2014
West Coast Oil & Gas Awards Winner’s Yearbook
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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Upcoming regional Industry Summits and Gala Dinners ) Tel: 210 591 8471 2
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
* www.oilandgasawards.com
Welcome to the 2014 West Coast Oil & Gas Awards commemorative Yearbook
W
elcome to the 2014 West Coast Oil & Gas Awards commemorative Yearbook. These were the 2nd annual Awards for the West Coast region and the organizations and individuals in this journal were acknowledged by the award’s judging panel to have excelled in their work in 2014, whilst also focusing on the industry core values of Health & Safety, Environmental Stewardship and Corporate Social Responsibility. The Oil & Gas Awards champion best practice and recognize organizations operating in the upstream and midstream sectors of the industry. The media and members of the general public do not distinguish between the different sectors of the industry, which is why the Awards incorporate categories for all parts of the upstream and midstream sectors. The absent mindedness of an individual on an assembly line can have dramatic consequences months later should equipment fail when being used in the field. This reflects badly on the industry as a whole, we therefore think it is extremely important that best practice is championed from top to bottom and the Awards are a platform to promote to the press and public the great work being done. The Oil & Gas Awards are unique in highlighting the incredible innovation and commitment to positive industry development and expansion, rebutting traditionally negative mainstream coverage. The Awards celebrate corporate success twinned with organization’s commitment to health & safety, environmental stewardship and corporate social responsibility.
In this 2nd year for the Awards in this region we also added the Industry Summit during the day immediately before the Awards gala dinner in the evening. In this yearbook you can read coverage from the Industry Summit keynote presentations and speaker panels discussing the challenges the industry faces. I hope you find this interesting and hope to see you at next years Industry Summit. I would like to congratulate all of the organizations and individuals that were voted finalists by the judges, and to the winners - well done! Many thanks to the thought leading organizations and individuals that participated in the Industry Summit and Awards. We especially appreciate the support of our judges, sponsors and partners, without whom the Oil & Gas Awards would not be possible. As you receive this we are about to celebrate the 3rd Annual Oil & Gas Awards in the Rocky Mountain, Northeast and Gulf Coast regions. To find out more about the upcoming Industry Summits and to attend any of the Awards galas please visit www.oilandgasawards.com. I hope that you enjoy reading this commemorative Yearbook, please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to share your thoughts and feedback. Best regards,
Daniel P. Creasey Chairman, Oil & Gas Awards.
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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Contents
Editorial
Guest of Honor
5
Judging panel
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Congratulations to the 2014 Southwest Winners
38
Congratulations to the 2014 Midcontinent Winners
39
A-Z of finalists
65
Oil & Gas Awards Contacts
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13 Battleground: California
20 Forever the Trendsetters
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Winners’ pages Construction Company of the Year
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The TEEMCO E&P Company of the Year
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Kenworth Truck Company Oilfield Services Company of the Year
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Award for Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility
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Award for Excellence in Health & Safety
24
Engineering Company of the Year
30
General Industry Service Award
35
Consultancy of the Year
37
Water Management Company of the Year
41
VZ Environmental Award for Excellence in Environmental Stewardship
45
New Technology Development of the Year Award
48
MTS Solutions Industry Leader
51
Award for Drilling Excellence
53
Industry Supplier of the Year
57
Manufacturer of the Year
59
Breitling Energy Future Industry Leader
62
Here Comes the Sun
32 The Results are In
42 Breaking Through
46 Up in the Air
49 Communities are Key
54 A Hero’s Welcome
60 Oil by Rail – The Numbers Game
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
Guest of Honor Senator Jean Fuller
G
uest of Honor at the West Coast Oil & Gas Awards was Senator Jean Fuller.
Some of the highlights from Senator Jean Fuller’s keynote address:
Senator Fuller represents approximately 850,000 residents of Bakersfield, Barstow, Bishop, California City, Frazier Mountain, Porterville, Ridgecrest, Taft, Twentynine Palms, Tulare, Visalia and other areas in the Kern River Valley and in Inyo and San Bernardino counties.
“This should be as important to California as the Academy Awards, or more so, that’s how important your industry is!”
Senator Fuller’s top legislative priority this year is reducing regulations that burden California’s businesses that prevent them from hiring, or rehiring, workers. Jean believes that putting more people to work and solving each Californian’s personal budget crisis is the key to California’s economic rebound.
“We have a great resource and a wonderful set of people with fabulous skills and tremendous technology in this state.”
“I thought that the panels during the summit were fabulous, they were a great opportunity for a variety of kinds of people to get together and educate themselves and all of you.”
“I also want to thank you for your gift to society, to our world, to our national security. Without energy America will die.”
Click here to watch the video
To see the video of Senator Jean Fuller’s complete keynote address please visit www.oilandgasawards.com.
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
Judging panel A. Daniel Hill
Arthur Roy
Benjamin Hulburt
Department Head and holder of the Noble Chair in Petroleum Engineering
Chairman and CEO
President & CEO
Texas A&M University
Liberty Energy Corp.
Eclipse Resources
Brad Holly
Brad Johnson
Brent Breon
Vice President Operations (Rockies)
Exploitation Manager
Vice President Business Development
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
Apache Corporation
Blue Racer Midstream, LLC
Brian Blount
Burt A. Waite
Celesta Miracle
VP Commercial
Board Director
VP Government Relations
Crestwood Midstream Partners LP
PIOGA
PDC Energy
Chandra S. Rai
Chris Faulkner
Chris Garner
Director
CEO
Director
Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering
Breitling Oil and Gas
Long Beach Gas and Oil
Chris Mazzini
Chris Sowyrda
Christopher Abruzzo
President
Senior Staff Operations Engineer
Acting Secretary
Spindletop Oil & Gas Co.
Memorial Resource Development Corp.
Department of Environmental Protection
David Freudenrich
David L. Henderson
David Renz
Director of Energy Services
President
Senior EHS Coordinator
PVE Sheffler, LLC
Seely Oil Company
Noble Energy
David S. Schechter
Deepak Devegowda
Douglas Wight
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Vice President of Exploration
Texas A&M University
Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering
Discovery Natural Resources
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Judging panel Duane Wassum
Dwight Roass
Edwin Mongan
President
Vice President
Senior Manager Environment
National Fuel Gas Midstream Corporation
Creed Operating Co, Llc
BHP Billiton
Elliott Heide
Frank F. Starr
Gary C. Evans
Assistant General Counsel
President
Chairman & CEO
Occidental Petroleum Corporation
Crimson Energy Partners III LLC
Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation
Gary E. Slagel
Guy Goudy
Heather L. Lamparter
Senior Advisor for Environmental Affairs
President & Chief Operating Officer
General Counsel
Steptoe & Johnson
Austin Exploration
Exco Resources (PA), LLC
J. Ross Craft, P.E.
J. Russell Porter
Jack Lafield
President and CEO
President and CEO
Chairman and CEO
Approach Resources
Gaster Exploration Ltd
Caiman Energy
Jack Renfro
Jeff Fisher
Jennifer Webster
Operations and Production Manager Northern Division
Chief Operating Officer
Director of Government and Public Affairs
Forestar
American Energy Partners
Pioneer Natural Resources, USA Inc.
Jerry McGinnis
Jessie Koerner
Johan Theemat
Senior Environmental Engineer
US Communications & Public Affairs
Founder & CEO
Shell Oil Company
Enerplus Resources (USA) Corporation
First River Energy
John Benton
John Poarch
John Weihe
Vice President and General Manager
VP Commercial and Bus. Dev.
Vice President Exploration
Black Hills Exploration & Production
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
Access Midstream
Callon Petroleum Company
Johnny Jordan
Joseph Frantz
Julia (Julie) Levy
President
VP of Engineering
Director of Gov’t and Public Affairs - Rockies
Matrix Oil Corporation
Range Resources
BP America
Kevin Brown
Kevin Leonard
Larry Huskins
Exploration Manager MidCon/Rockies
Sr. Vice President and General Manager
Operations Manager
WhitMar Exploration Company
EnerVest
Venoco Inc.
Laura Perez
Lee Martin
Lisa Winn
Regulatory Compliance Analyst
Operations Engineering Supervisor
Regional & Government Affairs Manager
Chesapeake Energy Corporation
Concho Resources, Inc.
ExxonMobil/XTO Energy
M. Cathy Douglas
Marc A. Halbritter
Marc Bokelman
Senior Vice President
General Counsel
VP Corporate Development
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
Blue Racer Midstream, LLC
Summit Midstream Partners
Mark Bilozir
Mark C. Peterson
Mark D. Casaday
Director
President & CEO
President and Chief Operating Officer
Cenovus
Bilfinger Westcon
PVR Partners LP
Mark Patterson
Mark Spears
Mark Stewart
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Asset Manager
Environmental Supervisor
Calypso Energy, LLC
Stone Energy
Questar Corporation
Mauricio Fabre
Megan Davis
Michael Miller
President
Vice President Regulatory and Senior Counsel
Chief Investment Officer
Summit Midstream Partners
Breitling Oil and Gas Corportation
CRU Trading Company
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Judging panel
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Mikaila Adams
Mike John
Milissa Bauer
Senior Associate Editor
President
Executive Vice President
Oil & Gas Financial Journal
Northeast Natural Energy, LLC
Kriebel Companies
Mitch Duffy
Morgan O’Brien
Nathaniel Teti
Associate Publisher
President and CEO
Head of Sustainability
Oil & Gas Financial Journal
Peoples Natural Gas LLC
Statoil
Neil M.Sullivan
Obie O’Brien
Ola Akrad
CEO & President
Government Affairs
VP Engineering and Technology
Violet Energy
Apache Corporation
Austin Exploration
Parker Hallam
Patrick J. Noyes
Priscilla G. McLeroy
Chief Operating Officer
President and CEO
Professor of Engineering Practice
Breitling Oil and Gas
Grenadier Energy Partners LLC
Texas A&M University
Qingming Yang
Randy Brandenburg
Richard P. Crist
Chief Operating Officer
Foreman
VP Business Development & Exploration
Approach Resources Inc.
Apache Corporation
Gasco Energy
Robert Poole
Rod Eson
Ron Forth, P.Eng
Public and Government Affairs Manager
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Vice President Engineering
Santa Maria Energy
Foothill Energy LLC
Arsenal Energy Inc.
Ronald P. McGlade
Ryan A. Turner
Ryan E. M. Cunningham
Vice President Midstream
Chief Investment Officer
Principal and Operating Partner
Tenaska Resources, LLC
American Energy Partners
Cunningham Energy
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
Scott Roy
Shane Henry
Vice President of Government Affairs
Manager, Gov’t and Regulatory Affairs
Range Resources
Enerplus Resources (USA) Corporation
Access Midstream
Stephen W. Rhoads
Steven L. Bietz
Subhash Shah
Government Relations Manager
President and Chief Executive Officer
Stephenson Chair Professor
Shell Oil Company
WBI Energy, Inc.
Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering
Terry R. Bossert
Terry Sims
Thomas E. Clark
VP - Legislative and Regulatory Affairs
HSE Manager
Executive Land Manager
Range Resources Appalachia LLC
Buccaneer Energy Limited
Venoco, Inc.
Tom Lopus
Tommy Gaydos
Tony Gossett
Senior Vice President
Drilling Manager
Operations and Production Manager Southern Division
Pardee Resources Company
Newfield Exploration
Forestar
Walter L. Williams
William J. Hall
William J. Hlavin
Director
Executive Director
President and CEO
Cheniere Energy, Inc
Shale Gas Innovation & Commercialization Center
Bass Energy, Inc
Stephanie R. Timmermeyer Vice President of Environment, Health & Safety
William Robinson President
CAVU Resources
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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A huge
thank you
to our sponsors
Diamond
Platinum
Gold
Bronze
Industry Summit Editorial
Forever the Trendsetters California’s petroleum industry must adjust to new regulations in SB4 while educating others about the benefits of its business.
California accounts for more than 7 percent of the total U.S. production of petroleum, ranks third in the nation in petroleum refining capacity and accounts for more than 1/10th of the total U.S. capacity, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. According to the panelists who kicked off the Oil & Gas Awards West Coast Industry Summit in Bakersfield, Calif., California also is home to movie stars, environmental lobbyists and liberal constituents who are dead set on stifling the state’s petroleum industry by ignoring or denying the facts on hydraulic fracturing. That combination of ignorance and defiance is what helped the California state legislature pass Senate Bill 4 (SB4), which included unprecedented regulations of fracking and other oil recovery practices throughout the state. Moderator Patrick Rau, Director of Strategy and Research for Natural Gas Intelligence, led the panel discussion on the state of the oil and gas industry after SB4’s passing. “Californians are not just susceptible to safety needs, and sometimes are more in touch with the hype from media,” California Senator Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield) said. “California is also the place that considers itself the place where everything happens. So California is the chosen place right now for the environmental attorneys and groups to work. “For all those reasons, it makes perfect sense that all of the issues that could have earth-shaking impacts on the rest of the United States can happen here,” Fuller continued. “Also, we happen to have a lot of gas and oil here.” SB4 passed both houses with a 2/3rds vote and was signed into law September 20, 2013. The bill ended unregulated fracking and acidizing and imposed immediate safeguards for oil production in California as of January 1, 2014. With SB4 in place, oil companies seeking to stimulate wells now must file satisfactory certifications under penalty of law, with violations triggering fines of up to $25,000 per day. Companies must be in compliance with groundwater testing before and after stimulation, notify neighbors within 1,500 feet of the stimulation site, and publicly disclose chemicals, well history and locations online. “It’s really about transparency and accountability,” said
Marilu Habel, SB4 Program Development Manager, Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources. “The key pieces are the requirement that we now have to permit well-stimulation treatments in California. Prior to SB4, the permits were really for the construction of wells and anything that permanently altered the casings, but completions were never permitted in the past, and that’s a big difference.” As tough as SB4 is on the oil and gas industry, the bill originally included what could have been the death knell of the market in California. According to KCET-TV, a previous version of SB4 included a moratorium on new fracking until the environmental impact report had been completed. Fuller gave credit to industry trade organizations including the California Independent Petroleum Association (CIPA) and the Western States Petroleum Association for coming together to push for the removal of the moratorium language. “It was an absolutely devastating moratorium on making production cease,” Fuller said. “If they hadn’t begun to get the facts out, there would be a moratorium right now because it was in the bill. And if that doesn’t frighten you, it should, because in Kern County, so many of our jobs rely on that.” P. Anthony Thomas, Director of Government Affairs for CIPA, believes a lack of knowledge about California’s oil and gas industry parlayed itself into some of the problems with the early drafts of SB4. Thomas specifically cited the lack of energy production in the district of the bill’s author, California Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills). “The author of SB4 has no production in their district,” Thomas said. “This particular author is well-respected in the legislature as an environmentalist, but I think that bill should have been co-authored with one of the members of the Central Valley because we all don’t know it all. I would believe that author’s main constituency are those who would rather see our industry go away.” Thomas also said the oil and gas industry is unlike others in California where seeing it in action is a much more effective research strategy for legislators and regulators vs. relying on the opinion of others or even static data. “When regulators sit behind a desk and make decision on a graph and information as opposed to just coming out
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Moderator: Pat Rau, Director of research & Strategy, Natural Gas Intelligence Speakers: Senator Jean Fuller, 18th District, California State Senate, Senator Andy Vidak, 16th District, California State Senate, Assemblywoman Connie Conway, 26th Assembly District, California State Assembly, P. Anthony Thomas, Director Government Affairs, CIPA, Marilu Habel, SB 4 Program Development Manager, Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR), Assemblymember Rudy Salas, 32nd Assembly District, California State Assembly
there – their obligation is to go and find out,” Thomas said. “The uneducated will write uneducated things, ladies and gentlemen, no matter what that master’s or Ph.D. says. There are certain industries that you have to go out and see.” Assemblymember Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) agreed with Thomas’ assessment of a legislator’s job. He described a tour of oilfields he helped organize with CIPA for 10 California legislators to help them gain insight before voting on SB4. “You have legislators who want to introduce moratoriums, and you have legislators who want to introduce more regulation,” Salas said. “And they do this based off headlines and assumptions because they don’t know really what is happening.”
