GPA Midstream started conducting research near its formation in the 1920s and in the1960s, association leaders recognized the burgeoning technological needs of a growing industry and founded a formal research program. The basic design of that program remains in place today.
Structured as a cooperative effort, GPA Midstream member companies, as well as other interested parties, discuss the midstream industry’s most pressing needs and work together to select research projects that are practical, efficient, and cost-effective. This program enables the midstream industry to collectively pursue topics that increase knowledge and improve operations that our individual members would otherwise be unable to pursue.
The collaboration of GPA Midstream members has built a legacy of anticipating and determining the industry’s most pressing needs, and continues to serve as an effective and efficient means to:
Identify gaps in thermodynamic and physical property data needed to design and operate midstream facilities.
Evaluate new correlations and computer models used for calculation of data.
Defineand manage research projects to measure data for systems encountered duringmidstream operations
Address midstream facility design and operating issues.
Two Research Committee sub-groups oversee selection and administration of research projects. Subgroup 1 focuses on hydrocarbon solubility in amines, mercury solubility, and hydrocarbon freezing while Subgroup2 focuses on high pressure gas and liquids properties and equilibria, acid gas systems, and water solubility in gas and liquids.
These committee members are industry veterans with extensive knowledge of problems faced by this industry day-to-day, as well as the availability of data needed to address these challenges. This expertise — both theoretical and practical — of data and processes make them proficient guides and evaluators of this research effort.
In addition to the individual knowledge each member brings, the collective synergy results in excellent supervision and assessment of new and continuing research, ensuring that GPA Midstream member companies receive the maximum benefit in return for their funding contributions.
The Research Committees always need new participants and ideas. If your company wants to be a part of GPA Midstream’s work in this area, please contact GPA Midstream Vice President of Technical Services Martin Erne.
All GPA Midstream research effort is guided by common-sense principles:
Research must concentrate on areas of critical importance to the midstream industry.
Research must be directed toward problems where solutions are considered possible.
Economic value to the industry must be evaluated in advance.
Projects must avoid areas of a proprietary nature or where patents would restrict sharing of the research results.
All GPA Midstream members contribute to the research program through a portion of their annual dues. Funding and support are also provided by industry allies such as the Propane Education & Research Council and GPSA, as well as partnerships with other energy associations such as American Petroleum Institute and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). GPA Midstream also welcomes contributions to specific research projects on a voluntary basis. To contribute, please contact GPA Midstream Vice President of Technical ServicesMartin Erne.
GPA Midstream appreciates your company's contribution to this industry research program. Your company's participation is critical to keeping GPA Midstream on the leading edge of technological advancement in the industry.
A benefit of GPA Midstream and GPSA membership is the ability to download electronic copies of all GPA Midstream Research reports at no charge. Non-members of GPA Midstream or GPSA may purchase reports.
Click here to access electronic copies of GPA Midstream reports.
Click here for a list of published research reports.
