Tag Archives: Oil & Gas Journal

Let’s Do…Breakfast

EMCNext week, PennEnergy Research and the Oil & Gas Journal Site License program are hosting a breakfast with EMC.  A panel of experts will be on hand to discuss Critical Issues Facing the Energy Industry, specifically enabling a culture of safety and SEMS compliance.  Oil & Gas Operators the world over have always been concerned with safety, but recent incidents have brought the issue to the forefront.  Since the BP Macodo explosion (Deepwater Horizon) regulations have been put in place as an industry standard.  The Safety and Environmental Management Systems created by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) have been implemented and this not only impacts the operators but those companies who supply goods and services to them.

The discussion on April 8, 2014 tackles the issue of how Big Data can help.  It doesn’t matter if you’re an operator or a supply chain partner, Big Data can help assure operational excellence.

Beginning the Conversation

Bob Tippee, the Editor in Chief of the Oil & Gas Journal will kick things off with opening remarks.  Mr. Tippee has more than 30 years with the Oil & Gas Journal, and is one of the smartest men I know.  Every time I talk with him or hear him speak, I learn something new. Bob Tippee has been chief editor of Oil & Gas Journal since January 1999 and a member of the Journal staff since October 1977. Before joining the magazine, he worked as a reporter at the Tulsa World and served for four years as an officer in the US Air Force. A native of St. Louis, he holds a degree in journalism from the University of Tulsa.

The Panel of Experts

Dr. Scott Shemwell

Leading the panel of energy industry thought leaders is Dr. Scott Shemwell.  Dr. Shemwell, Managing Director of The Rapid Response Institute is an authority and thought leader in field operations and risk management with over 30 years in the energy sector leading turnaround and transformation processes for global S&P 500 organizations as well as start-up and professional service firms. He had been directly involved in over $5 billion acquisition and divestitures as well as the management of significant projects and business units.

He formerly served as Chief Operating Officer for an energy services company. He directed Oracle’s Energy Practice as vice president responsible for driving the strategic direction and business development.

While at MCI Systemhouse (now HP) he developed and implemented of the firm’s Y2K practice with a focus on the real-time systems responsible for both upstream and downstream petroleum production operation—forerunner of today’s Digital Oilfield.

While serving on the Halliburton Energy Services Leadership Team, he led its Information Technology line of business and was directly engaged in the transformation of the company into its Integrated Solutions business model as well acting as the CIO of the $2 billion Terra Nova (offshore Canada) project.

Dr. Shemwell has authored over 300 articles and presentations and three books; Essays on Business and Information, volumes I & II and just released, implementing a Culture of Safety: A Roadmap for Performance Based Compliance as co-author. He also serves as a member of the PennEnergy Research Advisory Board.

Formerly a Commissioned Officer in the United States Army Air Defense Artillery, he holds a Bachelor of Science in physics from North Georgia College, a Master of Business Administration from Houston Baptist University and a Doctor of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University.

Martin Richards

Martin Richards joins Scott on the panel.   Martin is a member of the Energy Industry Solutions business within EMC’s IIG division. In 2010 Martin set up a team to design, develop and deploy content management solutions focused on the Energy Industry. Based on many years previous experience of content management Martin and his team built the Energy Industry solution suites and took them to market in mid 2011 – the EPFM suite. EMC Capital Projects, the initial solution, is aimed at managing content and processes and collaboration within a major Capital Project. The first EMC Capital Project solution was sold in Q3 2011 and this has now be sold in to over 40 organizations, in the Oil and Gas, Mining and Engineering markets. Based on the success achieved in 2011 EPFM became a fully managed EMC product in 2012.

To date the Energy Solutions have driven over $50m of sales revenue.

Capital Projects is now available as a cloud based subscription service, based on EMCs OnDemand hosting facilties (CPaaS)

At the start of Q1 2013 the EPFM suite was enhanced to include products for Asset Operations, Handover and Commissioning and Supplier Exchange.

2004-2009 – Senior Director EMC Consulting

Martin joined EMC in 2004 to develop the EMC IIG services business. Martin was initially based in the UK and focused on the EMEA market. Martin built the EMEA services team and developed the business from $10m to $50m per year in revenue. The key successes during this period was to build out the services operation in the emerging markets (Middle East, Africa, Russia) and to develop a key account strategy – driving >50% of annual revenues from a select number of strategic customers.