“We’ve been accused here in the Central Valley of not caring about the water, not caring about the land, not caring about the air,” Conway said. “We learned early on that you have to take care of what you have or it goes away. The folks that live here are the original stewards of those things. The industry doesn’t want to put itself out of business. That doesn’t make sense.”
Thomas also attributes California’s strict regulatory atmosphere to an aggressive environmental community that aims to set nationwide and even worldwide precedents for others to follow. “Because the environmental community has decided to plant themselves here, it’s really all about being the first – being the first to ban plastic bags, being the first lower emissions, and build this great plastic wall around California so no emissions get in from China or India,” Thomas said. “Our tough regulatory environment is because the environmentalists want to be the first, and No. 2 they want to shut down all, all, all oil and gas operations in the state and this country, and No.3, they all want us to ride bicycles and walk once again.”
Legislators aren’t the only ones the oil and gas industry must educate, according to California Senator Andy Vidak (R-Hanford). He added California’s star-studded residents in show business to the list of people who need to become informed before using their pulpit to express misguided opinions. “California is one of the largest oil producers in the country, but we also have that town down south – Hollywood,” Vidak said. “We have a lot of folks who make a lot of money who don’t have a good idea of how the industry works.” The industry now turns its focus on how to acclimate to the new regulatory landscape. Some of the concerns Salas heard from industry insiders within his district had to do with the permitting process and associated costs, making some projects not worthwhile to pursue. To convince his fellow legislators that this could not continue, Salas said he reminded them of the huge windfall of tax revenue the oil and gas industry creates for California. Almost as important as potentially losing that tax base is the fact there isn’t another industry that can replace those revenues. “This is impactful across the entire state,” Salas said. “You’re going to keep seeing bills like the moratorium coming through. You’re going to keep seeing more regulations run by individuals who don’t necessarily understand the perspective of what’s happening out there.” Assemblymember Connie Conway (R-Bakersfield) believes it is the responsibility of her fellow legislators to go to the source to determine whether or not a bill should become a law that benefits the entire state of California. If more of her peers felt this way, they may have a better understanding of the Central Valley oil and gas industry. “We’ve been accused here in the Central Valley of not caring about the water, not caring about the land, not caring about the air,” Conway said. “We learned early on that you have to take care of what you have or it goes away. The folks that live here are the original stewards of those things. The industry doesn’t want to put itself out of business. That doesn’t make sense.”
Click here to watch the video
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
Construction Company of the Year
Winners’ page
West Coast 2014
EIU of California Inc. Since opening in 1979, EIU has emerged as one of the nation’s top industrial contractors focused on the unique requirements of the industrial marketplace. EIU maintains a strong presence in California, and is recognized as a leading industrial instrument and electrical contractor across the southwest, mid-continent and Gulf Coast regions.
Judge’s Comments: EIU is considered to be one of the most successful electrical contractors in the nation. Their focus is on client satisfaction, safety and long term relationships. Through the companies support they have helped people get the help they need to diagnose and to treat their cancer. They are helping to save lives in their community. EIU’s target philanthropy for cancer survivors and its fight against this killer can only be given a great ‘bravo’. Keep up the fight. $220k raised for Links for Life.
EIU of California has come a long way since opening its doors in 1979, emerging as one of the nation’s top industrial contractors focused solely on the unique requirements of the industrial marketplace. EIU maintains a strong presence in California from our corporate office in Bakersfield to our field offices in Long Beach and Arroyo Grande. We are also recognized as a leading industrial instrument and electrical contractor across the southwest, mid-continent and Gulf Coast regions. Strategic expansion into new business lines and markets as well as continually adding new value added services has fueled both geographic and service line development. EIU routinely
manages projects throughout the United States and abroad serving various domestic and international markets with a full range of industrial electrical, power line, and fiber and instrumentation services. Strong financial resources and a large database of skilled craft across the United States provide EIU the flexibility to pursue virtually any project. Our team is focused on client satisfaction, safety and building long term relationships while providing industrial electrical and instrumentation services for the oil and gas sector, process, and mining industries in the United States and abroad.
Click here to watch the video
Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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RESPONSIBILITY. WE KNOW THE DRILL. Signal Hill Petroleum is honored to have won
the TEEMCO E&P Company of the Year Award at the 2014 West Coast Oil and Gas Awards. We would like to thank our employees for their tireless dedication and their continued commitment to sustainability, community, and technological innovation. We would also like to congratulate our fellow nominees for the TEEMCO E&P Company of the Year Award, as well as all the other winners and nominees. As we optimistically look toward the future, we are proud to continue our efforts in sustainability, innovation exploration and extraction techniques, and community enhancement programs.
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
shpi.net
The TEEMCO E&P Company of the Year
Winners’ page
West Coast 2014
Signal Hill Petroleum
Judge’s Comments: Signal Hill’s commitment to the communities in which the company operates is what sets it apart. Through use of sustainability programs, innovative exploration and extraction techniques, environmental/emission controls and community enhancement programs, the company appears to be able to work very successfully in an urban environment where other companies may struggle.
Signal Hill Petroleum is a privately owned California-based energy company that specializes in the exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas in urban areas. With a set of core values rooted in a transparent business philosophy, honest approach, and concern for the environment, the company strives to be an excellent neighbor and community partner. During its three decades of operation, Signal Hill Petroleum has developed a unique expertise not only in urban oil and gas production operations, but also in urban drilling and seismic exploration. Signal Hill Petroleum has lead the way in establishing operating techniques and technologies that have been the foundation for successfully co-existing with closely spaced residential and commercial neighbors. Their ability to successfully operate in such close proximity to homes and businesses is entirely unique and unprecedented within the industry.
By pioneering and utilizing new technologies while recruiting and retaining incredible talent in their human resources, Signal Hill Petroleum has taken on the challenges brought on by this urban environment. Signal Hill Petroleum is also committed to investing in the communities where their business resides, and are proud to partner with local programs that directly benefit local residents and businesses.
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Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com
Sponsored by: Teemco TEEMCO is a registered professional engineering firm specializing in environmental engineering and regulatory compliance for the oil & gas industry. We are a mission-driven, employee owned enterprise that’s pro-oil & gas and pro-environment. TEEMCO has nine regional offices (both domestically and internationally).
Kenworth Truck Company Oilfield Services Company of the Year
Winners’ page
West Coast 2014
Halliburton Judge’s Comments: Halliburton was able to demonstrate operational excellence, use of drilling technologies and innovative developments and because of their size they were able to show completed campaigns and other specific challenges they have overcome. This is again one of the strengths of having a major worldwide service company who can take their developments and find the right places in the world to try them out. A world leader in oilfield services who continues to invest heavily in R&D. Reliable and competitive
Founded in 1919, Halliburton is one of the world’s largest providers of products and services to the energy industry. With more than 75,000 employees, representing 140 nationalities in approximately 80 countries, the company serves the upstream oil and gas industry throughout the lifecycle of the reservoir – from locating hydrocarbons and managing geological data, to drilling and formation evaluation, well construction and completion, and optimizing production through the life of the field. Halliburton comprises 13 product service lines (PSLs). The PSLs operate in two divisions: Drilling and Evaluation, and Completion
and Production. PSLs are primarily responsible and accountable for strategy, technology development, process development, people development and capital allocation. Over the past three years, continued successful execution of Halliburton strategies enabled the company to double in size, driving 2012 revenues to a record $28.5 billion. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.halliburton.com.
Click here to watch the video
Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com
Sponsored by: Kenworth Trucks Kenworth is an American manufacturer of medium and heavy-duty Class 8 trucks based in Kirkland, Washington, United States, a suburb of Seattle, Washington.
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
A World of Applications.
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Š 2014 Kenworth Truck Company. A PACCAR company.
Industry Summit Editorial
Battleground: California California’s petroleum industry is under siege at the local and state levels.
Tupper Hull delivered a keynote address intended to showcase the importance of the energy industry to California. But the environmental lobby in California is strong, and Hull – Vice President Strategic Communications for the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) – used his time at the podium during the Oil & Gas Awards West Coast Industry Summit in Bakersfield, Calif., to discuss the many political battles the petroleum industry faces during every legislation session and election. “We are now back to not only having a viable message to deliver, but in fact a reality of energy independence in this country,” Hull said. “At the same time, we are confronting probably the most vigorous, organized and well-funded opposition to the fundamental business of producing, refining and retailing petroleum products in the United States and in California.” The biggest obstacle was Senate Bill 4 (SB4), which called for major reformations to fracking regulations and even threatened a moratorium on all fracking before that language was stricken. The new regulations took effect January 1, 2014, and hydraulic fracturing is still a technique allowed in California’s petroleum fields. “The only thing we liked about SB4 is that it was not a moratorium,” Hull says. “It at least provided a path forward. We had to figure out exactly where the boundaries of that path were, and everybody will have to make a judgment as to whether they can operate within
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
the boundaries and the additional costs and additional times required to operate.” The activism movement around fracking and the California petroleum industry in general has not waned in the least. Hull said there are 22 different initiatives, ordinances or proposals in play in local jurisdictions throughout California that would either regulate or, in some instances, outright prohibit not just hydraulic fracturing, but a slew of completion technologies that would be “de facto bans on production.” One of the most prominent initiatives is Measure P in Santa Barbara County, which calls for a fracking ban within the county. The measure specifically aims to prohibit “high intensity” oil and gas operations such as fracking, acid well stimulation treatments and cyclic steam injection, but would not impeded conventional drilling or “low intensity” operations, according to Ballotpedia.org. On November 4, 2014, the measure was defeated. The danger of Measure P’s passing, according to Hull, was that it was so broadly written that it could essentially shut down production in a county where there is a tremendous amount of oil produced. WSPA members have vast operations in this county, Hull stated. “The impact of this measure would be catastrophic,” Hull said. “We are going to mount and execute a very professionally run and well-funded campaign to defeat the measure.”
Speaker: Tupper Hull, Vice President Strategic Communications, WSPA
WSPA also mounted a campaign against a nearly identical measure in San Benito County, as well as a Measure S in Mendocino County, which is the Community Bill of Rights Fracking and Water Use Initiative. Hull finds Measure S particularly troublesome because it would asset local governments have primacy over state and federal agencies. These two similar measures were passed on November 4. The new focus on local initiatives has forced WSPA and other petroleum associations to change how they approach defending the industry’s rights to operate. The stakes are even higher this time considering the precedents that can be set if California’s local jurisdictions win these measures.
the supply and the production and the production and the refining of fossil fuels,” Hull said. “This is the reality check that argues for those against those proposals. This is the new normal in our world, and that’s the crisis everywhere.” Reminding opponents of the numbers in favor of oil production can only change so many hearts and minds. Hull, however, said he wants to enlist those employed in the industry to boast about their livelihood. “We are now facing fights of that magnitude and that consequence in all of these areas I’m talking about,” Hull said. “One of the first places to start is with the men and women in the industry and encouraging them and empowering them to be proud of the work they do.”
“This is a precedential-type election,” Hull said. “This is the battleground we’re facing. When you’re dealing with local jurisdictions, there are local personalities and local issues. It’s very different than the type of statewide campaign and advocacy program we want.”
And as the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has predicted, the reliance on traditional fossil fuels will not decrease anytime soon. By 2040, 80 percent of the United States’ energy portfolio will still be derived from fossil fuels.
Despite the obstacles, the importance of petroleum to California is undeniable. Hull says the industry has produced about a half-million jobs directly or indirectly based on an input/output analysis from 2012. The jobs are lucrative, as well, with the average salary over $100,000, according to Hull. And as the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has predicted, the reliance on traditional fossil fuels will not decrease anytime soon. By 2040, 80 percent of the United States’ energy portfolio will still be derived from fossil fuels. “We have policies we think are going to hasten the development of these alternatives by clamping down on
Click here to watch the video
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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CONGRATuLATIONS
to all of the organizations celebrated as finalists and winners at the 2014 West Coast Oil & Gas Awards! E&B Natural Resources is proud to have won the Award for Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility and thanks to our whole team and all of our partners for their great work in our communities. E&B Natural Resources also congratulates company President, Steve Layton, recipient of the 2014 West Coast Oil & Gas Awards MTS Solutions Industry Leader Award.
