EnergyQuest estimates the total value of Australian LNG exports as $17.9 billion in 2016. This is an 8.6% dollar increase over the previous year.

Oil prices (to which LNG prices are linked) are now around 25% higher than the 2016 average, reflecting recent decisions by OPEC. If current oil prices are maintained, EnergyQuest estimates that the value of Australian LNG exports will double to around A$36 billion in 2017.

“The growth of LNG exports is a massive benefit to the Australian economy,” EnergyQuest CEO, Dr. Graeme Bethune, said. Australia’s newest LNG hub – the three new plants around Gladstone – not surprisingly saw Queensland LNG exports nearly triple to 17.5Mt in 2016 while west coast exports were down slightly at 19.3Mt for the period. Most Australian LNG exports continued to go to established customers with long-term contracts during the year.

Japan remains the largest customer for Australian LNG, taking 48% of 2016 cargoes. China is now the second-biggest customer, taking 30% of cargoes (60% of cargoes from Queensland). Korea is an emerging buyer (53 cargoes), and 2016 saw regular Australian cargoes to India (16 cargoes). There has been particularly strong demand for LNG in North Asia during the current winter. North Asian LNG spot prices are now the highest in two years.

The Platts JKM marker was US$9.75/MMBtu early in January, which is well above LNG contract prices of around US$7.00/MMBtu. High spot prices are also attracting US LNG cargoes into North Asia.

“Shipments from the Sabine Pass project on the US Gulf Coast, which were mostly going to South America, are now overwhelmingly heading to North Asia with nine of the 12 December loadings heading there,” Dr. Bethune said. “However, this does not appear to be adversely affecting Australian exports, which are also well positioned to take advantage of high spot prices,” Dr. Bethune said.

In the early 17th century, a new Romanov Dynasty continued expansion across Siberia to the Pacific. Under Peter I who ruled from 1682-1725, was extended to the Baltic Sea and the country was renamed the Russian Empire.

During the 19th century, more territorial acquisitions were made in Europe and Asia. Defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 contributed to the Revolution of 1905, which resulted in the formation of a parliament and other reforms in Russia.

Repeated defeats of the Russian army in World War I led to the overthrow in 1917. The Communists under Vladimir Lenin seized power soon after and formed the USSR. The Soviet economy and society stagnated until General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, who ruled in 1985-91, introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring). This was his way of modernizing Communism, but his initiatives inadvertently released forces that splintered the USSR into Russia and 14 other independent republics by 1991.

Since then, Russia has shifted its post-Soviet democratic ambitions for a centralized semi-authoritarian state where it was ruled through managed national elections and populist appeals by President Putin.

While political uncertainty has been at play in Russia, it has not stopped the progress of some of the greatest projects from happening there. Russia is the world’s biggest producer of conventional gas after the United States but wants to increase its production of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which currently accounts for less than 5 percent of world output.  The Yamal project of the Russian Arctic is supporting that vision.

YAMAL

Under the harshest most extreme conditions,15,000 people live and work in some of the coldest temperatures on Earth. On the frozen Yamal Peninsula, 370 miles north of the Arctic Circle, snow, wind and chilling conditions cover the community of towering cranes, glacier-splitting ships and construction teams. The region known as the Siberian Arctic, is 1,550 miles away from Moscow.

This is where the massive project, Yamal LNG, is happening.With its partners Novatek and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), the French oil company Total operates a mega gas field on these snowy, frozen, icy lands. On the premises, there is a factory designed to refreeze the gas to temperatures of -256 °F (-160 °C) to transport it by boat and sell it to world markets.

Working here is not easy. Many challenges must be overcome.The region is ice-bound for seven to nine months during the year, and the sun remains beneath the horizon for three months at a time. During the winter, teams of workers operate by man-made lighting in -40°C temperatures.

Yamal LNG will drill more than 200 wells for the project as Total builds three liquefaction trains, each of which offers an annual capacity of 5.5 million metric tons. To ensure its stability, the plant will be supported by tens of thousands of piles driven some 20 meters into the permafrost.

Specially designed for the project, 15 LNG icebreaker tankers, each of which has a capacity of 170,000 cubic meters, will ship the LNG to international markets.

Logistics present another challenge. To facilitate the transport of equipment and staff, the port of Sabetta and an airport were built and are now operational. Over the next three years, the port of Sabetta will take delivery of 150 modules representing 450,000 metric tons, transported from Asia by some 20 vessels. The port will also serve to export the LNG.

Yamal LNG unlocks access to the vast gas resources of the Russian Arctic, while also opening a new LNG sea transport route to Asia using ice-class LNG carriers. Launched at the end 2013, Yamal is not only one of the most complex liquefied natural gas projects ever undertaken, it is also one of the most competitive. Competitive because it benefits from the vast natural gas reserves situated on the Yamal peninsula. Complex because it is located above the Arctic Circle, a region that is ice-bound for seven to nine months during the year and isolated from all cities and oil and gas infrastructure. In collaboration with partners Novatek, CNPC and Silk Road Fund, the Total group is undertaking a daunting technological feat by deploying unprecedented logistical resources.

Difficult but not impossible.  Challenging but only in a way that seeks solutions. Once again mankind proves that anything is possible.

There is much we can learn about Arctic exploration and production from this project.

Replacement and repair of damaged equipment are the largest maintenance requirement in various industries, especially oil and gas, and can be minimized with such a peak-performing coating.