Martin moved to the USA in 2008 to take over the Americas Services business. During 2008-9 Martin operated a stable business generating $80m in services revenue annually.

I’m excited about the opportunity to watch these guys in action next week.  If you’re in Houston and would like to join us, you can register here.  I’ll be on hand for a little while after the event to talk one on one with individuals who would like more information surrounding these topics.  Hopefully, we’ll see you there!

‘Til next time,

Jessica

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Refinery Complexity Talks

This morning’s webinar on the Worldwide Refinery Survey with Complexity Analysis with Daniel Johnston was a great success.  Thank you to everyone who attended.  Just in case you didn’t catch it this morning, never fear!  I recorded it.  You can view the recording here.  There’s even a discount code for PennEnergy Research‘s refining products included at the end.

Daniel did a fantastic job, and we got some great questions from the audience.  Find out information about how it all started, primary reasons to use the refinery complexity analysis, and how it all comes together.  If you view and have questions, just let me know, and I’ll suss out the answers for you.  After the webinar, if you want a copy of the slide deck, I can hook you up there as well.  Just email me at jthompson@pennwell.com.

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Preparing for The Big Crew Change

The Big Crew Change has been a topic of conversation for…a while.  As the energy sector’s workforce gets closer to retirement, the discussion centers around ramping up recruiting efforts to enhance the workforce.  What about all the information and experience that is the current workforce’s legacy?  How do we pass that on to the incoming workforce?

PennEnergy suggests that site licenses from well-known industry publications may be a solution.  The Oil & Gas Journal is one such publication.  It has extensive history, horizontal content, accessible archives, and wide readership. (Bonus: I know a lot about this one because I work with their site license program.)

The Oil & Gas Journal’s first issue was released in 1902, and it has remained a leader in the industry.

Oil & Gas Journal presents news and technical articles and statistics about a specific, vitally important business to professional workers in that business.  It selects articles and facts within articles carefully in service to one standard: usefulness to the target audience.  It anticipates readers’ questions about the subjects and events it covers and pursues and reports answers, in as much operational detail as possible – Oil & Gas Journal Media Kit 2014

The weekly issues cover the depth and breadth of the oil & gas industry with content that appeals to a broad spectrum of oil & gas professionals across the globe. A Signet Ad Study done by the Oil & Gas Journal in July 2013 confirmed their readers include professionals from the following industries:

  • ProductionOGJ
  • Exploration
  • Drilling
  • Financial/Business
  • Gas Processing
  • Pipeline/Transportation
  • Refining
  • Petrochemical

For all of its extensive history, OGJ has adapted with the times.  Oil & Gas Journal is published 4-5 times monthly, and each issue is an interactive, online magazines delivered via email.  However, they haven’t abandoned the rich tradition of the print publication.  Each month there is a print magazine released, in addition to the digital edition,that is, on average, around 140 pages.  However the reader prefers to read their industry news, OGJ is ready to provide.  They even have mobile apps available.

As the current workforce gets closer to retirement, preserving and passing on that information and experience is vital, because while much about the oil & gas industry improves and changes, there is much that stays the same as well.  More than 100 years of covering the oil & gas industry’s news in technology, policy, and comprehensive statistical information, OGJ offers a legacy of rich information the incoming work force will need during this Big Crew Change.

A benefit of the site license program is that it offers their wealth of knowledge through easily accessible archives.  As of today, the magazine has digitized the content back to 1990.  Okay, so let’s do a little math (don’t worry, I used a calculator).  That’s 24 years of issues that are archived and available at the end of 2014.  That would be 1,248 issues of the Oil & Gas Journal are at the fingertips of every site license client.  All the technical information, statistics, surveys, and special reports are right there.

The special reports and features are chosen with great thought each quarter to ensure they are applicable to what is happening right now in the industry.  Some of those features include the Worldwide Refinery Survey, Worldwide Construction Projects, and US Pipeline Economics Study.  Industry experts and editors of the Oil & Gas Journal have contributed to PennEnergy Research’s webinar content.  Sr. Pipeline Editor Christ Smith spoke at a webinar with PennEnergy Research in September and Daniel Johnston who compiles the Complexity Analysis that goes with the refinery survey will be contributing to a webinar on January 28th.

Each site license client’s site license is customized to their needs, and can even include statistical tables and research from PennEnergy Research in addition to the content from the Oil & Gas Journal.  With a current client list of 42 companies including majors, super-majors, and national oil companies, the site license program has become a go-to resource for industry leaders.