West Coast 2014 E&B Natural Resources is a Bakersfield, California based independent oil and gas company and is a recognized leader within the exploration and production industry. For more information, visit www.ebresources.com.
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
Award for Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility
Winners’ page
West Coast 2014
E&B Natural Resources Management Corporation Judge’s Comments: I was very impressed in looking at E&B’s presentation with regards to their High Heat Illness Prevention Plan that goes significantly above and beyond regulatory requirements. The measures that they are implementing, I am sure, are making a difference in employee well being. Also, the incident and injury rates are trending downward indicating that other H&S programs that they have implemented are effective. Strong production and reserve growth. Decent safety record. Great community service. High level of direct community engagement. $150k in annual donations. Involvement with Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors is outstanding and exemplary.
E&B Natural Resources Management Corporation is a Bakersfield, California based independent oil and gas company. Once a small oil and gas company producing 900 boe per day from a handful of legacy fields, E&B has grown rapidly over the past five years. Employing a balanced approach of mature field revitalization, acquisitions, and exploration, E&B now produces over 10,000 boepd from 25+ oil and gas fields located in California, Louisiana, Kansas and Wyoming. With over 300 dedicated employees focused on all areas of growth and production, E&B is one of the largest privately owned oil and gas companies in California and is a recognized leader within the exploration and production industry.
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Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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Award for Excellence in Health & Safety
Winners’ page
West Coast 2014
Ensign United States Drilling (California) Inc. Judge’s Comments: Ensign’s “Driving to Zero” is an innovative program/goal that the company seems to be making real headway (as evident in the declining Total Recordable Incident Rate numbers in the final graph of the presentation) in trying to achieve. The safety tracking, training, and evaluations seem to be a great example for other companies to follow. Puts workers in position to succeed at a minimum risk in a dangerous part of the well development process. Mandatorily requires yearly updates.
At Ensign our Mission is to strive for global excellence in providing services to the energy industry. To distinguish ourselves through listening, learning and understanding industry challenges and to capitalize on strategic and opportunistic possibilities. To provide services that are attractive and fair to our customers and earn their loyalty while also providing value to our shareholders. To create a work place that protects worker health and safety with due respect for the environment, and promote an atmosphere to grow employee learning and opportunity in a way that is fulfilling, recognized and fairly rewarded. Our core values used to assist us in accomplishing our mission are Integrity; treating people with respect, fairness, honesty, patience, understanding and trust. As well, we are responsible corporate citizens committed to the health and safety of people and the environment who practice high ethical and professional standards.
by collaboration, listening and sharing information within Ensign and with our clients and present a total corporate image at all times. We also facilitate and acknowledge personal and professional growth through on-going training and strive to achieve excellence through innovation and continuous improvement.
We are also committed to achieving common goals through teamwork
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Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com 24
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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Industry Summit Editorial
Here Comes the Sun GlassPoint Solar Inc. is bringing solar-enhanced oil recovery into the spotlight in the petroleum industry.
While the rest of the solar power industry attempted to rewrite the textbooks on its fuel source, the founders of GlassPoint Solar Inc. reverted to a simpler way to harness the power of the sun. As a result, the company based in Fremont, Calif., has delivered the first commercial solarenhanced oil recovery system in the world and landed $53 million for the first such project to be built in the Middle East. “The key breakthrough at GlassPoint was a dramatic cost reduction and safety improvement in how solar energy is collected,” John O’Donnell, Vice President Business Development for GlassPoint, told attendees of the Oil & Gas Awards West Coast Industry Summit. “The GlassPoint founders thought inside the box. They realized there could be dramatic reductions in the land use and costs associated with building solar facilities.” GlassPoint unveiled the world’s first commercial solar enhanced oil recovery project at Berry Petroleum’s 217 lease in Kern County, Calif. Built in less than six weeks, the system uses the sun’s radiant heat to produce approximately 1 million British thermal units (Btu) per hour of solar heat. The system spans 7,000 square feet of land and uses an enclosed trough that preheats water to 190 degrees Fahrenheit used as feedwater for Barry Petroleum’s steam generators.
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
This year, GlassPoint was called upon by state-owned Petroleum Development Oman, the largest producer of oil and gas in Oman, to build the Middle East’s first solar enhanced oil recovery project. The $53 million project broke ground in January 2012 and was producing steam by December 2012. GlassPoint pioneered enclosed trough technology, which utilizes an agricultural glasshouse houses a trough solar field, mirrors, aiming system and other vulnerable components to protect the system from wind and sand typically encountered in oilfield settings. The GlassPoint system does not use solar panels. Instead, it relies on curved aluminum mirrors sealed inside the glasshouse. The mirrors automatically track the sun throughout the day, focusing sunlight on a stationary boiler tube containing water. The heat from the sun boils the water to efficiently produce high-pressure steam. By using solar steam generators during the day and fuelfired steam generators at night, GlassPoint systems reduce the amount of fuel burned to generate steam for enhanced oil recovery by up to 80 percent. GlassPoint solar steam generators minimize water treatment costs by using the same feed water as oilfield once-through steam generators.
Speaker: John O’Donnell, Vice President Business Development, GlassPoint
The draw for this type of system in the Middle East the reduction oil producers’ reliance on natural gas. In Oman, for example, 25 percent of all natural gas in Moan is used for oil recovery, and the nation is trying to triple its enhanced oil recovery in the next four years, according to O’Donnell. In the United States, especially California, O’Donnell says GlassPoint Solar’s systems offer a “compliance pathway” by having zero greenhouse gas emissions. “The state is in the middle of a rulemaking for the recognition of solar steam as a means of reducing the carbon intensity of petroleum and generating both Cap and Trade and LCFS [Low Carbon Fuel Standard] credits within regulations today,” O’Donnell said. “The 2011 rule put this in place – there’s a rulemaking that tremendously simplifies it so instead of providing a complete soup-tonuts engineering study you can use simplified numbers.”
But from well-integrity and HSE standpoints, as well as seasonal variations in oil production, practical solar enhanced oil recovery facilities will always be gas supplemented. O’Donnell said certain projects GlassPoint Solar is considering in remote areas may rely 100 percent on its system, but shorter well life of the injector wells alone means there most likely will always be a hybrid solutions. Today, 30 percent of steam generated from GlassPoint Solar’s system at any one oilfield is easy to obtain, O’Donnell said. Fifty percent brings with it technical challenges, but Middle East clients are focused on 80 percent. “I think here in California, other matters such as land-use planning will mean that solar fraction is going to be much smaller,” O’Donnell said.
GlassPoint unveiled the world’s first commercial solar enhanced oil recovery project at Berry Petroleum’s 217 lease in Kern County, Calif. Built in less than six weeks, the system uses the sun’s radiant heat to produce approximately 1 million British thermal units (Btu) per hour of solar heat.
Those simplified numbers still pack an efficient punch. O’Donnell said for every 15 million Btus of gas that’s replaced by solar, a company gets one credit. Each credit enables a refinery customer to refine and sell about an additional 260 gallons of petroleum fuel in California that does not have to be replaced by imports. For jurisdictions in California with land-use regulations, GlassPoint Solar systems occupy less space than conventional gas-powered enhanced oil recovery projects, according to O’Donnell. The system occupies 13 acres of land and converts 60 percent of incoming sunshine to steam. The system remains a gas-assisted technology for the time being, but O’Donnell said studies show it is not for overnight production. Subsurface modeling studies by Shell and the petroleum engineering group at Stanford University say 100 percent of steam could be sold, even ignoring the day-to-night steam rate variation.
Click here to watch the video
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Top 10 Reasons Why Businesses Join the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce
1 2 3 4 5
Connections with Other Businesses
Educational Opportunities
Business Exposure
Advocacy Efforts
Want to Make a Difference in Community
Benefits and Services Provided
Credibility of Membership
Leads Generation
Civic Responsibility
Participate on Chamber Committees
AND you can have it all with your membership in the... Contact Joy Davis, Director of Membership at (661) 327-4421 or jdavis@bakersfieldchamber.org for more information on Chamber membership. 28
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
6 7 8 9 10
Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce Membership As a member of the Chamber of Commerce, your business receives outstanding benefits, support and a great return on investment (ROI). Whether your goal is to gain exposure, become informed on issues affecting business or gain support of the community, the Chamber is here for you! Below are a few of the benefits available to you, your employees and your business.
VALUE-ADDED BENEFITS
MARKETING & PROMOTION
• Credibility as a Chamber Member • Free membership to the US Chamber of Commerce • Business Referrals • Free member plaque announcing your membership • Free monthly use of select Chamber conference rooms • Free SCORE Business Counseling • Free copies of annual directory • Low cost access to our membership mailing list of 1,200+ contacts • Free admission to Labor and Employment Law Updates • Ribbon Cutting (new or expansion) or Grand Opening Ceremony • Members-only advertising and sponsorship opportunities • Member pricing to Chamber events and programs • Business development seminars • Certificates of Origin • Coffee with the President new member orientation • Free listing in My Chamber App
• Free alphabetical and categorical listings in our Chamber
Chairman’s Circle membership Additional benefits to enhance your membership
Membership Directory- 5,000 distribution
• New member listing in the Chamber’s METRO Business Journal • Display your company literature in Chamber office lobby • Register your business to host a Chamber networking event • Free promotions/PR via our social media websites • Advertising opportunities in any of our publications: METRO Business Journal, Membership Directory, Website or Member to Member Email
• Free promotion in our Member News section of our newsletters • Opportunity to build brand awareness by sponsoring Chamber programs/events
ADVOCACY • Representing your business at all levels of government • Vote tracking of your legislators • Bakersfieldadvocacy.org website to keep you informed on issues that affect your business
• Travel to Sacramento and Washington D.C., as needed • Political Action Committee (PAC) • GRC analyzes regulations, propositions and legislation pertaining
STAY CONNECTED, STAY INFORMED
to business and building a healthy local economy
Publications and E-News
• Free subscription to the Chamber’s monthly printed METRO Business Journal newsletter
• Free subscription to Chamber monthly E-News • Government Affairs/ Legislative email updates • Chamber programs or important information email updates Committees
SPECIAL EVENTS & NETWORKING Events and Programs
Networking
• Annual Dinner/ Installation
• Good Morning Bakersfield Breakfast
Ceremony
• State of the City Luncheon • Next Five Years Forum
• Government Review Council (GRC)
• Corporate Training
• Energy
• Beautiful Bakersfield Awards
• Business Enhancement and Education
• Educational seminars/ trainings
• Ambassador/ Mixer
• Mixers • Bakersfield Business EXPO • Chamber Palooza • Small Business Networking Breakfast • Ribbon Cuttings/ Ground Breakings
• Leadership Bakersfield
• Beautiful Bakersfield
• Youth Leadership Bakersfield
• Chamber Palooza
• Good Morning Bakersfield
• Vision 20/20 Image • Strictly Business
CalChamber President’s Circle Award Recipient
US Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100 Ranked in the top 100 US Chambers
1725 Eye Street • Bakersfield, CA 93301 • P.O. Box 1947, Bakersfield, CA 93303 • 661.327.4421 facebook.com/bakersfieldchamber
twitter.com/bakchamber |
www.bakersfieldadvocacy.org |
www.bakersfieldchamber.org 29 Oil & Gas Awards 2014
Engineering Company of the Year
Winners’ page
West Coast 2014
TJ Cross Engineers, Inc. T.J. Cross Engineers, Inc. was formed in December 1990 as a California corporation. Our firm is currently a privately held company owned by Lisa Wong, Tim Couch, Stuart Heisler, Kent Halley, Chuck Soderstrom, and Myrna Buenviaje.
Judge’s Comments: TJ Cross Engineers, Inc. have demonstrated to be a well-rounded engineering company. Their creativity and innovative way of finding efficient solutions for their clients, their impressive safety record, and their efforts of educating the public on Oilfield Basic and Process Safety Management makes them worthy of winning the Engineering Company of the Year Award. A reliable and growing company who is currently ranked 2nd in the California petroleum sector in the Engineering News Report’s “Top 500 Design Firms”.
The professional staff at TJ Cross has a wide variety of experience in heavy industry with an emphasis on petroleum-related fields, alternate energy, and power generation. Most of our management team began their careers at operating companies and, therefore, are able to provide diverse, workable and cost-effective solutions to our operating clients. We apply lean enterprise principles and practices to both our internal processes and client work activities to cut waste and improve accuracy. We provide services that include project management, cost estimates, scheduling, material take-offs, studies, assessments through
analytical methods/statistical process control, field investigation, design development, specifications, construction drawings, construction support, construction management, land surveying, start-up, operating manuals, and data books, to name some. These services have been provided for new plants as well as the rehabilitation, renovation, upgrade, repair, and expansion of existing facilities and operations. We have been an ENR Top 500 Design Firm since 2008, rising to the rank of #2 in California’s Petroleum Sector in 2014.
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Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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Industry Summit Editorial
The Results are In The Bureau of Land Management delivers its findings on the state of the California petroleum industry and refocused federal fracking regulations.