At Canadian company Harber Coatings, the invention of InnoGUARD coating solution provides a lifetime guarantee against flaking and peeling, in corrosive and high-temperature environments. The objective with their coatings was to gain over 20 times more working life out of critical assets, such that coating costs becomes minimal in the grand scheme of things. Adding long-term value and economical operational success far outweighs the minimal upfront investment, especially when the company offers a lifetime no flaking or peeling warranty on their coating.

Harber Coatings is focused on significantly reducing the replacement cost of parts, tools and downtime in the field for their clients. They are proud to be the only ENC facility in North America with 45ft. Coating tanks that make its proprietary formulas from raw chemicals, and offers a lifetime no flaking or peeling warranty on a metallic coating. In this economy, many types of customers are seeking a superior coating for a lower price to get more use out of their equipment.  Although Harber Coatings has been primarily focused on the oil & gas industry, they can coat and protect almost any metal substrate. 

Harber president and chief executive officer Zhen (Ken) Wang developed an electroless nickel coating (ENC) technology called InnoGUARD. In 2002, Ken Wang founded Harber Industry Inc. (later transferred to Harber Coatings Inc.) in Calgary, Alberta. The vision was to improve the stability of the Electroless Nickel Coating (ENC) product with unique formulas and custom processing technologies – ultimately perfecting a superior coating solution compared to anything currently in the market. Through his research and discovery, Ken developed a proprietary formula for Electroless Nickel Coatings that had astonishing industrial applications. InnoGUARD’s claim to fame is providing a coating solution with a lifetime guarantee against flaking and peeling, in corrosive and high-temperature environments. It is typically used to coat spools, downhole tools, wellhead equipment, valves and pump equipment – any industrial metal surface that is prone to corrosion and abrasion.

Ken Wang explains the technology that he and his team have perfected, “Harber Coatings Inc.’s InnoGUARDTM Flakeless ENC (Electroless Nickel Coating) is a unique, proprietary formula and fully integrated technology coating process, of high phosphorous-nickel alloy deposited on a metal substrate. The superior coated surface does not flake or peel when mechanically impacted or placed in highly corrosive environments with extreme temperature changes. The proven coating process prevents corrosion from high chlorides, H2S, CO2, oxygen, steam, brine water, etc.  Therefore, guaranteeing long-term cost benefits and preventing unnecessarily discarded parts polluting the environment.”

The proprietary InnoGUARDTM ENC  solution effectively coats parts with sharp edges, deep recesses, weld seams, threads and blind holes without negatively impacting function and for the same cost to coat the inside and outside diameter of the part/tool. It is a very economical dip coating process, allowing a much less expensive substrate material to be coated, and still outperform expensive metal. Having an equivalent thermal co-efficiency as the substrate also ensures no micro-cracking occurs to compromise the substrate material and can withstand high torque. Thus, InnoGUARDTM ENC is often a better replacement for hard chrome plating, polymer/epoxy coatings and many thermal spray applications due to superior adhesion, coating performance and cost reducing advantage.

Harber Coatings Inc. is a high-tech research and development production company that has worked with ENC/ENP (Electroless Nickel Plating), transforming science findings into industrial applications. Harber Coatings Calgary facility offers large-scale production capability with over 20,000 square feet of production area and boasts some of the largest processing equipment in the world, including their 45-feet coating tanks. The installation of larger tanks and processing equipment in May 2015 enabled much larger parts and tools to be coated. The company immediately quadrupled its productivity and has been able to decrease customer pricing by an average of 20% to date. This has proven to be a huge benefit for companies dealing with very tight budgets in this economic slump.

Prosperous Expansion Plans

A component to Wang’s near future expansion plan is to use the Calgary facility as a staff training centre and open locations globally. He is actively seeking local partners to branch out the same operations globe wide, using the Calgary headquarters as a global training and technical support centre. Harber Coatings Inc. will surely build a great brand name worldwide. The company is also expanding into international consulting services with the creation of a Research Center of Materials & Coatings.

Harber Coatings also strive to address environmental concerns such as unnecessary discarded parts/tools and a safer work environment. Their ENC does not contain toxic additives like previous generations of ENC, or as other coatings such as epoxy, polymers and chrome. In other words, the InnoGUARDTM system does not contaminate the environment or give off toxic fumes. Being eco-friendly by eliminating air toxicity and reducing chemical waste disposal, while maintaining low pricing, is crucial in this industry. Harber Coatings is much greener than other facilities and discharges 0.2 mg per litre of chemical waste, which is far below the City of Calgary’s 3.0 mg per litre regulation. This is an important factor when planning to use the Calgary facility as a training centre to open locations globally while minimizing the coating pollution impact worldwide.

The InnoGUARDTM is a high phosphorous-nickel alloy, deposited on a metal substrate, excellent for much industrial and oil and gas applications. It is created by the intricate chemical reaction of nickel, phosphorus and other proprietary ingredients in a bath/dip process. The technique uses a nickel-phosphorous alloy deposited by a chemical reaction from hypophosphite on a catalytic substrate without the application of an electrical current. The coating thickness, from 0.0005 inches to 0.004 inches, is controlled by the length of time the metal substrate is left in a chemical bath solution. The autocatalytic chemical reaction deposits a controlled and uniform thickness even on complex-part geometry and eliminates the need to mask off areas and grind weld seams. Additionally, an impact or dent will not cause the coating to peel or flake. Post treatments allow the coating to achieve a Vickers Hardness up to 900 Vickers (greater than 68Rc) and a melting point of 880C, proven to be beneficial in marine/offshore applications.