Don’t just take my word for it, the Oil & Gas Journal is recognized by B-to-B Magazine as one of the Media Power 50.

Oil & Gas Journal assumes a leadership role within the oil and gas publishing arena through dominance in digital advancement.  It is with great confidence that the OGJ brand continually excels at extending media vehicles not only for readers, but also for advertisers to reach and target global audiences.

For this reason, OGJ received recognition in B-to-B Magazine as one of the Media Power 50 in May 2013.  OGJ is also the only publication within the oil and gas industry to gas such accreditation in 2013. – Oil & gas Journal Media Kit 2014

How does your company plan to handle the Big Crew Change?  Where do you get your industry information?

‘Til next time,

Jessica

 

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Worldwide Refinery Survey with Complexity Analysis Webinar

The Oil & Gas Journal, an organization I work for, does an annual survey of all the refineries in the world.  It contains lots of data, I’ve listed all the data fields below.  As popular as this survey has always been, PennEnergy Research decided to take it a step further and included the Complexity Analysis, and Daniel Johnston and I are doing a webinar about it on January 28th, 10:00AM CST.  This takes the Nelson Refinery Complexity Index, which is information on construction costs, product slate, replacement values, etc.  Okay, so that doesn’t begin to cover it, so here’s the summary information.

The Worldwide Refinery Survey and Complexity Analysis combines the 2014 Worldwide Refinery Survey with the Nelson Refinery Complexity Index. The Nelson Refinery Complexity Index is a cost-based index. The index provides insight into such things as refinery construction costs, replacement value, conversion capability and product slate.

The Nelson and the Equivalent indices have been improved and upgraded based on the author Daniel Johnston’s extensive research, analysis and discussions with those in the industry. Specifics are detailed in the documents enclosed with the spreadsheets. Other criteria that make an index practical include; consistency, repeatability, compatibility with the available data, and easiness to understand and access.

Both the Nelson Complexity Index (NCI) and Equivalent Distillation Capacity (EDC) are included and calculated into the regular Refinery survey spreadsheet. The Nelson Complexity Index is a pure cost-based index. It provides a relative measure of refinery construction costs based upon the distillation and upgrading capacity a refinery has. The index was developed by Wilbur L. Nelson in the 1960s to quantify the relative cost of the components that make up a refinery. The Nelson index compares the costs of various upgrading units such as a catalytic cracker, or a reformer to the cost of a crude distillation unit. NCI and EDC statistics have become widely used in industry literature to provide insight into various aspects of refinery value or operations.

For the third year in a row, the Bottom of Barrel Index is also included. The BoB index provides a means of quantifying and characterizing a refinery’s ability to process heavy crudes and produce premium refined products. It represents the combined capacity of a refineries Coking, Catalytic Cracking and Hydrocracking units relative to Distillation Capacity (expressed as a percentage). US average BoB Index is 55% (1/1/2011) Rest of the World average is 21% (excluding the US). Total World average is 28%.

Additionally the survey includes ownership percentages. Listed are the individual or multiple owners and their percentages.

So, every year I get a ton of questions on this survey and the information in the complexity analysis, and I always do my best to find the answers…Because, I don’t have all the answers.  This year, I decided to get their answers about the Complexity Analysis from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.  Daniel Johnston is incredibly knowledgeable and a great speaker.   He has added real value to the responses the Oil & Gas Journal receives from the refineries, so that the user gets information on stuff like construction costs and product slates.  This is going to be the first webinar Daniel and I will do together.  (Well, I say “together”…basically I do the introduction, closing and ask the questions and he says all the important stuff.)  I’m really excited about this upcoming webinar.  If you want to check it out or if you know someone who might want to check it out, you can register here.  There’s no cost, and this will be recorded.  So if you aren’t sure if you can be there on January 28th at 10:00AM CST, register anyway.  I’ll email you a link to the recording when everything is said and done.

Data fields for the Worldwide Refinery Survey:

  • Distillation Capacity
  • Vacuum Distillation
  • Thermal Processes
  • Coking
  • Catalytic Cracking
  • Catalytic Reforming
  • Catalytic Hydrocracking
  • Catalytic Hydrorefining
  • Catalytic Hydrotreating
  • Alkylation
  • Polemerization
  • Aromatics
  • Isomerization
  • Lubes
  • Asphalt
  • Hydrogen (MCFD)
  • Oxygenates
  • Sulfur Extraction
  • Ownership Percentage

‘Til next time,

Jessica

 

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Train Derailment in North Dakota Sends a Fireball Skyrocketing

Monday, a mile-long train carrying crude oil derailed near Casselton, ND, sending a fireball skyrocketing and plumes of black smoke filling the air.  Fortunately, no one was hurt in the explosion, but concern over toxic fumes from the smoke has prompted authorities to call for an evacuation of the town.