The Bureau of Land Management’s Bakersfield, Calif., office had a busy 2013 just to keep the petroleum industry in California flowing. In September 2013, BLM commissioned an independent report by the California Council of Science and Technology (CCST) to review well stimulation technologies, including hydraulic fracturing, used in onshore reservoirs in California. Released in August 2014, the report assesses information relevant to the potential future use of these technologies and how they might or might not directly impact water supply, water quality, air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, seismicity, ecology, traffic and noise. Developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with help from the Pacific Institute, the report delivered 11 main conclusions. There was a good news/bad news theme in the results of the report for the oil and gas industry. The good news delivered a blow to the one of the claims by the environmental lobby itching to stifle the industry. CCST’s report found no publicly reported instances of potable water contamination from subsurface releases in California. However, more than half of the stimulated oil wells in California have shallow depth, and shallow hydraulic fracturing poses a potential risk for groundwater if usable aquifers are nearby. “Some of the common concerns that we see brought up most often are aquifer contamination,” said Jeffrey Prude of the Bakersfield, Calif., Field Office Oil and Gas Program for the Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM). He delivered remarks at the Oil & Gas Awards West Coast Industry Summit in Bakersfield, Calif. “There are several ways you can have aquifer contamination. However, as many of these things are potential, we’ve never seen it happen both in California and across the country. Everyone is looking for that to happen, and at some point it may, but so far we haven’t seen it.” The bad news is that well stimulation must be performed differently in California than in other states. Stimulation techniques that had proven successful in other oil and gas plays in the United States simply will not produce the same results in California’s formations. “Not to ruin the surprise, but kind of what they found out is what’s going on in the rest of the country is not
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
really applicable to California, and things are pretty much business as usual as far as fracking goes,” As many frustrated producers already have discovered, present-day well stimulation practices in California are different from other states like Texas and North Dakota primarily due to the differences in the geology of the petroleum reservoirs. Also, fracturing in California tends to be performed in shallower wells that are vertical as opposed to horizontal, which requires much less water, but uses fluids with more concentrated chemicals than hydraulic fracturing in other states, according to the CCST report. “The shale here is multiple, very thin layers – a thin layer of shale, a thin layer of sand at a food or a yard basis, or can even happen on a microscopic basis,” Prude said. “It could be even just a fraction of an inch. It is very difficult to produce this.” The CCST report also found that the most likely scenario for future oil recovery using hydraulic fracturing is expanded production in and near existing oil fields in the San Joaquin Basin in a manner similar to the production practices of today. The CCST report cited the Energy Information Administration (EIA) report that downgraded the recoverable oil in the Monterey Formation from 15 billion barrels to 600 million. The oil is available in the source rocks themselves vs. the assumed migration of oil from the source rocks to the near surface reservoirs as originally was forecast in 2011. Berkeley Lab investigators, however, found no reports of successful production from these deep source rocks and had questions about the EIA estimation methodology. The study’s review of the two resource projections from deep source rocks in the Monterey Formation developed by EIA conclude that both these estimates are highly uncertain. Current hydraulic fracturing operations in California require a small fraction of statewide water use, according to the CCST report. In California, a hydraulic fracturing operation can consume between 130,000 to 210,000 gallons of water per well on average, compared to approximately 4 million gallons of water used on average in the Eagle Ford formation in Texas. However, even with the relatively low water use of California operations,
Speaker: Jeffrey Prude, Bakersfield Field Office Oil & Gas Program, Bureau Land Management
hydraulic fracturing can contribute to local constraints on water availability given the extreme drought in the state, the report adds.
are too small and too short in duration to be able to produce a felt, let alone damaging, earthquake, the CCST report found.
The toxicity of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing fluids warrants further review now that Senate Bill 4 (SB4) requires disclosure. Based on information found in the FracFocus.org database, most of the chemicals in California well stimulators are not considered highly toxic, the CCST report states. However, a few of these chemicals, especially the biocides and corrosion inhibitors, are acutely toxic to mammals. Mandatory disclosure through SB4 should improve understanding of these chemicals.
Overall, in California, for industry practice of today, the direct environmental impacts of well stimulation practice appear to be relatively limited, the CCST report found. If these well stimulation technologies enable a significant increase in production in the future, the primary impacts on California’s environment will likely be caused by the increase in production activities in general.
The bad news is that well stimulation must be performed differently in California than in other states. Stimulation techniques that had proven successful in other oil and gas plays in the United States simply will not produce the same results in California’s formations.
“There are a lot of people who consider there are things we don’t know about,” Prude says. “Oil companies are hiding something, and even the regulatory agencies are hiding something. Believe me, we’re doing our best to find out what is going on to protect the public to make sure the oil companies are complying with the regulations and, guess what? These companies are composed of people who live and work here. They are just as concerned about safety and drinking water was we are.”
Updated Permitting Process About one year ago, Prude said BLM was getting sued by environmental groups over its fracking leases and finally lost a key lawsuit. BLM realized its permitting process needed more information from the public when a producer wanted to drill a well. After meeting with some industry organizations, BLM determined what additional information was required for a permit to frack on federal lands. New regulations have garnered 1.35 million comments since the commenting period commenced in 2013, according to Prude, making this a hot-button issue in California. As for permits, information BLM now needs includes an identified freshwater zone; detailed fluid activities, source and composition of drilling water; what is being done with flowback and where it is being placed; emissions; and status of drill cuttings. “The permits will take a little bit longer, but we can still issue permits,” Prude said. “We know what you need, you know what we need. Our goal is to get these permits out efficiently.”
Some chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing may become incorporated in the water that is produced along with the oil. In some cases, operators dilute produced water with fresh water for use in agriculture and some produced water is pumped into unlined pits where it could seep into the groundwater. Well stimulation technologies, as currently practiced in California, do not result in a significant increase in seismic hazard. The pressure increases from hydraulic fracturing
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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One Company, Multiple Solutions Brinderson is a full-service engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and turnaround company that offers project solutions through a variety of project delivery options – each tailored to meet individual client’s specific needs. Our services include: • • • • •
Project Management Engineering / Design Procurement Construction Construction Management
• • • •
Project Controls / Estimating Maintenance Turnarounds Fabrication
We have offices in California, Washington, Texas, and New Mexico to serve your project needs.
www.brinderson.com 3330 Harbor Boulevard, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 714.466.7100
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
General Industry Service Award
Winners’ page
West Coast 2014
Tachyus Judge’s Comments: Tachyus has provided a new technology to steamflooding that could revolutionize the way that production data is gathered, analyzed, and acted upon. Now they are also trying to implement this same technology in Waterfloods as well. They are to be commended for their ingenuity and bold leadership in this area. Tachyus is an excellent example of utilizing advanced technology to optimize client’s operations. As is stated in the presentation, their platform increases production and operator revenue, while decreasing operation costs (all of which are driving parameters for successful O&G operations).
Tachyus creates technology to optimize energy production for the oil and gas industry. Our team has deep software engineering, hardware design and data science experience from building OpenGov, Tesla’s battery safety system, the world’s most advanced neutrino detector, and Visual Studio. Producers in California and Texas with hundreds of wells and thousands of barrels of daily production are working with us to: deploy sensors and iPad applications that automate data collection, configure real-time alerts and flexible reporting, leverage state of the art machine learning and fundamental physical models of pumps that predict and minimize downtime, perform cost-benefit
workover analysis, and study the economic impact of stimulation and completion techniques. Partners leverage the Tachyus platform to significantly increase production and decrease operating costs associated with cyclic steaming, steam-flooding, and waterflooding.
Click here to watch the video
Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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“In an era of impersonalization We are a very personal company�. Richard Roberts
For over 35 years Roberts Companies has been providing solutions to a wide array of industrial clients. We pride ourselves on our commitment to safety, ethics, and providing our clients with a superior product. We specialize in Licensed Professional Multi-discipline Engineering, Consulting, and Technical Staffing
ROBERTS
COMPANIES 145 John Glenn Dr. CONCORD, CA. 94520 36
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
Phone: (925)689-8080
www.robertscompanies.net
Consultancy of the Year
Winners’ page
West Coast 2014
Roberts Companies Roberts Companies is a small Women Owned Family Business that has had a significant and positive impact on our industry, clients, and most importantly our employees for nearly 40 years. We specialize in multi-discipline engineering and design, from project concept through construction. Our niche market has been the petrochemical industry where we have aspired to provide our clients with superior engineering consulting services as well as highly skilled technical contract staffing and direct hire placements.
Judge’s Comments: A long history of service to the industry. Good internal philosophy and approach to business. Very good community outreach. Roberts Engineering and Roberts Technical Services have provided unparalleled technical support to many clients in the West Coast operating area. Their technical knowledge, as well as their tremendous field support, has truly set them apart from their peers in every area of the business.
What distinguishes our company in this industry is our diverse ability to provide excellent engineering support as well as top notch field support. We are good at what we do, always listening to and then meeting the needs of our clients. We have a passion for what we do that permeates throughout our company. We truly value the relationships that we have solidified. Our Clients are our Partners. We embrace a
philosophy that has given us the opportunity to serve so many clients and provide rewarding career paths for many outstanding employees. Roberts is committed to serving our clients in all aspects of their business. We are strong participants in Safety, Community, and Political Awareness and Activism as it pertains to our industry.
Click here to watch the video
Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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Congratulations
2014
to our
Southwest Winners
construction
New Technology Development General/ Products
consultancy
Trucking Company
Drilling Excellence
Health & Safety – Products Oilfield Service general industry service
transaction
manufacturer
Health & Safety – Operational engineering Corporate Social Responsibility
Water Management FUTURE Industry Leader New Technology Development - Software Application Environmental Stewardship
Midstream
Randy Kurek
Well Completion E&P
industry leader
John Schmitz
Industry Supplier
The Southwest Oil & Gas Awards were held on October 23, 2014 at The Westin Dallas Park Central, Dallas. Should your organization have operations in this region you should consider telling our judges about your achievements. Please visit www.oilandgasawards.com for full details on all the winners, videos and photos from the Awards. 38
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
Congratulations
2014
to our
Midcontinent Winners
Corporate Social Responsibility
Trucking Company
Oilfield Service
Excellence in Health & Safety – Products
industry supplier
Transaction
construction
engineering
consultancy
Excellence in Health & Safety – Operational
FUTURE Industry Leader
well completion
drilling excellence
Water Management
General Industry Service
Industry Leader
manufacturer
Bill Ward
Power and productivity for a better world™
Power and productivity for a better world™
New Technology DevelopmenT - General/ Products Environmental Stewardship
Josh Kaylor
midstream New Technology Development - Software Application E&P
The Midcontinent Oil & Gas Awards were held on October 29, 2014 at Skirvin Hilton Hotel, Oklahoma City. Should your organization have operations in this region you should consider telling our judges about your achievements. Please visit www.oilandgasawards.com for full details on all the winners, videos and photos from the Awards. Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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Water Planet Engineering is a water treatment technology and solutions provider specializing in membrane based water desalination, purification, and reuse applications. Water Planet’s award winning product, Vorti-SEP® IMS-5000, is a compact, modular, and pre-integrated oilfield produced water treatment solution. It is containerized, enabling plug-and-play commissioning and decommissioning. It accepts produced water containing up to 10% oil and 0.5% solids, recovers the oil, and consistently delivers completely de-oiled water. The product water quality can be tailored to any desired level of purity for multiple reuse applications. Spanning a footprint of only 120 m2 (about three 40 ft ISO containers) and never exceeding 14 ft in height, Vorti-SEP® IMS-5000 provides a throughput of 5000 barrels per day.
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The plant operation is fully automated, and can be controlled remotely. Small, efficient, inconspicuous, and reliable, Vorti-SEP® is the smartest way of managing produced water. Water Planet offers smaller IMS-500 pilot units (500 bbls/day) for on-site commercial testing. These small footprint pilot systems are easily transported, completely containerized and are quick to install and commission. Ask for a demo, and see for yourself how Vorti-SEP® makes a difference to you, and how it helps you make a difference.
www.waterplanet.com info@waterplanet.com • (424) 331-7700
Water Management Company of the Year
Winners’ page
West Coast 2014
Water Planet Engineering Judge’s Comments: This solution can also help decrease the costs associated with purchasing and transporting water. A great innovation that helps the environment. Water Planet Engineering also help with educating communities and projecting the positive image of local oil and gas production. With the increasing use of water in the petroleum industry, the need to be conservative with water use is a concern that petroleum companies are always trying to address. Water Planet Engineering have found a great solution for that concern, that delivers potable quality recycled water. The fact that their system is automated can also help mitigate safety concerns.
Water Planet Engineering is a Los Angeles based water treatment solutions provider focused on solving the world’s most challenging water reuse and desalination applications through science, technology and innovation. Water Planet’s vision is to deliver automated and robust water treatment membrane products, solutions, and services to the oil industry with its proprietary pretreatment products and intelligent process controls. Water Planet’s commercially tested advanced produced water treatment products consistently deliver completely de-oiled water for reuse or further water-polishing. Water Planet’s team of engineers, technicians and scientists are experienced water treatment experts that can deliver customized water polishing and best-available treatment technologies to deliver a final water product to your exact
specifications. Water Planet has pilot systems available in 100 and 500 bpd for on-site commercial testing. These small footprint pilot systems are easily transported either skidded (100 bpd) or completely containerized (500 bpd) and are ready for fast and painless installation and operations and can be operated by experienced Water Planet engineers at your own production site.
Click here to watch the video
Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com Oil & Gas Awards 2014
41
Industry Summit Editorial
Breaking Through Producers continue to try to crack the code of California’s oil reserves and political landscape.
There may be plenty of petroleum within California’s borders, but between a volatile political atmosphere and geology unique to this part of the United States, extracting the resources is no easy task. During the Oil & Gas Awards West Coast Industry Summit in Bakersfield, Calif., industry veterans discussed the methods they use to bring out oil in this challenging segment of the industry. The challenges to production of the Monterey Shale forced the Energy Information Administration (EIA) to drastically reduce its estimate of recoverable oil in the formation back in May 2014. According to Reuters, the EIA cut its estimate by 96 percent, downgrading the reserves from its 13.7 billion estimates in 2011 to just 600 million in 2014. The main reason for the downgrade was the lack of success from hydraulic fracturing methods that have worked so well in Texas and North Dakota. However, industry veterans like Ramon Elias and Steve Johnson know there are technical methods and political maneuvers that can help bring out the reserves from deep within the Monterey Formation. “We have a lot of years of experience in the oil patch, especially in Los Angeles and here in Kern County, so we can take that modern ‘drillology’ like PDC [polycrystalline diamond compact] bits vs. roller-cone bits and apply it to the drilling we’re doing,” said Johnson, Senior Drilling Engineer for E&B Natural Resources. A PDC bit uses PDC cutters to shear through rock with continuous scraping motion, according to Schlumberger’s glossary of oilfield terms. The cutters are synthetic
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
diamond disks about 1/8th-inch thick and about ½- to 1-inch in diameter. These bits are effective at drilling shale formations, especially when used in combination with oilbased mud. “Roller-cone bit,” according to PetroWiki, is an industrywide standard for the description of milled-tooth and insert-type roller-cone bits. Two types of drilling action take place at the bit – a crushing action takes place when the weight applied to the bit forces teeth into formation being drilled. In addition a skidding, gouging type of action results partly because the designed axis of cone rotation is slightly angled to the axis of bit rotation. The state might be a candidate for more technologically advanced drilling techniques in the future, but successful extraction of the resource itself will determine that, according to Johnson. “There is room for more advanced technology to be used, but the resource is going to define what works properly, because we don’t want to overkill something that doesn’t need to be done,” Johnson said. “Fifty percent of the time, it is benefitting the safety on the rigs and the drilling location. Using that technology primarily for safety also gives us a lot of opportunity for doing laterals or directional drilling at an economical rate.” New technology also helps companies minimize or reduce their footprints at job sites. Elias, Vice President Reservoir Engineering for Santa Maria Energy, says the less surface area that is disturbed, the better, so drilling multiple wells from modular pads is gaining popularity.