The main advantages of Wang’s ENC formulations-amorphous mixtures of nickel and phosphorous-stems from their stability and ability to be calibrated over time rather than created once and disposed of after the ingredients are depleted, as is typically the case. The formulations allowed Harber to move from 10-foot tanks to 45-foot tanks in May 2015, greatly increasing the variety of items it could run through the process, such as longer tubing and bigger pressure vessels.

In the coating process, the low-temperature self-growing process is very attractive, for coating performance and economy (electroless nickel coating process is a rare self-growing process that happens in the low-temperature aqueous environment. This phenomenon was noticed in 1844 by A. Wurtz. Lab explorations trying to develop the mechanism into a coating process started in the 1950s. Industrialisation of this process started in the 1990s). The company’s proprietary formulas and its processing technologies are designed to allow it to continuously run its formula and reduce waste. They have a chemical engineer monitoring the formula twice a day, topping it up as necessary. Therefore, the solution never collapses, and coating quality is always optimal.

It is a physically bonded coating and becomes one with the substrate, without altering it and eliminates internal stress and micro-cracking of the metal. It is bonded to that substrate until you wear it off; it will not peel, crack or flake. Heat and chemical post treatment of the coating increases ENC hardness, achieving even greater corrosion and abrasion resistance. ENC is much less porous than other metallic coatings such as hard chrome, and is applied without compressive stress, making it less prone to corrosion and reduces surface friction by two-thirds. Additionally, ENC maintains an identical surface profile before coating, ensuring the same smoothness is achieved as the substrate material used. ENC coating prevents corrosion on carbon steel, aluminium, brass, copper and high alloys such as Inconel.

InnoGUARDTM  300, the basic formula, creates coatings up to 50 Rc. It has 11 to 15 percent phosphorus content, and the ductility is 1.3 percent elongation. The amorphous characteristics of the coating provide superb corrosion resistance since microbiological corrosion happens on iron surfaces. Therefore, the bacteria doesn’t eat the nickel.

InnoGUARDTM 300H is a heat-treated, hardened formula that achieves a crystalline structure in the coating. The company recommends it for high wear-abrasion applications when corrosion is less severe.

InnoGUARDTM 300M was developed for marine and offshore applications, as well as other harsh temperature environments with severe corrosion and abrasion factors. It achieves a Vickers hardness of 900 HV, or greater than 68 Rc.

BACKGROUND: Ken Wang worked as an engineer in China for ten years after completing a bachelor of engineering from the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He then obtained a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Oklahoma with overseas work in Thailand, which led to his desire to pursue developing his proprietary formula of ENP, targeted for the petrochemical and oil and gas industries. Wang also has experience working as a chemical engineer in Calgary on projects such as pressure vessels. He founded Harber in 2002 to improve the stability of ENC products with unique formulas and custom processing technologies.

Even with what he sees as a significant technology head-start on the competition, Wang is not standing still. With research and development facilities funded by the National Research Council Canada, Harber is developing a metallic, ceramic liner, a supersonic arc metal spray and laser-assisted nano fusion products.

Typical Oil and Gas applications

Typical Oil and Gas applications include downhole tools, multi-stage frac tools, packers, pup joints, completion tools, wireline tools, slotted pipes, BOP’s, spools, ANSI & API valves, pumps, tubing, rods, pistons, cylinders, hangars, flanges, pump plungers and liners, pump housings, impellers/shafts, pressure vessels, strainers, pipes and fittings, fracing valve elements, sand screens, reciprocating pump barrels, rotors, gear boxes, and bearings.

19 tangible benefits that support the integration of Ken Wang’s coating innovation into your industrial infrastructure:

1. A cost-effective way to extend the working life of tools and parts by 20X or greater.

2. Superior bonding ensures it does not peel or flake when mechanically impacted. It does not require a secondary polymer dip to prevent peeling or flaking like other ENC coatings.

3. Provides supreme resistance to highly corrosive environments such as steam, H2S, CO2, high calories, oxygen, and brine water.

4. Can withstand temperatures up to 880 degrees Celsius.

5. Reduces surface friction by 2/3 and is self-lubricating.

6. Can withstand high torquing and compressive stress.

7. Consistent coating uniformity and thickness regardless of the part/tool geometry and cost efficient way to salvage mis-machined part and tools.

8. Available in varying thicknesses from 0.0005 inches to 0.004 inches, depending on application needs and specifications.

9. Coats the interior and exterior of the part or tool for the same cost.

10.Comparable in cost to epoxy or polymer coatings, with much better performance.

11. Effectively coats sharp edges, deep recesses, seams, threads and blind holes without impacting function.

12. Due to being a metallic coating, it has the same thermal coefficient as the substrate and when the metal contracts or expands, no micro-cracking occurs as it does with epoxy or polymers.

13. Clean metals, such as new carbon steel, do not need to be sand-blasted before coating, therefore reducing costs and ensuring the substrate isn’t damaged.

14. Provides more durability for surface-on-surface friction abrasion than hard chrome, especially in lubricated conditions.

15. ”Electroless” means that no electrodes need to be attached to the coating process. Therefore no areas are excluded in coating.