As darkness fell, the fire was still so intense that investigators couldn’t get close enough to count the number of cars ablaze, but an estimate put that number at 10.  With temperatures below zero, the heat radiating from the blaze could be felt at least half a mile away.

Hannah Linnard, 13, said she was in the bedroom of her friend’s house about half a mile from the derailment, wrapping late Christmas presents.

“I looked out the window and all of a sudden the train car tipped over and the whole thing was engulfed in flames and it just exploded.  The oil car tipped over onto the grain car,” she said.  Hannah said she could feel the warmth even inside the house. – Huffington Post, Train Derailment Causes Fiery Destruction In Casselton, ND, Dave Koplack, 12/30/13, 9:54PM EST

The North Dakota Department of Health warned that exposure to the burning oil could cause a variety of symptoms including: shortness of breath, coughing and itching and watery eyes.  People suffering from respiratory conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, or emphysema in the vicinity were urged to minimize outdoor activity.

Ed McConnell said early Tuesday that most residents heeded the recommendation to evacuate their homes to avoid the strong winds predicted to shift blowing potentially hazardous smoke toward the town overnight. With forecasts predicting one of the coldest nights of the year, residents were urged to relocate to a shelter at Discovery Middle School in Fargo, about 25 miles away, rather than sleep in their cars.

The rail tracks run straight through the middle of Casselton, a town of 2,400 people about 25 miles west of Fargo.  McConnell estimated that dozens of people could have been killed if the derailment had happened within city limits. ABC News, Mayor: ND Town Dodged a Bullet in Crude Explosion, Dave Kolpack, 12/31/2013 (AP)

According to Oil & Gas Journal statistics, North Dakota produced 242,486,000 barrels of oil in 2012, and a good portion of the production is transported by rail. United States Crude Oil Production By State – Annual, PennEnergy Research.  The number of crude oil carloads has seen a dramatic increase since 2009 as activity in the Bakken continues.

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Critical Energy Issues Discussion Webinar Recording…and Other Stuff

This morning I did a webinar with Dr. Scott Shemwell, Critical Energy Issues Discussion Webinar, and we recorded it.  Basically, all I do is set things up for the guy with all the information.  Dr. Shemwell is the one who did all the heavy lifting on this.  The webinar covers topics like integrity management, a new critical energy issues forum, an Economic Value Proposition Matrix designed for the industry, and a lot of other information.  However, we managed to keep it around 45 minutes, and I like to talk so that was a bit of a challenge.

A lot of this revolves around the SEMS (Safety Environmental Management System) regulations.  After the BP Macondo (Deepwater Horizon) incident, these issues really took center stage, and the final rule is out.  The deadline approaches for the audits done by accredited third party auditors. (It is November 15, 2013).  SEMS may only apply to deepwater operations now, but word is that it will be spreading to shallow water and onshore operations before too long.  The webinar goes over a lot of really great information, and since you aren’t getting the webinar live, comment with any questions that come up.  I’ll take them to the expert (whoever that may be) and I’ll reply to your comment with the answer.  The same thing goes for information on PennEnergy Research or the Oil & Gas Journal Site License program.  If you know someone you think would be interested in this, then share the love.  The webinar is free and runs about 45 minutes.

During the webinar, Scott references a lot of different different sites, so I wanted to make sure that everybody could find all the things.  If you’re in the Houston area there’s the upcoming breakfast to kick off the Critical Energy Issues Forum on October 24, 2013 at the Deep Offshore Technology Conference in The Woodlands, TX.  We hope that you’ll be able to join us there for an in depth discussion of the topics covered in the webinar, and you can register here for that event.  If you’d  like to become a member of the Critical Energy Issues Forum that begins on November 1, 2013, you can register for your member only access here.  Dr. Shemwell’s Governing Energy blog regarding good practices in the nuclear industry will be going up shortly, and you can read that as well as previous posts and additional blogs posted on PennEnergy.

‘Til next time,

Jessica