Moderator: Pat Rau, Director of research & Strategy, Natural Gas Intelligence Speakers: Ramon Elias, VP Reservoir Engineering, Santa Maria Energy, Son D. Tran, Technical Advisor, MTS Solutions, Steve Johnson, Senior Drilling Engineer, E&B Natural Resources, Jeffrey Prude, Bakersfield Field Office Oil & Gas Program, Bureau Land Management
“We are looking at ways to modularize our rigs and make them more compact so we don’t disturb as much surface area while we’re going through the drilling process,” Elias said. “That brings up the strong tendency these days to drill multiple wells from the same pad.” With Senate Bill 4 (SB4) calling for strict documentation of all use of acid in stimulation and other production activities, there is a concern within the California petroleum industry as to how much longer it can be used in the state. Son D. Tran, Technical Advisor for MTS Solutions, said many companies like his are trying to go “green” due to SB4’s constraints on acid. In fact MTS has teamed up with one of its partners to develop a new acid that will work within the new regulatory framework.
“We are looking at ways to modularize our rigs and make them more compact so we don’t disturb as much surface area while we’re going through the drilling process,” Elias said. “That brings up the strong tendency these days to drill multiple wells from the same pad.”
Most producers are seeking bottom-hole assembly options that minimize downhole failures, but mention maximizing the rate of penetration (ROP), and that becomes a taboo subject, according to Johnson. Moderator Patrick Rau, Director of Research & Strategy for Natural Gas Intelligence, asked about maximizing rates, but Johnson said it was more important to drill safely and efficiently than cheaply.
years, so Johnson said the goal should be how to use technology to build a better well. “For drilling a bottom-hole assembly, we want to drill at the optimal rate, not at the maximum rate,” Johnson said. “We have found, particularly in Kern County, that if you drill too fast, you can induce fractures or you can induce circulation, and that costs a lot of dollars that go out the window.” There also is a far greater risk of hitting neighboring wells in California than there is in other states. The reserves in California are much more condensed, so slow and steady is the best practice for drillers. “Collision of wells is a big issue when you talk with people in other parts of the country,” Johnson added. “They don’t understand how densely aggregated the wellbores are here in California.” One of the best methods to produce oil in the state, however, lies in the hands of California’s legislature. Elias says with so many options for oil development – offshore, Monterey Shale, and Diatomite Formation – the state could be the top producer if the state government would allow it. Although California has the highest concentration of endangered species in the country, according to Jeffrey Prude of the Bakersfield, Calif., Field Office Oil and Gas Program for the Federal Bureau of Land Management, Elias believes the opportunities are worth pursuing. “I would venture to say the state of California, from a reserve standpoint, could be the No. 1 reserve state in the United States if the state would just let it happen,” Elias said.
“‘Maximizing the ROP’ is a dirty word,” Johnson said. “We only want to drill economically – we never want to drill cheaply.” The difference, Johnson explained, is in the aim of the drilling. The target for the life of the well is at least 30
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VZ Environmental Award for Excellence in Environmental Stewardship
Winners’ page
West Coast 2014
Preferred Technology Judge’s Comments: In 2014, Preferred Sands introduced the oil and gas industry’s first and only silica dust-control proppant solution, DustPRO. This product is not only costeffective and improves operational efficiencies, it more importantly helps control respirable silica and fugitive dust by up to 65%. So Preferred Sands’s DustPRO product protects both the environment and the health of our industry’s workers, both critical to the future well-being of our industry.
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Preferred Technology, an affiliate of Preferred Sands, is one of North America’s leading proppant technology and sand manufacturing companies, providing frac sand and technology solutions to oil and natural gas companies in the hydraulic fracturing industry. Launched in 2007, Preferred Technology is the market’s only commercial manufacturer of DustPRO, a cost-effective preventative proppant solution that limits silica dust exposure and meets all current and proposed OSHA standards, and Preferred RCS, the first non-phenolic environmentally-sensitive resincoated sand technology. With its innovative product development and reclamation projects, the company is not only committed to the protection of the environment but also the health and safety of the communities it serves.
Preferred Technology has been named to Inc. 500’s prestigious annual list of “Fastest Growing Private Companies in America” (2013) and Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ (2013), as well as one of Pennsylvania’s “Best Places to Work.” The company’s innovative RCS product line has also been recognized by the Oil & Gas Awards as the “Environmental Initiative of the Year” for 2013. Additionally, CEO, Michael O’Neill, has been named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year® in Energy, Cleantech and Natural Resources (2012).
Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com
Sponsored by: VZ Environmental Oilfield Containment Solutions www.vzenvironmental.com
We are proud to sponsor the VZ Environmental Award for Excellence in Environmental Stewardship. VZ Environmental provides containment solutions for the oil and gas industry.
Sox Pond
Pi
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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Industry Summit Editorial
Up in the Air Oil and gas companies throughout California try to balance compliance with environmental regulations like AB32 and profitability.
California may be gearing up to comply with the Senate Bill 4’s regulations on fracking while it continues to work out the details of Assembly Bill 32 (AB32), better known as the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The new mandates that took hold January 1, 2013 still have many operators vexed, so determining how to balance profitable operations with regulatory compliance has become a complex – and costly – part of business in the state. “The current environment air issues and regulations are putting a huge regulatory burden on the industry,” Shams Hasan, Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Manager for E&B Natural Resources, told attendees at the Oil & Gas Awards West Coast Industry Summit in Bakersfield, Calif. “It’s a very complicated, complex regulation, and I’m not even sure ARB (California Air Resources Board) itself is fully conversant with the implications. It has put a lot of burdens on the companies and the resources within the companies.” According to ARB, AB32 requires California to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, which represents a reduction of approximately 15 percent below emissions expected under a “business as usual” scenario. Gases covered under AB32 include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride and nitrogen trifluoride.
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As Hasan described it, each company must quantify its own GHG emissions to determine where it stands within the metric-ton allowances. For any company emitting less than 10,000 metric tons of GHG annually, it is exempt from the reporting its emissions. Once a company exceeds 10,000 metric tons, it must begin reporting its emissions to ARB. At 25,000 metric tons, a company is automatically enrolled in the Cap and Trade Program, which means it must obtain emissions credits through ARB or the open market. This final step often is unavoidable for even the smallest of energy producers, and Hasan said it involves a lot of time and money. “It needs a lot of strategy to deal with it,” Hasan said. “You’ve got to develop a forward-looking plan.” Although AB32 has been approved through 2020, there already is talk of expanding it to 2050 with more stringent regulations being added, according to Hasan. Instead of handling the entire process on its own, Ben Oakley, Environmental Coordinator for ERG California, said his company has sought partners to adequately deal with the regulation. He put that on the ARB, which didn’t expect any companies to have their reports ready for 2013, he said.
Moderator: Tupper Hull, Vice President Strategic Communications, WSPA Speakers: Shams Hasan, HSE Manager, E&B Natural Resources, Ben Oakley, Environmental Coordinator, ERG California, Tim Lovley, HSE Manager, Macpherson Oil Company, Mike Park, District Manager, Total Safety
“We have had to find good partners for us to adequately deal with the regulation,” Oakley said. “The folks at ARB were just stunned – they didn’t even anticipate that someone would be ramping up their GHG emissions as this was rolled out. They hadn’t even thought of it, so we had a really steep learning curve.” Along with GHG regulations, AB32 also brought California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) into play. LCFS addresses the emission of carbon dioxide by requiring fuels with less carbon density. ARB states that it does not penalize use of any particular fuel, but creates incentives for using clean fuel. The standard gives fuel suppliers emission-cutting flexibility by allowing them to negotiate within their own markets by buying and selling emission credits to develop profitable products.
Safety remains a concern for regulatory agencies and oil and gas companies alike, especially with the amount of danger present on frack jobs, according to Mike Park, District Manager for Total Safety. He said it is most important for employees working in the field to buy into a safety culture to make it successful.
While most companies realize where they stand in regard to GHG standards, LCFS remains a moving target, according to Hasan. In fact, Oakley believes the ongoing shortage of offsets is by design, forcing energy companies to pay into the system when they fall short of the 92 percent threshold of reducing GHG. Oakley said ERG California has spent between $5 million and $10 million on offsets already. “So what the state is really saying is, ‘We’re not interested in you folks going out and limiting GHG emissions,’” Oakley said. “‘We want you to pay into this program.’ So, they want 92 percent of your obligations to be through the ARB program. A cynic like me thinks you just want the money.” And when the offsets aren’t available, as they weren’t for Tony Lovely’s Macpherson’s Energy Corp. when it attempted to purchase them, companies are forced to deal with brokerage firms or auctions.
“You’re forced back into a market whether you buy through the auction process or a brokerage firm,” said Lovely, Macpherson’s HSE Manager. Even in a regulatory environment that often provides more questions than answers, the mandates are a constraint, not an industry-eliminator, according to Oakley. The bigger concern for California’s petroleum industry is the threat of moratoriums and bans like Measure P on Santa Barbara County’s mid-term ballot. Measure P was defeated November 4, but similar fracking bans were passed in San Benito and Mendocino counties. “I don’t think it presents a potential life-threatening illness,” Oakley said. “Smart people will be able to figure out how to deal with the regulations. But it’s the moratoria, the bans, it’s the political activity that is most frightening for me and the future of my company.” Safety remains a concern for regulatory agencies and oil and gas companies alike, especially with the amount of danger present on frack jobs, according to Mike Park, District Manager for Total Safety. He said it is most important for employees working in the field to buy into a safety culture to make it successful. “You can’t assume everybody is going to comply with what you thrust upon them,” Park said. “If they believe it and believe there’s a benefit behind it – they’re going to go home safe to their family each day – it’s essentially important that the employee believes it. And it works both ways, from the top down to the bottom up.” As long as California’s regulatory atmosphere remains the same, oil and gas companies will continue to face the prospect of evolving statutes for the foreseeable future, according to moderator Tupper Hull, Western States Petroleum Association’s Vice President of Strategic Communications. “This is probably the No.1 issue that you confront in your business operations, and that is the sort of overwhelming and constantly shifting environmental, health and safety regulations that you operate under in California,” Hull said.
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New Technology Development of the Year Award
Winners’ page
West Coast 2014
Clearsign Combustion Corporation Judge’s Comments: The company’s ECC system and Duplex burner architecture could, if broadly employed, significantly reduce fuel gas emissions in the oil and gas industry. Almost every oil and gas producing facility requires some type of heat source to separate and treat oil, gas, and water. This means that Clearsign’s technologies have the broadest applicability of any of the technologies described. Further, both the ECC and Duplex burner technologies are relatively simple and can be retrofitted to existing burners in the field, which makes them a standout in this group.
ClearSign Combustion Corporation is a leader in emissions control for industrial, commercial and utility markets, offering the only technologies available today that can economically reduce air pollution and meet regulatory standards while also enhancing the performance of combustion systems. Roughly two-thirds of global energy production can be tied to the combustion of hydrocarbons in the boilers, furnaces, kilns and turbines commonly found in oilfields and refineries. Combined, these systems produce more than 50 quadrillion British thermal units (Btus) of energy annually in the U.S. alone. At the same time, environmental regulatory bodies around the world are imposing increasingly strict limitations on the emissions of air pollutants like nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM).
technologies can be easily and cost-effectively integrated into new or retrofit systems. Working at the flame level, these solutions unlock unprecedented control over flame characteristics like shape, pattern and heat distribution to enable significant emissions reduction while simultaneously increasing fuel efficiency and system throughput. For the first time, environmental compliance has shifted from a cost of doing business, to a profitable endeavor.
ClearSign’s Duplex™ Burner Architecture and Electrodynamic Combustion Control™ (ECC™)
www.clearsign.com.
For more information about ClearSign, please visit
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Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com 48
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
Industry Summit Editorial
Communities are Key When oil and gas producers prioritize corporate social responsibility, they often earn the trust of the communities where they operate.
Countless oil and gas firms employ entire corporate social responsibility departments to make sure they remain in touch with the needs of the community. However, with environmental groups and concerned citizens more cynical than ever about the California oil and gas industry, all employees must band together to extol the benefits of their work to concerned citizens. “We have 165 employees, so we have 165 community relations people because our workforce and our entire company is regularly in contact with the community,” David Slater, Executive Vice President and COO of Signal Hill Petroleum, told attendees of the Oil & Gas Awards West Coast Industry Summit in Bakersfield, Calif. “We’ve found that communication to be essential in building trust, and we’ve found the trust essential in having the opportunity to make some small mistakes and recover from it and get better.” This level of community engagement is of particular importance when politics enter the equation. For example, E&B Natural Resources is embroiled in a dispute with Hermosa Beach, Calif., to drill for oil in the city. The origins of this dispute date back to 1984, when the city council approved an agreement and a 35-year lease with Macpherson Oil Co. to recover oil from the large
reservoir beneath the city. In 1995, according to E&B, voters reversed the previous approval, and Macpherson then sued the city and earned a judgment of more than $700 million. That sum was negotiated down to $30 million, and E&B stepped in to pay Macpherson $12.5 million for its rights to the project while loaning Hermosa Beach $17.5 million for its share of the settlement payment. The settlement also called for E&B to submit an application to Hermosa Beach that would include an exhaustive environmental impact report as well as other financial and community studies. It is now up to voters, who will vote to approve E&B’s proposal on March 3, 2015. E&B and the city of Hermosa Beach continue to grapple over final negotiations regarding development agreements as of late October. To get its message to voters, Patrick Plugge, General Manager for E&B Natural Resources, said the company relies on social media. “There has been a ban on oil drilling in Hermosa now for a number of years,” Plugge said. “We employ a lot of social media down there. We’ve got Facebook and we’re doing our best to use the blogosphere as much as possible.”