16. If the coating is damaged by an excessive wrenching, corrosion remains localized to the damaged spot; corrosion will not extend between the coating and the substrate.

17. Maintains an identical surface profile before coating, ensuring the same smoothness is achieved as the substrate material used.

18. Metals that can be coated include carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminium, brass, copper, zinc and alloys.

19. No machining required after coating and no grinding of weld seams before coating saves time and cost.

See the InnoGUARD specification sheet here.

The Challenges Harber Coatings has overcome:

1. Chemical process stability – electroless nickel coating process is a chemical reaction process. The process needs to be properly active so that the best coating quality and the best coating rate will be achieved. Overactive process will generate bad quality coating, and lead to the collapse of the chemical bath which will result in unqualified coating and the waste of the whole chemical bath.
   
2. Continuous chemical process stability and quality consistency – In a real production environment, large quantity, various substrate materials & mechanical parts processed in the bath. Chemicals are continuously fed to the plating tank to maintain the effective chemical level. Part of the chemicals is plated out to form the nickel alloy coating on the parts, part of the added chemicals remain in the tank in the form of ions which cannot be selectively removed. We have successfully overcome this challenge and have extended the working life of each single bath well beyond the average industrial level, reducing waster by over 80%.
   
3. Based on continuous industrial production, we always have two warranties on our coating products – one year quality warranty, and the lifetime no flaking or peeling warranty – no matter under severe mechanical impact or chemical attack.
   
4. We have eliminated coating peeling need due to process defects. Chemical peeling is very polluting and highly risky work.
   
5. We have eliminated the chemical cleaning work to clean coating tanks/equipment. Current industrial criteria request such chemical cleaning routinely done by using nitric acid, which is a polluting and dangerous chemical material.
   
6. All the chemicals we use in our process are in low emission. Our shop air quality is well above OSHA criteria, better than the average of machine shops.
7. Based on the above achievements, we were capable of expanding our production scale.
   
8. Our current tank size is 45 ft. Long, the largest in North America. Technically we can run a bigger coating system of any reasonable size, based on long term and trouble free operations, and remain environmentally friendly.
   
9. The chemical waste to dispose of our process is far below the industry practice, reduced beyond 80% due to our proprietary processing technology.

How is Harber Coatings truly different?

1. Our coating meets all the current industrial standards, including ASTM, API, NACE, etc.
   
2. As a matter of fact, all the other electroless nickel coating/plating products meeting all the industrial standards DO NOT have the same corrosion/abrasion resistant performance as our formulas and cannot match our revolutionary 2-step coating durability for pipe spools and pressure vessels.
   
3. We simply operate a clean process in low emission so that shop operators don’t inhale bad quality air, (almost 100% free of any emissions). Instead, others use high volume air exhaust system help protect people in their shops but still extremely toxic.
   
4. We focus on delivering reliable high-performance electroless nickel coating/plating products. Assets with our coating protection have many times better longevity (20times or better), and the eventual failure can be very well predicted as our coating will not flake/peel off.
5. The values we provide to our clients are – with the cost of coating they can expect many times better longevity on their assets and properties. The big savings include lower production cost and re-fabrication cost, plus decreased the cost to dispose of the worn assets. There is less cost/risk of facility pipeline leakage, much less spare parts replacement, etc.
6. The values we provide to the society – the process is much cleaner. The process has much less waste to dispose of. Less fabrication/consumption needs meaning less pollution associated with shipping and fabrication activities. The values are realized by using relatively inexpensive and easy made coating, instead of expensive solid alloy materials.     

What is the global vision for Harber Coatings Inc.?

Harber Coatings Inc. is assessing the opportunities of setting up huge coating facilities in the Middle East and Russia, where there is a huge demand for functional coatings while the users are very selective. Environmental protection is also a big concern over there. 

What makes a successful high-performance coating?

With both mechanical engineering and chemical engineering background, Ken Wang had been working in technical and management in aviation industries and oil/gas/petrochemical industries for many years before he set up his own business. In 2001 he decided to research and develop his electroless nickel coating/plating technology. He has started from the basic academic formulas and successfully developed it into a high-performance coating commercial process, on a large production scale. Electroless nickel coating/plating process started industrialization in the mid-1990s. Ken Wang’s angle to look at electroless nickel coating/plating process vision:

1. This was the only one process (and it still is today) which generates an alloy of a metal element (nickel) and a non-metal element (phosphorus) at a molecular level, based on a chemical reaction in aqueous environment – meaning the coating performance could be higher than nickel alloys, the coating cost could be low, coating could be done inside complicated internal configurations, and production scale could be large/huge.   
2. As this is a low-temperature process, coating bonding to substrate material is a physical bond. Coating density and strong adhesion to the substrate material would be a big challenge.
   
3. Given a high-performance coating is achieved through formulas study, commercialization of the process needs to overcome long-term operational stability with quality consistency.
   
4. Large/huge production scale could be realized based on data/experiences accumulated from the previously commercialised production.
   
5. Shop operation could be very mechanized and automated. 
   
6. The process could be developed to the extent that an average operator without chemical background would run the process smoothly.
   
7. The process could be developed much greener and cleaner, to greatly reduce the generation of waste and pollution.
   
8. A proprietary formula could be developed for extreme corrosion and temperature applications.
   

Client Applications

About Harber Coatings Inc.

