Oil and gas industry announcements: 29 August 2014

APGA

NGVAmerica and the Clean Vehicle Education Foundation (CVEF) has released an important technical safety bulletin on the critical need for temperature compensation when refuelling compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles. The need to limit the pressure on CNG tanks is well known and understood. However, in order to effectively limit pressure in the tank, the pressure of the fuel dispensed into the tank is not the only factor. This is due to the fact that even if the pressure of the fuel being dispensed is regulated, the CNG in the tank may increase in temperature after fuelling is complete if the temperature of the environment rises. When the temperature of the fuel rises, the pressure increases due to the tendency of matter to change in volume. In this case, it increases in response to a change in temperature. The rapid change in pressure can lead to safety incidents.

One example of just such an incident is described in the bulletin, ‘a vehicle was time filled outdoors on an unusually cold winter night and without accurate temperature compensation; the approximate station pressure setting was 3600 psi. In the morning, the vehicle was then moved to a heated service garage where temperatures were much warmer. The result was the pressure in the container increased to over 5000 psi, causing a pressure relief device (PRD) to quickly vent the entire fuel load. The released fuel was ignited and the garage and vehicles burned.’

BP

At approximately 9pm on August 27 the Whiting refinery experienced an operational incident on a process unit on the north end of the refinery. The refinery’s in house fire department responded to the incident and the fire was extinguished at 10:55 pm. Refinery operations were minimally impacted as a result of the incident and the refinery continues to produce products for customers. One refinery employee was taken to a local hospital as a precaution, but was later released.

Chevron

Chevron USA Inc. has announced the launch and expansion of the 2014 Fuel Your School program, an innovative collaboration with DonorsChoose.org, an online organisation that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need. In 2014, the Fuel Your School Program will generate up to US$ 8.6 million in classroom supply funding for educators in 22 US communities in 14 states where Chevron operates, with the help of local Chevron and Texaco marketers in 6 markets.

Dale Walsh, President, Chevron Americas Products said, ‘education is a building block to promote economic development and bright futures for young people. Chevron is proud to expand this successful program to continue to strengthen educational opportunities in the communities where we operate.’

ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil has contributed more than US$ 3 million since 2011 to help establish the Akademi Siswa Bangsa Internastional (ABSI) high school in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. ExxonMobil’s funding has helped provide scholarships to nearly 200 students, primarily young women, covering three years of fees, housing, food, textbooks, health benefits and uniforms. More than 190 students who received these scholarships recently graduated. The Putra Sampoerna Foundation managed the program in partnership with local communities and provided counselling for the students and soft skills training, such as leadership and entrepreneurship skills training, for both students and teachers.

Fauziah Zulfa, a student, excelled in maths and social science with a prefect score of 10 out of 10 on the national exam said, ‘I have had many positive experiences, but the most important one if the knowledge I have gained.’

Honeywell

62 central New York middle school students completed ‘Honeywell Summer Science Week at the MOST’ this summer. The week long exploration of the Onondage Lake watershed, led by the Museum of Science and Technology (MOST), aims to inspire students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math education while becoming environmental stewards in their communities. Students studied local birds in their habitats, bug collecting, water testing, and GPS sampling procedures.

Katherine Baldwin, a 2014 participant said, ‘Honeywell Summer Science Week has helped me learn more about science and become more interested in it, learning hands on and also being able to give me something to connect to when I’m in the classroom learning again next year.’

Edited from various press releases by Claira Lloyd

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/29082014/oil-gas-industry-announcements-29-aug/