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Moderator: Tracy Leach, President & CEO, Dagny Energy Group Speakers: David Slater, EVP & COO, Signal Hill Petroleum, Patrick Plugge, General Manager, E&B Natural Resources, Bob Poole, Public Affairs, Santa Maria Energy
Santa Maria Energy has had a number of battles of its own, including a victory in Santa Barbara County, Calif., last November that came with a slew of compromises. The company also helped defeat a fracking ban initiative – Measure P – on the Santa Barbara County ballot this November while two similar fracking bans won in Mendocino and San Benito counties. Bob Poole, Santa Maria’s Public and Government Affairs Manager, says the company launched Petroleum 101, a 45-minute presentation delivered within communities where it operates to describe how oil is produced. Santa Maria also takes people on tours of its oilfields for a more hands-on experience.
“We feel it is our responsibility to give back,” Slater said. “We’re very targeted in our community investment. We’re looking for opportunities that are meaningful, have direct impact in our local community so we can go meet, feel and touch the people that are being affected.”
While Santa Maria Energy can offer guided tours of its job sites, Signal Hill Petroleum has a unique situation where it works in a major oil field without a fence around it. Signal Hill owns and operates two rigs to explore the Long Beach Oil Field. With this setup, social media and a strong online presence helps keep Signal Hill in touch with the community, but Slater said being a good neighbor through charitable outreach it is invaluable.
runaway success in Long Beach, Calif. The events charge no admission and attendees are given free popcorn. Slater said this particular part of Signal Hill Petroleum’s outreach effort has proven worthwhile in another unforeseen way. Local police officials have reached out to the local parks and recreation department in certain neighborhoods because crime rates drop immediately following one of Signal Hill Petroleum’s events. Authorities would like to schedule more events to see the trend continue. “That’s kind of the unintended consequences of reaching out and investing in our communities,” Slater said. “It’s very tough to resist the opportunities to buy influence, but that’s one of the acid tests we put community investment through – can we see it, touch it, feel it; are the people directly positively impacted; and is it something we see ourselves doing year after year.” There are plenty of ways to handle community relations and public outreach as an oil and gas firm. However, as moderator Tracy Leach, President/CEO of Dagny Energy Group says, this aspect of operations cannot be ignored. “Our view is if you don’t do [communication] right, you can bring the best engineers, the best project developers, the best CEQA [California Environmental Quality Act] attorneys, and then completely drop the ball on public outreach, political, media and have a big epic failure on your part,” Leach said. “The communications is important.”
“We feel it is our responsibility to give back,” Slater said. “We’re very targeted in our community investment. We’re looking for opportunities that are meaningful, have direct impact in our local community so we can go meet, feel and touch the people that are being affected.” One way Signal Hill Petroleum meets people in its community is through its Movies in the Park program. Slater said the company has hosted the event in conjunction with Partners of the Parks for many years, and it has been a
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MTS Solutions Industry Leader
Winners’ page
West Coast 2014
Steve Layton - E&B Natural Resources Management Corporation Judge’s Comments: I was very impressed in looking at E&B’s presentation with regards to their High Heat Illness Prevention Plan that goes significantly above and beyond regulatory requirements. The measures that they are implementing, I am sure, are making a difference in employee well being. Also, the incident and injury rates are trending downward indicating that other H&S programs that they have implemented are effective.
E&B Natural Resources Management Corporation is a Bakersfield, California based independent oil and gas company. Once a small oil and gas company producing 900 boe per day from a handful of legacy fields, E&B has grown rapidly over the past five years. Employing a balanced approach of mature field revitalization, acquisitions, and exploration, E&B now produces over 10,000 boepd from 25+ oil and gas fields located in California, Louisiana,
Kansas and Wyoming. With over 300 dedicated employees focused on all areas of growth and production, E&B is one of the largest privately owned oil and gas companies in California and is a recognized leader within the exploration and production industry.
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Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com
Sponsored by: MTS Solutions MTS Solutions has been in business since 1983 and has its home base in Kern County. The company provides Pump and Transport services as well as innovative products including safe and relatively harmless, “Green” products. MTS believes in growth, advancement, and collaboration, while safety continues to be the primary focus.
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Stay on target.
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©Oil 2014 Incorporated. &Baker GasHughes Awards 2014 All Rights Reserved. 42129 11/2014
Award for Drilling Excellence
Winners’ page
West Coast 2014
Baker Hughes
Judge’s Comments: Very sound technical approach to anti-collision incorporating customer data into a 3D viewer to allow rapid visualization. Includes geologic models with the use of auto trak and co-pilot. State of the art software. Sufficient planning and checklists. Strong safety concerns. Very strong and operational excellence use of directional or new drilling technologies. Baker also had a strong showing in demonstration of the effective use of this technology.
Baker Hughes Incorporated (NYSE: BHI) provides technology and services that enable the safe, affordable delivery of energy to the world. The Company has served the oil and gas industry for more than a century, and employs a diverse workforce of approximately 59,000 people in more than 80 countries. Baker Hughes is a leading innovator in the design, construction and production of oil and gas wells. Today, the Company creates value by improving the conversion efficiency of well construction, integrating technology and services to accelerate and optimize hydrocarbon production, and researching new ways to increase ultimate recovery. Beyond the upstream sector of the oil and industry, Baker Hughes serves the midstream and downstream markets with
technologies and chemistries that ensure safe, reliable transmission and processing of hydrocarbons. With a clear understanding of industry challenges now and in the future, Baker Hughes combines innovative technology with superior service and dynamic business models to deliver differential value for customers and shareholders. For more information about Baker Hughes, visit www.bakerhughes.com
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Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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Industry Summit Editorial
A Hero’s Welcome Bob Poole of Santa Maria Energy shares the story of his company’s political victory in Santa Barbara County.
One of the most anticipated speakers of the day at the Oil & Gas Awards West Coast Industry Summit needed no introduction and took the podium to a hero’s welcome from his peers. When someone leads a successful campaign to get approval for an oil and drilling project in environmentally sensitive Santa Barbara County, Calif., the story makes waves throughout the industry.
Although approved by the planning commission, the Santa Maria Energy project faced fierce opposition from staunch environmentalists in Santa Barbara County. By November 2013, they had convinced the county board of supervisors to reject or uphold an appeal of the project’s permitted greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Santa Barbara Independent.
Bob Poole, Public Affairs for Santa Maria Energy, took the stage in Bakersfield, Calif., to a warm reception before sharing tips on how to win the public social license to operate in California with his colleagues. Considering the battle he won in Santa Barbara County in November 2013, he definitely earned the accolades.
The project was already approved at 62,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas annually, but the nonprofit Environmental Defense Center demanded that number be reduced to 10,000. The Independent estimated the annual cost to Santa Maria Energy at $500,000.
This project involves the installation of 136 production oil wells (26 existing pilot project wells and 110 proposed wells), two steam generators, connecting pipelines, oil processing facilities and related ancillary equipment to produce oil from the Sisquoc diatomite formation. According to Santa Maria Energy, the development will be located on approximately 32 acres in the existing statedesignated Orcutt Oil Field, and the company will use the enhanced oil recovery technique known as cyclic steam to produce oil from the formation. Santa Maria Energy also is constructing and installing an 8-mile, 16-inch underground pipeline that will be built at the company’s expense but ultimately will be owned by the Laguna County Sanitation District.
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It came at a cost, but the project was approved, and Santa Maria Energy lived to drill another day. “There was an educational challenge over there trying to get a project permitted, and we were successful in doing it,” Poole said. The victory celebration didn’t last long, however, as petroleum industry opponents gained the signatures to place Measure P on the ballot this November. Before it was struck down November 4, measure aimed to prohibit “high intensity” oil and gas operations such as fracking, acid well stimulation treatments and cyclic steam injection, but would not impeded conventional drilling or “low intensity” operations, according to Ballotpedia.org.
Speaker: Bob Poole, Public Affairs, Santa Maria Energy
“The way Measure P is written, if you don’t have vested rights – or, the authorization to construct the dirt around the site – the project will actually go away,” Poole said. “We’re very engaged in the initiative and trying to advocate for no on P.” To sway voters in the county, Santa Maria Energy helped form a campaign called Winning Hearts and Minds (WHAM). According to Poole, this campaign involves community outreach on an individual, coalitional and organizational basis to bring people in Santa Barbara County up to speed on energy. The initial aim of the program, according to Poole, is to start a balanced conversation on energy that helps eliminate some myths. For example, Poole cited the fact that 1 million to 1.3 million barrels of oil are imported into California every day, yet the state’s daily consumption ranges between 1.8 million and 2 million barrels.
“If you support shutting down the oil industry in Santa Barbara County, then what you’re really supporting is importing more oil from overseas,” Poole said. “That’s the question you have to ask yourself – are you in favor of importing more oil from overseas?”
“If you support shutting down the oil industry in Santa Barbara County, then what you’re really supporting is importing more oil from overseas,” Poole said. “That’s the question you have to ask yourself – are you in favor of importing more oil from overseas?” Another myth Poole and his colleagues often must dispel is the possibility of exporting oil overseas if California’s production picks up. The response is easy since President Jimmy Carter banned the export of crude oil in 1975 in response to the energy crisis. To connect with petroleum’s doubters online, Santa Maria Energy hired former local television news anchor Nerissa Sugars for a series of videos entitled “Learn Together” for the Santa Maria website. The videos showcase different aspects of the company’s operations as explained by the
experts who handled those duties. For example, Sugars interviewed Martin Wilder, District Manager of the Laguna County Sanitation District, to show the water process and stages of treatment for the company’s cyclic steam technique. This combined with heavy activity on social media sites like Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter and Youtube as well as the company’s own blog has drawn those seeking information to Santa Maria Energy’s online presence for true facts. “The idea was to create a foundation on our website,” Poole said.
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CERTIFIED STRUCTURAL STEEL FABRICATION AND STOCK METALS SERVICE SINCE 1961
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Oil & Gas Awards 2013 2014
www.metalsupply.com | 800.400.6382
Industry Supplier of the Year
Winners’ page
West Coast 2014
Metal Supply, Inc.
Judge’s Comments: Metal Supply Inc. has been providing top quality service for this sector of our industry for over 50 years. Their excellent service attitude and determination to get the best possible solution for their customers shows their leadership in this area. An extremely capable and consistent supplier of metal products. Strong focus on customers and treating them like a partner. The list of testimonies serves as a true indicator of quality products, customer service and performance.
For over 50 years, Metal Supply Inc has been a leader in Southern California for fabrication, processing and distribution of carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum and other metals to the oil and gas industry as well as other markets. With one centralized location, our vertically integrated 75,000sf facility provides the best possible turnaround time, product quality, customer assistance, prompt delivery and service to our clients. MSI supports the industry 24/7 on demand for any structural steel and miscellaneous metal requirements. We see every customer, regardless of size, as a potential long-term partner, and we strive our best to make that partnership mutually successful by offering honesty, integrity, and innovative solutions at competitive prices. For more information, visit the company’s website at www. metalsupply.com.
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Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com
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Pumps • Compressors • Valves • I&ET’s • Full Mechanical Services In addition to the robust line of pumps and high quality compressors, RLS also has Instrumentation & Electrical Technicians and a full Mechanical Division to assist the diverse needs of our customers. Our Mechanical Division has given us the capability to work completely turn-key; performing demo work, piping installs and repairs and full installations of the units sold by the company. Having an on-site machine shop means that we can cut down lead times for parts that might not be easy to acquire for repairs on older units.
Now at two locations to better serve you... 4201 Armour Ave, Bakersfield, 93308 (661) 322-0153 ...and also... 752 N.Batavia St, Orange, 92868 (714)538-8525
Contact us today to let us show you the best solution to your problems.
www.rlsind.com
A New Day Dawns for
Total Safety Safety. Everywhere. Although our logo has evolved, our mission is steadfast. Wherever you encounter safety, health and environmental challenges, Total Safety HEROES (Helping Everyone Reach Operational Efficiency Safely) are there and ready to help.
We are making a change to serve you better. When it comes to serving our customers, nothing but the best will do. And when it comes to allencompassing safety expertise, no other safety company offers the range of services, global reach or comprehensive experience that Total Safety brings. Over the last two decades we brought together more than 20 of the best safety service companies around the world. You might say that safety is our DNA and it has defined who we are today – one smart solution called Total Safety to meet your most complex safety requirements in hazardous environments.
totalsafety.com | 8 8 8 . 3 2 8 .6 8 2 5 58
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
Manufacturer of the Year
Winners’ page
West Coast 2014
Hawk Industries, Inc. Judge’s Comments: Automation of manual tasks is very important to reduce employee exposure to possible danger and improve efficiency. These technological improvements are really revolutionary.
When it comes to specialty drilling tools for the oil and gas industry, Hawk Industries wrote the book. And we’re writing new chapters every day. A U.S.-based corporation, Hawk Industries designs, manufactures and markets innovative technologies through our network of agents and distributors worldwide. Every product we’ve ever manufactured is still at work somewhere in the world. We take pride in the level of reliability, safety and service our products deliver, as well as the numerous international patents we hold.
Hawk designs, manufactures and services 100% of the equipment the company sells. They claim that every product the company has ever made is still out there being used somewhere in the world. The company holds many patents for product innovations.
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Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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Industry Summit Editorial
Oil by Rail – The Numbers Game As increased transportation of oil by rail drives up the risk for incidents, the petroleum and rail industries are working together to mitigate those risks.