Harber Coatings Inc. is a high-tech research and development production company in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 2002, the company has successfully developed its intellectual properties and processing technologies, including InnoGUARD^TM Flakeless Electroless Nickel Coating.  With research and development facilities funded by the National Research Council of Canada, Harber Coatings Inc. continues to develop innovative technologies such as Metallic Ceramic Liner, Ultrasonic Electro-thermal Spray and Laser-Assisted Nano Fusion products.  The company’s quality assurance system is ISO:9001:2008 certified.

Tina Olivero

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Even though the region has shown a recent downtrend in investment, the projects will come online by midterm, especially in the areas where the investment was made before the downturn in oil and investment started. This will particularly be evident in investments which show breakeven options or prices lower than the current values.

3 international firms are of particular interest in relation to the investment. They are:

• Tullow Oil PLC: 5 planned projects
• Total S.A.: 5 planned projects
• Chevron Corporation: 3 planned projects

Out of the 10 projects planned jointly by Tullow Oil PLC and Total SA, 9 are in crude oil and 1 in natural gas.

It has been reported that the key planned projects in the region would contribute to around 1.1 million barrels of oil on a daily basis (BD) and 7.7 billion cubic feet of gas.

The Capital Expenditure (Capex) influx in the region is expected to be around USD 153.5 billion, with Mozambique leading the growth spurt with an estimated investment of USD 70.4 billion. Most of this is reserved for the Rovuma Area 1 and the Rovuma Area 4 complex.

Commenting on the developments in Mozambique, GlobalData’s Upstream Analyst, Jonatham Markham observed, “Progress on the liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in Mozambique has slowed over the last few years due to financing issues and regulatory uncertainty. The operators are expected to start with relatively small scale developments, such as Eni’s 3.4 million metric tons per annum (mmtpa) floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) solution”.

He also noted that the initial build-up would be affected by the initial lower investment, which would likely reach a combined capacity of 30 mmpta by 2025. The Final Investment Decision (FID) for FLNG is expected by the end of 2016, while that of the onshore facility and the LNG exports from Mozambique will likely start off by 2017 and 2021 respectively. In this regard, Eni SpA will have the highest Capex investment (USD 21.3 billion) in the next 10 years.

A few of the undeveloped regions in the Niger Delta basin include Zabazaba-Etan and Nsiko.

According to Young Okunna, an Upstream Analyst from GlobalData, “Although Nigeria is expected to add over 510,000 bd of additional oil production capacity by 2025, the likelihood of this happening is dependent on fiscal certainty and relative peace in the Niger Delta region. Almost half of the expected additional capacity still lacks FID, with the field operators expected to make a decision by 2020. This will be greatly influenced by prevailing market conditions and security around the planned projects.”

GlobalData is a trusted name in the global analytic front with inputs from over 25,000 industry specialists and 700 professionally qualified business analysts every year. For more information contact: globaldata.com.

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At the recent Canada LNG Export Conference in Vancouver, industry stakeholders and experts from across the complete LNG value chain made clear that Aboriginal consultation must be the top priority for LNG proponents in Canada.

The reality on the ground is that a new modus vivendi is gradually emerging and Aboriginal Canada is enjoying unprecedented economic and social progress as a result, with more to come. Resource development in B.C. has proceeded at a historic pace in recent years. Sure there have been stumbling blocks, but this boom has been facilitated by unprecedented co-operation between the resource industry and First Nations.

A Different Narrative

International and domestic observers may see First Nations as a challenge for Canadian LNG companies, but industry has found First Nations to be excellent partners that are definitely open for business provided projects align with their goals and principles.

The “Squamish Process”:  Getting to Consent

The Squamish Nation in B.C., through an exercise in self-government developed their own independent process called the “Squamish Process,” for the technical review of environmental issues and community engagement. Goals to protect their aboriginal title and rights interests and conducted their own independent assessment to identify what the impacts would be on Squamish Nation interests. The process began when Woodfibre LNG first applied to undergo a Squamish Nation environmental review. The process was a new and voluntary consultation step for both companies, one that went beyond provincial and federal government regulatory processes and reviews. 

Panelist Mr. Stout, VP Market Development, and External Relations at FortisBC and Jennifer Siddon,  Woodfibre LNG spoke to FortisBC’s natural gas pipeline planned to go through Squamish Nation territory to Woodfibre LNG’s proposed $1.6-billion export LNG plant.  

Both companies told the audience that by developing mutually-beneficial working relationships with the Squamish Nation is important to them, understanding, respect, open communication and trust continue to be their aim when working with the Nation. The key take away from the two companies was to start the conversation early and do not make the assumption that it’s a ‘No’ because it’s a resource project.

In mid-2015, Squamish Nation issued 26 conditions for the Woodfibre LNG Project, 13 of which apply directly to Woodfibre LNG. The environmental assessment agreement outlines the conditions and how Squamish Nation and Woodfibre LNG will work together to ensure they are fully implemented. The company agreed to the conditions and in late 2015, the Squamish Nation approved an Environmental Assessment Agreement for the proposed Woodfibre LNG project and issued an Environmental Certificate to the company.  In addition, the company conducted extensive public engagement beyond regulatory requirements in local communities.

Through the collaborative Squamish Process, FortisBC responded to the Squamish Nation’s concerns with the initial pipeline plan and changed the project’s plan and design to include the use horizontal direct drilling (HDD) to install a segment of the pipeline (tunnel cost approx. $500mil) through an Estuary on traditional territory; thus, minimizing impacts to the surface. 

