University Of Texas Arlington Oil And Gas Safety And Health Conference, Houston, TX

I had a chance to visit the UTA Oil And Gas Conference this week at the Marriott Marquis, December 14 – 15. It was my first time and I really liked it. Part of my job as a process engineer is to size relief devices, so I always like to visit places like this and catch up on what is new – even if it does not really address relief devices specifically.

Here is a list of the Keynote Speakers:

• Vicki Hollub, President and Chief Executive Officer, Oxy – Wednesday

• Frank Macchiarola, Senior Vice President of Policy, Economics, and Regulatory Affairs, American Petroleum Institute – Thursday

One of the things that caught my attention is the importance of refineries and plants to report the types and quantities of chemicals that they have on site. There is a government data base where this data is dumped. Thus, fire departments and police have access to this info in the event of a incident at those facilities. Another thing is the growing desire for remote training. When I go to work at a refinery, I have to get generalized safety training, and sometimes, site specific training too. This can all be done remotely now.

This was a good meeting. I hope to attend again, so stay tuned to Houston Energy Industry News.