SAN ANTONIO, Texas (April 14, 2015) - The Gas Processors Association (GPA) and its sister organization, the Gas Processors Suppliers Association (GPSA), recognized several member companies with awards for their outstanding midstream industry safety records at the 2015 GPA Convention this week in San Antonio, Texas. GPA also presented the GPA Award for Environmental Excellence during the three-day conference.
In yesterday's general session of the 94th annual GPA Convention, GPA Chairman Joel Moxley, Crestwood Midstream Partners, and GPA Safety Chair Brian McGuire, DCP Midstream, honored 12 member companies with GPA Safety Awards for their 2014 performances.
The GPA Safety Awards Program recognizes GPA member companies for outstanding safety performance in comparison among similar companies within the association's membership. U.S.-based and non-U.S. midstream operating companies compete and are recognized separately for the safety honors.
The four award divisions are determined by a range of midstream operational workhours, from less than 50,000 to more than one million. The top two entries in each division are selected according to lowest "total cases incidence rate" (TCR), lowest "fatalities plus lost workdays incidence rate" (LTR) and highest "number of workhours reported."
The 2014 safety award winners are:
Division I (1 million or more Midstream Operational Workhours)
For U.S.-based companies, Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (The Woodlands, Texas) received first place honors with a 0.271 TCR, 0.090 LTR and 2,210,940 workhours. Second place was awarded to Access Midstream (Tulsa, Okla.) for a 0.639 TCR, 0.128 LTR and 1,564,156 workhours.
Division I first place winner in the international classification was United Gas Derivatives Co. (Cairo, Egypt) with a zero TCR, zero LTR and 1,213,060 workhours. Saudi Aramco received second place, with a 0.135 TCR, zero LTR and 10,366,264 workhours.
Division II (200,000 - 999,999 Midstream Operational Workhours)
First place was awarded to ConocoPhillips (Houston) with a zero TCR, a zero LTR and 373,795 workhours. Second place honors went to Hess Corp. (New York) with a 0.898 TCR, a zero LTR and 667,808 workhours.
Within the international category, first place winner in Division II was Phoenix Park Gas Processors Ltd. (Trinidad, West Indies) with a zero TCR, zero LTR and 465,217 workhours. Bahrain National Gas Co. (Riffa, Bahrain) received second place with a 0.230 TCR, 0.230 LTR and 870,015 workhours.
Division III (50,000 - 199,999 Midstream Operational Workhours)
In the U.S. category, Superior Pipeline Co. (Tulsa, Okla.) was honored with the first place award for a zero TCR, a zero LTR and 196,729 workhours. Second place went to Azure Midstream Energy (Dallas) with a zero TCR, a zero LTR and 174,384 workhours.
Division III had no international qualifiers in this classification.
Division IV (less than 50,000 Midstream Operational Workhours)
No U.S. companies qualified for a Division IV award. Within the non-U.S.-based companies, first place was awarded to Aitken Creek Gas Storage (Fort St. John, British Columbia) with a zero TCR, a zero LTR and 38,933 workhours. There was not a second place qualifier.
GPA Award for Environmental Excellence
Moxley also presented the GPA Award for Environmental Excellence to Targa Resources and Oxy USA, both headquartered in Houston.
Targa Resources was honored for its Managing Reciprocating Rod Packing Emissions project. The initiative was part of an overall operational goal to reduce plant emissions, maintenance downtime and improve fuel efficiency.
The company initiated SlipStream technology in January 2011 as a means of reducing/eliminating reciprocating compressor packing vent gas from throw compressors at its Chico Gas Plant in Wise County, Texas. The SlipStream system allows reduction in atmospheric vented reciprocating rod packing emissions, while improving fuel efficiency.
The success of the project is measured by the recordable rod packing vent emissions that are used as fuel. To date, cumulative engine fuel savings has been nearly $18,000, which equates to 1,421 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent that is being captured and, most importantly, not vented to the atmosphere.
Oxy USA’s recognition was for its Slaughter Gas Plant Sulfur Recovery Unit (SRU) Shutdown project. The goal was a total elimination of emissions from the SRU during normal operation and periods of maintenance, startup and shutdown.
The process incorporates the use of a compressor to take the feed stream that was formerly routed to the SRU and send it to Occidental’s Mallet Plant. At Mallet, the gas stream is mixed with another feed stream and further compressed for reinjection for enhanced oil recovery.
Compared with the baseline year of 2013, the project resulted in an estimated 67 percent reduction in actual emissions. Additionally, in the same time comparison, an estimated 97 percent reduction of SO2 and CO2 emissions associated with startup, shutdown and maintenance activities were achieved. Greater emission reductions are expected over an entire 12-month period of operation.
GPSA Safety Awards
GPSA today awarded six member companies for outstanding safety records. GPSA safety awards are based on each company's 2014 Occupational Safety and Health Administration records and a three-year history of active programs promoting safety and displaying safety improvement.
GPSA Safety Award recipients are ENGlobal (Houston), Prime Controls (Lewisville, Texas), Saulsbury Industries (Odessa, Texas), S & B Engineers and Constructors (Houston), Valerus (Houston) and Vinson Process Controls (Dallas).