This process continues to this day. Squamish Nation ruling on the FortisBC pipeline is still pending. Woodfibre LNG stated they intend to make a final investment decision by the end of the year.

A Collaborative Narrative

Steelhead LNG president Victor Ojeda and Malahat Nation CEO Renee Racette co-presented on the proposed Malahat LNG Project,  

consisting of up to three floating liquefaction production facilities and a potential floating storage and off-loading unit (FSO). The LNG facility is to be situated on the shoreline of Malahat Nation-owned land, formerly known as Bamberton.  

In 2014, Steelhead LNG contacted the Malahat Nation and expressed an interest in the Bamberton site for a potential floating LNG facility with the idea that they would look for a way to secure or buy the

property. Malahat told Steelhead LNG that the Nation was looking to purchase Bamberton, that the Nation was already in the process of purchasing two lots at Bamberton and were planning on purchasing the whole site over time. Steelhead LNG agreed to support Malahat and wait for the Nation to establish a way to make the purchase the Bamberton site on its own. This was Steelhead LNG’s first step to developing a close working relationship with the Malahat Nation, one based on trust and respect. 

The Bamberton site (5.25-square kilometer) was purchased by the Malahat Nation last year in what Racette stated was one of the largest aboriginal land purchases in Canadian history. The purchase of these lands more than tripled the size of Malahat’s land holdings and was the first deal of it’s kind in Canada.

The LNG development partners shared comments on shared views on executing a collaborative consultation process to maximize the project and minimize the risk of costly delays through collaboration. 

Steelhead LNG began consulting with the Malahat well before entering the regulatory process or advanced design phase and entered into a mutual benefits agreement and long-term lease last year. The agreement took into account the Nation’s Comprehensive Development Plan. The project’s significant economic impact include training and employment opportunities for Malahat Nation members, members of neighbouring First Nations and other local community members. 

Racette expressed her Nation wanted to participate in the LNG project so they can improve the quality of life for their people and bring Nation members back to the community. They want to grow their economy in ways that are respectful of the environment, their traditions, and values, and that provide social and economic benefits to their community and members of four neighbouring First Nations. It is evident that Steelhead LNG shares those goals. 

The evidence shared at the conference was that many Aboriginal people and communities, the Squamish Nation and Malahat Nation (as well as the Lax Kw’alaams), want reasoned development. They are being clear and consistent in articulating what they want, and governments and project proponents are respectfully involving Aboriginal communities in project planning from the earliest concept stage. The PNW, Woodfibre LNG and Steelhead LNG projects are just the latest proof that we all have work to do to get there, more listening to do, but get there we will, despite the hiccups along the way.

Caroline Keddy is a Public Affairs and Digital Engagement Consultant and Founder of leading natural gas and energy digital platforms, facilitating natural gas publications and dialogue, including Natural Gas Europe.

Photography By: Peter Helm, GeoMedia Productions 

Main Image: Steelhead LNG president Victor Ojeda and Malahat Nation CEO Renee Racette

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Emerson Process Management, one of the leading names in process automation for a variety of businesses has released the Rosemount CT5100. The CT5100 is the most recent product in its CT5000 line of series of portable solutions for continuous analysis of gas and monitoring of emissions and is the only hybrid analyzer in the world to combine Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) and Tunable Diode Laser (TDL).

About the product

The CT5100 can analyze approximately 12 critical gasses simultaneously without any modification to handle moisture in the components and is certified for use within international regulations. Not only that, the machine operates with no consumables or in the field enclosure. This means a high level of portability along with a sturdier framework. The CT5100 is also interoperable with its function in the sense that it can be used to process gas analysis, steady monitoring of emissions and ammonia slip uses.

The Technology

The idea behind the CT5100 is the use of the new “laser chirp” technology which enhances the overall sensitivity and selectivity in the gas analysis in the near and mid-range infrared spectrum by eliminating cross interference and enhancing the response time. This is achieved by well-defined peaks with optimal spectroscopy resolution without the incorporation of reference cells, special filtration, or chemometric manipulations. According to Ruth Lindley, product manager for QCL analyzers at Emerson: “The rise in regulatory needs worldwide, as well as the lack of qualified staffs in industrial plants have paved the way for the advent of a new generation of quicker, more precise, and easy-to-use measurement technologies”, which was the inspiration for the CT5100 which works by providing data from 6 different layers of laser inside a single solid-state component for reducing maintenance needed during its lifetime translating in lesser prices for upkeep than any other competitive products in the same range.

Emerson Process Management

Emerson Business Management is a part of the Emerson business group and is a world leader in product automation, processing, and supply in various emerging and established business niches including paper, mining, food & beverages, life sciences etc. Some of the innovative customized solutions in fields like project management, consultation, and engineering have already been implemented by brands like Bettis, Fisher, and Ovation etc.

Emerson

Emerson (NYSE: EMR) is a top of the line company with more than $22.3 billion sales in the fiscal year 2015 alone based in St Louis, Missouri (USA). Not only that, its solutions comprise of specialization in the industrial, consumer and commercial sector in five niches of business:

•    Process Management

•    Industrial Automation

•    Network Power

•    Climate Technologies

•    Commercial & Residential Solutions

 www.EmersonProcess.com 

Aubrey McClendon, 1959 – 2016

Aubrey is a man who built an empire with pioneering courage and determination yet he was accused of being reckless, he was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiring to rig bids for the purchase of oil and natural gas leases in northwest Oklahoma, and he’s been pulled down time and time again by people who are on the sidelines watching him succeed.