Four years ago, only 9,500 railcar shipments of crude oil traversed the United States annually. Since then, that number has skyrocketed to 415,000. Those numbers – as well as a reminder that risk grows alongside the increased transport of crude oil by rail – were delivered to the audience of Oil & Gas Awards West Coast Industry Summit in Bakersfield, Calif., during a panel discussion focused on crude by rail in the state.
necessary. She said her fellow legislators and Californians in general had concerns due to accidents in Canada, but since there were no incidents in the United States and California specifically, the regulations in place are doing their job. “They’re not thinking that neither California nor any place in the United States has had an event, so the protections have been pretty good and already there for us,” Fuller said.
“As these numbers increase, you have risk factors that increase,” said Greg Lorson, CEO of environmental engineering firm TEEMCO. “Also, the risk factors are significant. The average crude train travels a thousand miles, so when you have hundreds and hundreds of thousands of railcars traveling a thousand miles each, you’ve got this exponential risk.”
However, according to Oil Change International, a research, communication and advocacy organization in favor of clean energy, there have been seven major incidents involving crude-by-rail since 2013 in the United States. These include derailments in Casselton, N.D., and Aliceville, Ala., which combined to spill about 1.5 million gallons of crude from the Bakken Shale.
California is not immune to this increased risk. Lorson also said although only 2 percent of oil has been shipped by rail in the state, that number is expected rise to 25 percent in the next two years.
Fuller also blamed the lack of clear regulation for oilby-rail transport in California on the California Coastal Commission, which has had its purvey extended to include this task. The California Coastal Commission originally was formed to oversee offshore oil and gas projects along California’s coast, as well as the refineries built to serve offshore projects. Today, however, the commission also handles oil-by-rail regulations despite a lack of expertise, according to Fuller, especially after the passing of Senate Bill 861, which requires railroads to develop oil spill prevention and response plans for transporting crude by rail within California.
“That’s going from just a handful of cars and shipments each year in California to over 168,000 railcars moving through the state,” Lorson said. “The regulators and general public have called for safety measures to protect both life and the environment.” That may be the case, but California State Senator Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield) isn’t sure additional regulation is
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Moderator: Richard Nemec, West Coast Correspondent, Natural Gas Intelligence Speakers: Marilu Habel, SB 4 Program Development Manager, Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR), Senator Andy Vidak, 16th District, California State Senate, Greg Lorson, CEO, TEEMCO
“I think this alarms everyone,” Fuller said. “The agency is mostly a conservation-based group with mostly conservation environmentalists on it. They don’t really have the breadth of knowledge to really oversee either the railroads or oil transport.” According to Lorson, there are rules that already have been in place for a long time that require rail operators to have spill response plans for their tank cars. Oil companies have been required to have spill response plans for a long time. There are also new proposed rules that will change the construction standards for the railcars and enhanced spill response planning requirements being proposed. “I think that both the rail industry and the oil industry will acclimate to the new changes and certainly they’re going to have some input as to what those changes are,” Lorson said. “I don’t see a major problem. I think everybody has resigned themselves to the fact that since we are moving so much crude by rail, we’ve got to beef up those standards. The old standards as far as spill response is very minimal. It’s just not comprehensive enough right now, and everybody agrees with that.”
This was in response to the U.S. Department of Transportation conducting its own study that in January declared that oil from the Bakken shale was not being classified properly. “From what I’ve read and heard, it’s not the characteristic of the crude itself – it’s how the crude is prepared,” said Tupper Hull, Western States Petroleum Association’s Vice President of Strategic Communications. “It’s a lot of the light-end gases that are being loaded with the crude that make it more susceptible. That’s one of these issues that we just have to accept that there’s a disagreement about.” Despite what seems like a huge void between regulatory agencies and the general public vs. the petroleum industry, Lorson said he is optimistic that the issue can be resolved. The technology exists to vastly improve rail safety for crude transport, and as more outdated DOT-111 cars are retrofitted or removed from fleets, the better the industry will be for it. “We’ve got the ability to operate very safely and to mitigate any loss, so I think it can be managed and it’s just a matter of deploying those resources,” Lorson said. “It takes time to deploy resources. But once that’s done, we’re going to see a very safe industry.”
According to Lorson, there are rules that already have been in place for a long time that require rail operators to have spill response plans for their tank cars. Oil companies have been required to have spill response plans for a long time. There are also new proposed rules that will change the construction standards for the railcars and enhanced spill response planning requirements being proposed.
Marilu Habel, SB4 Program Development Manager, Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources, agreed with Lorson’s positive outlook.
Aside from the ability of railcars to safely transport oil, there also is debate about the properties of oil coming from the Bakken Shale. In May 2014, a third-party study released by the North Dakota Petroleum Council showed that Bakken crude oil is very similar to other light crudes and meets all federal regulations and tank car design standards for shipping flammable liquids by rail.
“I think that’s indicative of the industry as some people know, and some of those same issues certainly apply to crude by rail,” Nemec said.
“I think it’s all about risk management,” Habel said. “I think if the structures are in place to support the response and with proper risk management and support, it’s doable.” However, as moderator Richard Nemec, West Coast Correspondent for Natural Gas Intelligence, pointed out, oil-by-rail transport most likely will be another topic for environmentalists to rally around. The industry should be ready.
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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Breitling Energy Future Industry Leader
Winners’ page
West Coast 2014
Robert Murphy - Chevron
Judge’s Comments: Impressive resume of achievements for Mr. Murphy and an equally impressive testimonial.
Chevron is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies. Our success is driven by our people and their commitment to get results the right way—by operating responsibly, executing with excellence, applying innovative technologies and capturing new opportunities for profitable growth. We are involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. We explore for, produce and transport crude oil and natural gas; refine, market and distribute transportation fuels and lubricants; manufacture and sell petrochemical products; generate power and produce geothermal energy; provide renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions; and develop the energy resources of the future, including research into advanced biofuels.
Click here Has a significant future in this industry and is in the right company to achieve his goals. Good Luck.
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Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com
Sponsored by: Breitling Energy Corporation Breitling Energy Corporation (BECC) is a growing U.S. energy company based in Dallas and is engaged in the exploration and development of high-probability, lower risk onshore oil and gas properties. Breitling Energy Corporation is traded over the counter under the ticker symbol: BECC.
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
A-Z of finalists West Coast 2014
Power and productivity for a better world™
Power and productivity for a better world™
ABB
ABB is one of the largest automation suppliers in the world, with over 300,000 flow computers and RTUs installed in oil and gas worldwide. The hardware and software within our flow computers and RTUs works seamlessly with ABB instrumentation and valve control for a complete solution to your measurement and automation needs.
AllenCo Well Servicing
Anterra Energy Services, Inc.
AllenCo Well Servicing is a California based family company that is dedicated to efficiently and responsibly meeting their customer’s Oilfield Service needs in six different Product Service Lines.
Anterra is an oilfield waste management company that provides collection, transportation, construction, and waste management services. Anterra obtains the highest and best use of materials recovered and recycled during our facility treatment processes. Anterra’s team provides an efficient, secure work environment while maintaining compliance with all laws, rules and regulations.
Baker Hughes Baker Hughes Incorporated (NYSE: BHI) provides technology and services that enable oil and gas companies to deliver safe, affordable energy to the world. Operating in the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry, the Company combines differential technology with superior service and business models to create solutions designed to deliver differential value for customers. Baker Hughes has been in business for more than a century and employs approximately 59,000 people in more than 80 countries.
Judge’s comments
The company has demonstrated leadership by practicing ethical business practices, this has been the key to their long term success. Customers expect efficient, safe and profitable operating solutions from ABB and that is what the company provides.
An innovated family owned company with strong ties to the California Oil & Gas industry, mentoring our young professionals for the future.
Highly efficient and extremely competitive for P&A work. Remote well sites call for more automation and well control. ABB uses established methods and improves them.
Anterra’s activities clearly meet the objectives of this category. They employ a very impressive list of activities to minimize the footprint of the industry.
A true leader in environmental waste management within a centralized area of California with great environmental stewardship.
Very sound technical approach to anti-collision incorporating customer data into a 3D viewer to allow rapid visualization. Includes geologic models with the use of auto trak and co-pilot. State of the art software. Sufficient planning and checklists. Strong safety concerns.
Very strong and operational excellence use of directional or new drilling technologies. Baker also had a strong showing in demonstration of the effective use of this technology.
Great technology in their anti-collision and wellplanning arenas - I wish this was available 10 years ago!
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A-Z of finalists West Coast 2014
West Coast 2014
Brown Armstrong CPA
Chevron
Brown Armstrong is a full service accounting firm specializing in tax, audit, and consulting. Although we are headquartered in Bakersfield, California, we offer personalized services to oil and gas clients around the globe. We base our success on the relationships fostered and quality of the service provided.
At Chevron, we are relentlessly focused on producing safe, reliable energy now and for the future. How are we doing it? By applying the energy we have most in abundance: Human Energy.
Clearsign Combustion Corporation
ClearSign Combustion Corporation is a leader in emissions control for industrial, commercial and utility markets, offering the only technologies available today that can economically reduce air pollution and meet regulatory standards while also enhancing the performance of combustion systems.
Commercial Global Insurance Services of California, LLC
Commercial Global Insurance Services of California, LLC is a West Coast leading provider of insurance and risk management services to upstream and midstream companies. Our risk management services complement all of our clients on a local, national and international level. Our philosophy revolves around protecting our client’s assets and shareholder value.
Judge’s comments
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Brown Armstrong has a strong history and good connection with the industry in the West Coast region.
Impressive resume of achievements for Mr. Murphy and an equally impressive testimonial.
Good balance of foundation professionals with expectation to hire SMEs in air quality and risk management. Good measures citing improvement to operations.
Has a significant future in this industry and is in the right company to achieve his goals. Good Luck.
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
A very new and unique idea, one that I have never heard of before. It has the possibility of changing not only future designs but it seems to be amenable to retrofitting older combustionbased processes to improve their overall efficiency while reducing harmful combustion products. This is a technology to watch.
The company’s ECC system and Duplex burner architecture could, if broadly employed, significantly reduce fuel gas emissions in the oil and gas industry. Almost every oil and gas producing facility requires some type of heat source to separate and treat oil, gas, and water. This means that Clearsign’s technologies have the broadest applicability of any of the technologies described. Further, both the ECC and Duplex burner technologies are relatively simple and can be retrofitted to existing burners in the field, which makes them a standout in this group.
I was impressed with the number of different products and service that CGIS provides to the industry and their commitment to “individual service to each client”.
With significant growth and a range of services to offer, CGIS are doing it right. Great testimonials.
A-Z of finalists West Coast 2014
E&B Natural Resources Management Corporation
E&B Natural Resources Management Corporation is an independent oil and gas producer with subsidiaries in the oil field well service business. With operations in California, Louisiana, Kansas and Wyoming, E&B has over 300 employees and is one of the largest privately owned independent exploration and production companies in California.
West Coast 2014
West Coast 2014
EIU of California Inc.
Energy Recovery, Inc.
Since opening in 1979, EIU has emerged as one of the nation’s top industrial contractors focused on the unique requirements of the industrial marketplace. EIU maintains a strong presence in California, and is recognized as a leading industrial instrument and electrical contractor across the southwest, mid-continent and Gulf Coast regions.
Energy Recovery manufactures awardwinning clean energy solutions for the oil & gas, water, and chemical industries. Through collaboration with industry, Energy Recovery’s innovative solutions make industrial processes more efficient, profitable and environmentally cleaner. Headquartered in the Northern California, Energy Recovery has offices in Madrid, Shanghai, and Dubai.
Ensign United States Drilling (California) Inc.
Ensign, United States Drilling (California) Inc. is an industry leader in the delivery of oilfield services in California for crude oil, natural gas and are highly skilled in directional drilling. We also have an established reputation for the highest safety standards and environmental stewardship.
Judge’s comments
I was very impressed in looking at E&B’s presentation with regards to their High Heat Illness Prevention Plan that goes significantly above and beyond regulatory requirements. The measures that they are implementing, I am sure, are making a difference in employee well being. Also, the incident and injury rates are trending downward indicating that other H&S programs that they have implemented are effective.
Strong production and reserve growth. Decent safety record. Great community service. High level of direct community engagement. $150k in annual donations. Involvement with Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors is outstanding and exemplary.
EIU is considered to be one of the most successful electrical contractors in the nation. Their focus is on client satisfaction, safety and long term relationships. Through the companies support they have helped people get the help they need to diagnose and to treat their cancer. They are helping to save lives in their community.
EIU’s target philanthropy for cancer survivors and its fight against this killer can only be given a great ‘bravo’. Keep up the fight. $220k raised for Links for Life.
Both the IsoBoost and IsoGen systems are unique in that they capture energy created from a pressure drop in a fluid system and convert it to a useable form instead of letting it go to waste. While the systems have demonstrated success in large-scale gas treatment facilities, it would be useful if the technology could also demonstrate scalability.
Interesting pursuit of recovering the energy available from highpressure streams, with the potential for wide applications across almost all industries. Question lies in not how much energy is available but how can we economically and reliably extract this energy from the fluid stream.
Ensign’s “Driving to Zero” is an innovative program/goal that the company seems to be making real headway (as evident in the declining Total Recordable Incident Rate numbers in the final graph of the presentation) in trying to achieve. The safety tracking, training, and evaluations seem to be a great example for other companies to follow.
Puts workers in position to succeed at a minimum risk in a dangerous part of the well development process. Mandatorily requires yearly updates.
The driving to “zero and beyond” shows a strong focus on safety and environment; the rapidly declining accident and incident numbers are a great illustration of this. Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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A-Z of finalists West Coast 2014
West Coast 2014
ERG Operating Company
Halliburton
In 2010, ERG acquired and revitalized 20,000 acres of historic Cat Canyon oilfields where production dates back over a century. ERG is committed to the wise development of our natural resources through a responsible management philosophy that places emphasis on protecting the environment and the public’s health and safety.
Founded in 1919, Halliburton is one of the world’s largest providers of products and services to the energy industry. With more than 75,000 employees, representing 140 nationalities in approximately 80 countries, the company serves the upstream oil and gas industry throughout the lifecycle of the reservoir – from locating hydrocarbons and managing geological data, to drilling and formation evaluation, well construction and completion, and optimizing production through the life of the field.
