NEW ORLEANS (April 11, 2016) - Executive leadership of the Gas Processors Association (GPA) announced today during the general session of its 95th annual convention that it has officially changed its name to GPA Midstream Association.

GPA Midstream was selected to more clearly identify the midstream industry role that the organization has evolved into in recent years, while also keeping the equity of the three-letter GPA reference by which the longtime energy trade association is most popularly known.

“I don’t care if your business is one year old or nearly 100 years like ours, the name change process is neither easy nor fun, but it was necessary for us,” said Mark Sutton, president and CEO of the association. “Plain and simple, we’re no longer made up only of ‘gas processors’ and, in reality, that’s been the case for several years now. Our membership today represents every aspect of the midstream industry and it’s time that we make that claim.”

A key consideration in the name change decision was the fact that “GPA” has become much more visible in Washington, D.C., and in several key energy state capitols as a result of the association’s heightened advocacy efforts over the past few years. The association opened and manned an office in D.C. in early 2015.

“Our association has made great strides in being a respected authority in legislative and regulatory arenas in dealing with everything midstream,” said Sutton. “Government and environmental groups know us as GPA, and GPA Midstream keeps that identity plus bolsters our position as the experts on midstream issues even more.”

GPA Midstream Association will have no abbreviation and no reference to Gas Processors Association moving forward. The letters “GPA” will simply be part of the new name, GPA Midstream.

GPA Midstream is the fifth name for the association that was founded in 1921. It originally was the Association of Natural Gasoline Manufacturers. In 1927 its name changed to Natural Gasoline Association of America. Another adjustment came in 1961, to Natural Gas Processors Association. The name was shortened to Gas Processors Association in 1974.

GPA Midstream represents nearly 100 corporate members of all sizes. Most are U.S.-based companies, but membership does include some international companies. Members are engaged in the gathering and processing of natural gas into saleable pipeline gas, which are commonly referred to as midstream activities in the energy industry.

GPA Midstream’s corporate office is located in Tulsa, Okla.

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