Much of the media positions the story in such a way that Aubrey is guilty of a list of wrong doings. That is indeed what it looks like on the surface. But you have to look deeper to get the real story. You have to look at why great people give their entire lives, doing good work, building, architecting and truly making the difference… only to be taken down by a handful of people.

Today my heart is heavy. Not because Aubrey McClendon was a reckless man, but because we’ve just lost one of the most entrepreneurial energy leaders of our time. An advocate for natural cleaner gas, an inventor, and a creator, Aubrey was everything a true entrepreneur could be.  Societies and economies are built on business and once again we have failed to see that every time we take down our business leaders we are actually taking down ourselves.

He was a father, a son, a husband and a friend

Aubrey McClendon was born July 14, 1959, in Oklahoma City,  to Joe and Carole McClendon. He was a son, a father, a husband, a friend. Aubrey graduated from Duke University in 1981 where he met his wife, Kathleen Upton Byrns and they had three children Jack, Callie, and Will.

Aubrey’s early career saw him working as an accountant and a Landman, which gave him the foundation and insight to pursue his own business in the oil and natural gas sector. Aubrey was a visionary leader and entrepreneur in every sense of the word. He had ownership in restaurants, ran hedge funds, invested in a cancer treatment center, and owned he a lot of lands. From 2008 to 2013, Aubrey was one of the U.S.’s largest landowners, owning more than 100,000 acres.

Being a fan of sports, Aubrey also owned 20% of the Oklahoma City Thunder franchise. He made sizeable donations to and served on the board of directors for many municipal and private organizations, of which there are too many to mention. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Heritage Foundation’s Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2007, and in 2009, he was a top finalist for CEO of the Year at the Platts Global Energy Awards. In 2010, U.S. Steel Tubular Products, Inc., gave Aubrey the Chief Roughneck Award, which honors the lifetime achievements of petroleum industry leaders. In 2011, he was awarded the Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur Of The Year in Energy, Cleantech, and Natural Resources.

On March 1, 2016, a federal grand jury indicted Aubrey McClendon for violating antitrust laws, with conspiring to suppress prices paid for oil and natural gas leases by allegedly rigging the bidding process. Knowing the scope of Aubrey’s efforts and contributions, we are left with pressing unanswered questions:

How does one person accomplish so much greatness and yet be accused of such wrong doings?
What was the intention and motives of his accusers?
Why was Aubrey backed into a corner and left with no way out?
Why is he dead?

Understanding the Entrepreneur

By virtue of being entrepreneurial, you must work on the edge of boundaries. You work day in day out. 16 hour days are normal days. You must break common rules and you must push the envelope further in order to create new outcomes. That’s not unethical or unlawful – that’s “entrepreneurial”. 

Nothing has ever progressed without a change in how things currently are. That’s what entrepreneurs do. They look to the future and work back from there. They push boundaries and make new normals. True entrepreneurs are not motivated by money and power, they are “creators”. They build things. They have honest intentions. They are visionary. They change the way the world works and succeeds. Sometimes they have massive gains, sometimes they have massive losses. The stakes are high and they risk it all.

Nothing has ever progressed without a change in how things currently are. That’s what entrepreneurs do. They look to the future and work back from there. They push boundaries and make new normals. True entrepreneurs are not motivated by money and power, they are “creators”. They build things. They have honest intentions. They are visionary. They change the way the world works and succeeds. Sometimes they have massive gains, sometimes they have massive losses. The stakes are high and they risk it all.

True entrepreneurs are not motivated by money and power, they are “creators”. They build things. They have honest intentions. They are visionary. They change the way the world works and succeeds. Sometimes they have massive gains, sometimes they have massive losses. The stakes are high and they risk it all.

To be in business is to break boundaries. It’s that simple. There’s not a business or an organization on the planet that has not broken a rule, stepped over a law, or made a mistake.  And that includes the law firms and the judges and jury’s themselves. Given this, I have to wonder where is the latitude in our culture that allows for change and progress?

Sadly, we have allowed our system, our society, and our beliefs to take down our greatest people. If there’s one thing for certain, Aubrey’s death has shown us that something needs to be done. It’s time we stopped pointing fingers, looked deeper and got to the source of what’s really going on.

Who is to blame?

• Is it people sitting on the sidelines taking down the people who are successful?
• Is it those expecting others to create a more sustainable future doing nothing themselves, all the while complaining about those that do?
• Is it the media’s relentless pursuit to dig up dirt and drama for the sake of viewership and social media engagement?
• Is it the judicial system that has loop-holes that allow it all to happen?
• Is it the mindset of society that doesn’t want others to be too much or have too much?
• Is it entrepreneurs like Aubrey who are changing the world we live in?
• Is it the blame game itself?  Can we find the answers if blame is the focus?

The Chesapeake era

Aubrey and lifetime friend Tom Ward co-founded Chesapeake Energy Corporation in 1989, both at the age of 29. Aubrey became chairman and chief executive officer of Chesapeake while Tom served as the president and chief financial officer and the company drilled its first two wells in Garvin County, Oklahoma in May 1989. Aubrey focused on drilling unconventional reservoirs such as fractured carbonates and shales and was an early adopter of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques which fast-tracked the company growth.