Hawk Industries, Inc.
JD Rush Company, Inc.
When it comes to specialty drilling tools for the oil and gas industry, Hawk Industries wrote the book. And we’re writing new chapters every day. A U.S.-based corporation, Hawk Industries designs, manufactures and markets innovative technologies through our network of agents and distributors worldwide.
JD Rush Company, Inc. is an industry leader in Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) distribution. We are headquartered in the heart of Central California and sprawl across more than 100 acres of land. All services related to OCTG can be performed in one centralized location. Our vertically integrated facility is custom tailored for program drilling. We provide products and services to independent and major oil companies in North America and far beyond.
Judge’s comments
ERG focuses their giving on education, children, youth and families. The benefits from the work can continue for years from the help they gave individuals and families to pursue their goals.
The company has created a team spirit amongst its employees. The employees treat each other respectfully. Through the company’s Giving Program, tens of thousands of local children along with their parents know that they will have a meal to eat each day. ERG pays attention to the environment and its communities.
ERG’s contributions regionally and out of State are spectacular!
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Halliburton was able to demonstrate operational excellence, use of drilling technologies and innovative developments and because of their size they were able to show completed campaigns and other specific challenges they have overcome. This is again one of the strengths of having a major worldwide service company who can take their developments and find the right places in the world to try them out.
A world leader in oilfield services who continues to invest heavily in R&D. Reliable and competitive.
Automation of manual tasks is very important to reduce employee exposure to possible danger and improve efficiency. These technological improvements are really revolutionary.
Outstanding tubular supplier 80 years in business is truly impressive and demonstrates success and delivery of service. Provides a wide variety of products with great customer service.
Hawk designs, manufactures and services 100% of the equipment the company sells. They claim that every product the company has ever made is still out there being used somewhere in the world. The company holds many patents for product innovations.
JD Rush Company Inc. has some terrific information regarding their company’s capabilities and competencies. I’d have liked to hear about their community outreach efforts.
A-Z of finalists West Coast 2014
JH Kelly
Macpherson Oil Company
Metal Supply, Inc.
MTS Solutions
JH Kelly is a fourth generation, familyowned construction firm that provides mechanical and electrical services as a self-performing industrial general contractor at process plants throughout the greater Pacific Northwest. Bringing together dynamic leaders and their abilities to plan and execute challenging projects – JH Kelly gratefully enjoys a loyal and growing customer base.
Macpherson Oil Company is a leading independent oil producer, utilizing our expertise in geology, drilling, recovery technology, pumping design, and oil field operations to maximize production. Macpherson Oil Company’s operations, partnerships and joint ventures are producing domestic oil and gas in operations that include more than 400 wells onshore.
Metal Supply Inc has been a leader in Southern California for fabrication, processing and distribution of carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum and other metals to the oil and gas industry as well as other markets. MSI supports the industry 24/7 on demand for any structural steel and miscellaneous metal requirements.
MTS Solutions has been in business since 1983 and has its home base in Kern County. The company provides Pump and Transport services as well as innovative products including safe and relatively harmless, “Green” products. MTS believes in growth, advancement, and collaboration, while safety continues to be the primary focus.
Judge’s comments
Good evaluation of company services and good project work. Would have liked more information on the projects.
A clear commitment to CSR within the region as well as broad scale services and projects completed in the last year.
Nice close knit family run company with high regard for employees and community. Impressive growth for a small company – great utilization of secondary recovery methods.
A clear commitment to CSR within the region as well as broad scale services and projects completed in the last year.
Metal Supply Inc. has been providing top quality service for this sector of our industry for over 50 years. Their excellent service attitude and determination to get the best possible solution for their customers shows their leadership in this area.
An extremely capable and consistent supplier of metal products. Strong focus on customers and treating them like a partner. The list of testimonies serves as a true indicator of quality products, customer service and performance.
I was especially impressed that MTS included other, non-MTS companies, in their Behavior-Based Safety observations. The observations conducted resulted in additional, specialized training that is available to and has apparently helped, according to the testimonials, other companies.
MTS Solutions fully understands and puts into practice the two primary factors for a successful company: high quality products that meet customers’ needs, combined with high quality, personable customer service. MTS Solutions’ commitment to its customers is evident by the amount of effort it puts into understanding its customers, their needs, and developing strong personal relationships that are built upon customer service.
Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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A-Z of finalists West Coast 2014
Optellios
Preferred Technology
Ramsgate Engineering, Inc.
RLS Industries
Optellios is a provider of advanced solutions for sensing, security, and communication. The FiberPatrol® line of security products leverages patented fiber-optic sensor technologies to provide the most advanced and cost effective security solutions for military bases, airports, power plants, pipelines, and other critical infrastructures and high-value assets.
Preferred Technology is one of North America’s leading proppant technology companies. Committed to innovation and sustainability, the company is the market’s only commercial manufacturer of DustPRO, a costeffective preventative proppant solution that limits silica dust exposure and meets OSHA standards, and Preferred RCS, the first non-phenolic environmentallysensitive resin-coated sand technology.
Ramsgate Engineering is a full service engineering firm with approximately 100 engineers, project managers, designers, installers, technicians and operators who have come together to design, build, operate and maintain thermal projects locally and around the world. We provide services in reservoir/ subsurface, civil/ structural, mechanical, electrical and controls/ automation.
RLS Industries is a pump, compressor and valve company servicing the San Joaquin Valley, Central Coast and Southern California. In addition to the robust line of pumps and quality compressors, RLS also has Instrumentation & Electrical Technicians and a full Mechanical Division to assist the diverse needs of their customers.
Judge’s comments
Optellios is an American Owned and US based manufacturing company. The company provides security systems. Their systems protect our nations air, rail, seaports, government sites/ agencies, power plants, refineries, gas plants, chemical plants, and water supply infrastructure. The systems operate using some of the most advanced fiber-optic sensor technology available.
Security is important in this age of malfeasance.
Preferred Technology is the only commercial manufacturer that uses dust-control/prevention technology. In a time when fracking has become the prevalent means for oil recovery, it is good to see that a company is so concerned with the environment and the health and safety of the communities it serves.
In 2014, Preferred Sands introduced the oil and gas industry’s first and only silica dust-control proppant solution, DustPRO. This product is not only costeffective and improves operational efficiencies, it more importantly helps control respirable silica and fugitive dust by up to 65%. So Preferred Sands’s DustPRO product protects both the environment and the health of our industry’s workers, both critical to the future well-being of our industry.
A highly technical engineer firm supporting the Bakersfield area Oil & Gas companies. State of the art engineering.
One of the leaders in the region and further afield in their operations. Impressive testimonials.
RLS Industries excellent service reputation, as well as their continued emphasis on efficiency and safety for the clients is commendable. Their public service efforts are certainly #1 from the information provided.
Excellent testimonial support and a submission that underpins the values of the awards in this category.
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A-Z of finalists West Coast 2014
West Coast 2014
Roberts Companies
Santa Maria Energy
Scientific Drilling
Signal Hill Petroleum
Roberts Companies is a Women Owned Family Business that was founded in 1977. For nearly 40 years our focus has been on providing our clients in the Petrochemical Industry with multidiscipline engineering services and the most experienced technical personnel ranging from Project and Operations Managers to engineering support staff.
Santa Maria Energy, LLC is an independent, private energy company, committed to the responsible exploration and development of natural resources in Santa Barbara County.
Scientific Drilling International is an independent service provider offering a complete high accuracy navigation and drilling solution. We are globally positioned to support a wide range of markets including O&G, CBM/ CGS, Geothermal and Mining Industries. For more than 40 years we have focused on delivering a customer experience that makes it easy to do business.
Signal Hill Petroleum is a privately owned California-based energy company that specializes in the exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas in urban areas. With a set of core values rooted in a transparent business philosophy, honest approach, and concern for the environment, the company strives to be an excellent neighbor and community partner.
Santa Maria Energy is proud to be a part of a local solution, providing a natural resource that is so critical to our national interest and quality of life.
Judge’s comments
A long history of service to the industry. Good internal philosophy and approach to business. Very good community outreach.
Roberts Engineering and Roberts Technical Services have provided unparalleled technical support to many clients in the West Coast operating area. Their technical knowledge, as well as their tremendous field support, has truly set them apart from their peers in every area of the business.
Clients’ testimonies speak a lot about a company’s performance, effectiveness, and values.
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
Santa Maria Energy’s Orcutt Oil Field Diatomite is quite impressive. It is a really good example of a public-private partnership that appears to go beyond the strict regulatory and environmental requirements in this region to provide a great benefit for the Santa Barbara communities.
Company successfully operating in challenging regulatory environment with operational expertise in steam injection and improving efficiencies and reducing environmental impact through pipeline projects.
A very strong showing in operational excellence and use of new drilling technologies. Scientific’s other strong points were around HSE, minimizing environmental impact and community service. Clearly experts in Drilling Excellence.
This year’s most technically driven company with the best products I’ve seen this year.
Signal Hill’s commitment to the communities in which the company operates is what sets it apart. Through use of sustainability programs, innovative exploration and extraction techniques, environmental/emission controls and community enhancement programs, the company appears to be able to work very successfully in an urban environment where other companies may struggle.
Very impressive internal and external programs community involvement and development and graduate education support for professionals. Made great strides in operating in an urban environment.
A-Z of finalists West Coast 2014
West Coast 2014
Tachyus
TEEMCO
TJ Cross Engineers, Inc.
Total Safety
Tachyus creates technology to optimize energy production for the oil and gas industry. Producers in California and Texas with thousands of barrels of daily production are working with us to predict downtime, perform cost-benefit workover analysis, and study the economic impact of stimulation and completion techniques.
TEEMCO is a registered professional engineering firm specializing in environmental engineering and regulatory compliance for the oil & gas industry. We are a mission-driven, employee owned enterprise that’s prooil & gas and proenvironment. TEEMCO has nine regional offices (both domestically and internationally).
TJ Cross Engineers, Inc. is an Energy Industry professional services firm specializing in engineering, design, and consulting activities. Our specialties mainly include: Upstream Oil & Gas, Power Generation, Transmission, & Distribution, and Alternative Energy. We are local to Bakersfield and Southern California, and currently have a team of over 225 staff members.
Total Safety is the world’s premier provider of integrated safety and compliance services and the products that support them. We offer the industry’s broadest spectrum of safety services at 142 locations in 20 countries, ensuring the safe Wellbeing of Workers Worldwide (W3). Experience Total Safety’s proprietary service bundler online to maximize operational efficiency.
Judge’s comments
Tachyus has provided a new technology to steamflooding that could revolutionize the way that production data is gathered, analyzed, and acted upon. Now they are also trying to implement this same technology in Waterfloods as well. They are to be commended for their ingenuity and bold leadership in this area.
In five short years, the company has quickly grown to numerous locations throughout North America. The company has developed proprietary environmental compliance analysis tools to accurately measure air quality to the required specifications of the various regulatory agencies.
Tachyus is an excellent example of utilizing advanced technology to optimize client’s operations. As is stated in the presentation, their platform increases production and operator revenue, while decreasing operation costs (all of which are driving parameters for successful O&G operations).
TEEMCO has devoted many hours developing new technologies and training that will protect the health and safety of people that live and work in the Oil and Gas Industry. The industry needs support from companies like TEEMCO when fighting back the administration and antioil/gas groups.
TJ Cross Engineers, Inc. have demonstrated to be a well-rounded engineering company. Their creativity and innovative way of finding efficient solutions for their clients, their impressive safety record, and their efforts of educating the public on Oilfield Basic and Process Safety Management makes them worthy of winning the Engineering Company of the Year Award.
A reliable and growing company who is currently ranked 2nd in the California petroleum sector in the Engineering News Report’s “Top 500 Design Firms”.
This Company appears to aggressively train employees and customers in a truly broad spectrum of programs and can custom build safety equipment for specific users.
Total Safety’s plethora of service offerings and areas of concentration are amazing. The structured training and other services are a great value to their customers and fill a very important niche for our industry.
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A-Z of finalists
Contacts
West Coast 2014
Water Planet Engineering
Water Planet Engineering is a Los Angeles based water treatment solutions provider focused on delivering automated and robust membrane based separation products and services to the oil industry. Water Planet’s commercially tested advanced produced water treatment solutions consistently deliver completely de-oiled water for reuse and further water-polishing applications.
Well Checked Systems International
Well Checked provides sensor-based, remote well site video monitoring, recording, data storage, alerting and retrieval. Well Checked’s end-toend solutions not only monitor and alert for unexpected activity, but also routinely patrol & record all activity for user-defined periods and these videos are securely stored offsite for playback and review at any time.
Judge’s comments
This solution can also help decrease the costs associated with purchasing and transporting water. A great innovation that helps the environment. Water Planet Engineering also help with educating communities and projecting the positive image of local oil and gas production.
With the increasing use of water in the petroleum industry, the need to be conservative with water use is a concern that petroleum companies are always trying to address. Water Planet Engineering have found a great solution for that concern, that delivers potable quality recycled water. The fact that their system is automated can also help mitigate safety concerns.
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
Innovative concept using today’s technology for oilfield use. It’s taking “pump by exception” to the next level. Good examples of how the company’s service saved their clients’ money.
Equally applicable to both larger scale field operations and small field maintenance, its cost-effective availability to even stripper well operations offers low budget operators access to monitoring previously only affordable to larger operators. Thus, it provides monitoring capabilities to those that can ill afford more expensive SCADA telemetry.
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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Call for Entries
The 3rd Annual Oil & Gas Awards Rocky Mountain
Midcontinent
Thursday, March 10, 2015 Denver
October 2015 Oklahoma City
Gulf Coast
Southwest
Thursday, March 19, 2015 Houston
October 2015 Dallas
Northeast
West Coast
Wednesday, March 25, 2015 Pittsburgh
October 2015 Bakersfield
EntriEs dEadlinE:
EntriEs dEadlinE:
thursday, december 11, 2014
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Introducing... The Inaugural Canada Oil & Gas Awards
Entry dEadlinE:
Wednesday, april 15, 2015
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Oil & Gas Awards 2014
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