In 1993, Chesapeake became a publicly traded company and in the following three years its stock was the most successful in the country, rising 274% in value from 1994-97. By 2005, it was a well-known fact that Aubrey was one of the country’s top-performing business leaders.  After many years of building the empire, he left his own company and went on to become the founder and chief executive officer of a new firm called American Energy Partners, LP.

No entrepreneur and builder of a company would want to leave what they created.  Circumstances and outside influences force it to happen.  People find fault. They look for reasons to make accusations. Drama and sensationalism are tools used to sway public opinion, investment and stock prices.  That’s the real crime that nobody is talking about.

The Apple disaster

The thing that doesn’t get reported and what most people don’t realize about entrepreneurs is that they already have money, they already have the intelligence and they already have the guts. For the entrepreneur, business is the execution of a dream. It is a self-expression much like an artist with a painting. It’s not about control, power and money it’s much more essential to our human nature as people of contribution and creation.

I’ve heard people say that companies are a separate entity from the people who run them. I beg to differ.  Great companies are always inspired by people, vision, and leadership. Take, for example, Steve Jobs at Apple Computers. He was a true entrepreneur yet it wasn’t long before this mastermind company was under attack by people who tried to take him out.  Greed takes over.  Control takes over. Dominance takes over and the entrepreneur who built it gets taken out of their own creation.  This happens time and time again, especially when companies grow and become publically traded companies.  We all know this, we watch it happen and we do nothing.

The truth is, visionaries are rare. Trying to replicate that kind of energy, obsession, and pure determination is next to impossible. So stealing other people’s ideas and companies, simply doesn’t work in the long term. In the short term, it may happen, but the long term picture reveals so much more.  You have an iPhone in your hand today because Steve Jobs went back to Apple after being ousted from his own company.  When the 10-year mutiny ended, Steve  returned to Apple and the IPhone was born. What a waste of ten years.  Who pays the price for that lost time? I believe the real crime here was with the people who forced him out.  That’s where the law fails our business leaders.

People who have given their lives to business are generally not “crooks” and manipulators, they are powerful visionaries who like to grow and build things and they will make a few mistakes along the way, as every human being on the planet does. What makes one person’s errors more acceptable than others?  These are the complex questions for the day.

We are left with even more, even deeper questions:
Where is the latitude that we must afford entrepreneurs for growing companies as they surpass boundaries and create anew?

How do we provide our leaders and entrepreneurs with the ability to make mistakes?
Where is the clause for being human?

Where does the law stop people from taking down leaders and visionaries from their own companies and creations?

Where is the system failing us all in terms of allowing power and dominance to rule the day?

What is all of this doing to the long-term future of our leadership and business culture overall?

Who wants to create a company and only to end up in jail?

Should it be against the law to be ousted and sued by your own company?

Should there be a way to keep entrepreneurs protected rather than giving others the ability to take them down?

Should companies that become public have a protection clause for founders given they started the company and built it, in the first place?

Right now, rather than focus on these important questions, the mainstream news is focusing on the accident of Aubrey’s death.  That accident is a result of the real issues it is not the issue.  We can’t move forward from drama and sensationalism. We have to go deeper. The lack of answers and conversation around all of these questions is why Aubrey McClendon is dead today.  That is the real tragedy here.

When is the law unlawful?

When the federal grand jury indicted Aubrey for conspiring to suppress prices paid for oil and natural gas leases by allegedly rigging the bidding process, they changed the world ahead. Aubrey denied all charges against him, arguing that for 35 years he has worked to create jobs and help Oklahoma’s economy while providing plentiful energy for the entire country. He said, “The charge that has been filed against me today is wrong and unprecedented, I have been singled out as the only person in the oil and gas industry in over 110 years since the Sherman Act became law to have been accused of this crime in relation to joint bidding on leasehold.”

Aubrey died the next day, on March 2, 2016, when his vehicle crashed into a concrete bridge embankment. Aubrey was backed into a corner with now way out and that’s about the biggest “F*** You” that Aubrey could have conjured up. And it worked – they can’t get him now.

At the end of the day, it is our loss. We are left without Aubrey’s vision, without his determination, without his power, and without his foresight. His generosity and his entrepreneurial leadership are now gone. There is a gaping hole left in every business he touched. Most sadly, his family and friends, are left without his presence and love.

Without a doubt, this is a landslide loss for the energy industry, for business and for entrepreneurs overall.

Aubrey your death has left us with a powerful set of questions that could change the world if we answered them.  We understand that the answers can only come with elevated intention and we all have work to do, to get there. Thank you for being an exemplary example of leadership, for all you have given and for the difference you made. We are truly sorry for the darkness of the world and how it has impacted you. Forgive us for what we have done, we are young minds to your future soul.

Jimi Hendrix said, “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, we will know peace”. 

Aubrey McClendon, may you know peace now.

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Content Strategist & Producer

Tina Olivero is a creative, 25-year veteran of business development and publishing. She is an innovative, tech-savvy, entrepreneur that focuses on elevating companies, communities, and people. She spends her time architecting new business ideas, coaching and also has fun as an international speaker. Her abilities are grounded in a holistic approach that assists clients in overcoming business challenges and meeting business goals.

To book Tina for a consult on business growth and content strategy in the digital era, contact her at tinaolivero@theogm.com