THE International Liquid Terminals Association (ILTA) will hold its 32st International Operating Conference and Trade Show in Houston, Texas from May 21-23 at the Hilton Americas-Houston and George R Brown Convention Center.
During this year's ILTA conference, experts from the terminal industry will share their perspectives, strategies, tools, and tips for increasing operational effectiveness, managing business issues, and improving safety and environmental performance. The conference will featured more than 30 speakers, 32 sessions, and four workshops.
A growing highlight of the annual conference is the presentation of the ILTA Safety Awards at the Tuesday networking breakfast. ILTA will recognize selected companies for their outstanding safety performance records in 2011. Winners are chosen based on their total reportable incident records as reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and based on their responses to a questionnaire designed by ILTA's Safety Award Program Committee.
Featured speaker
Journalist and energy expert Robert Bryce will open this year's conference as the featured speaker on Monday, May 21 from 8:30 am-9:45 am, addressing the topic, “The US Oil and Gas Boom and the Downstream Markets: The Outlook for Terminals.”
Bryce, one of America's most prominent energy analysts and the author of four books on the energy sector, will discuss recent developments and trends in the bulk liquid storage industry, starting with the dramatic changes currently taking place in the domestic production of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids.
The presentation will also focus on how market developments are affecting the production of refined petroleum products and petrochemicals, and what this means for the terminals that handle those products.
Bryce will address the impacts of high energy prices, the oil supply and demand outlook, natural gas sector developments, and other key oil and gas issues. Attendees will gain an understanding of how these changing market dynamics will affect the bulk liquid storage business.
Keynote luncheon
Dan Burrus, a technology futurist, business strategist, and best-selling author, will be the keynote speaker on Tuesday, May 22 during the luncheon that runs from 11:30 am to 1:15 pm.
Burrus has established a worldwide reputation for accurately predicting the future of technological change and its impact on the world of business. He will provide an exclusive perspective on the future of technological change and give specific insights into the opportunities that will be made possible by these changes and what conference attendees can do to capitalize on them.
The author of six books, Burrus is considered one of the world's leading technology forecasters and is the founder and chief executive officer of Burrus Research, a research and consulting firm that monitors global advancements in technology-driven trends to help clients understand how technological, social, and business forces are converging to create enormous untapped opportunities.
In 1983, he became the first and only futurist to accurately identify the 20 technologies that would become the driving force in business and economic change for decades to come. Since then, he has helped hundreds of clients develop successful competitive strategies based on the creative application of leading-edge technologies.
Monday sessions
The first morning of the conference features:
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One-hour breakout sessions at 10 am: “Aboveground Storage Tank Cleaning: Common Mistakes Companies Make When Evaluating Contractor Bids,” Jeff Heath, Allerion Oilfield Services; “Evaluating the Performance of Third-Party Terminals Based on Observed Best Practices: A Large Customer's Approach,” Lance Nunez, Dow Chemical Company; and “The ABCs of Vapor Control Equipment Maintenance,” Dan Loikits and Doug Frable, Loikits Industrial Services.
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Three sessions from 11:05 am-12:05 pm: “Evaluating Near-Miss Events and Minimizing the Risk of Major Incidents,” with moderator Virginia Edley, SBK Consulting, and presenters Rafael Rengifo, ConocoPhilips Company, and Marilyn Shores, Explorer Pipeline; “Getting More Out of You: Simple Tactics to Boost Your Personal Productivity,” Brad English, Baker Communications; and “Effective Measures for Meeting Terminal Security Objectives,” with moderator Steve Roberts, Roberts Law Group Presenters, Jack McCrossin, CITGO Petroleum Corporation, Terry Whitley, Shell Oil, Gus Borkland, Sunoco Logistics Partners, and Brian Temples, TransMontaigne Product Services.
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Three sessions from 1:20-2:40 pm: “Static Hazards for Routine and Non-Routine Operations,” Graham Tyers, Newson Gale, Jim Grasty, Alltec Corp, and Tony Witter, Veolia ES Industrial Services; “Ports, Harbors, and Ship Channels: The New Superfund Sites, What Terminal Owners Need to Know,” with moderator Daniel Pring, Kleinfelder Speakers, Gail Corrigan, Corrigan Kleinfelder, Micheal Dobbs, Jackson Gilmour & Dobbs, and Aston Hinds, Port of Houston Authority; and “Defining Safety Leadership from an Operations Point of View,” Britt Howard, John Brown, Richard Hamilton, and Tom Nash, Hess Corporation.
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Three sessions from 2:45-3:45 pm: “Shifting the Fire Protection Discussion from Cost to Value: Reducing the High Risks,” Stephen Haines, Haines Fire & Risk Consulting; “The Evolving Biodiesel Market: New Business Strategies for Terminals,” Richard Nelson, Enersol Resources; and “Facility Security: MTSA Regulatory Developments and DHS Tools for Evaluating and Mitigating Risk,” Capt Kevin Kiefer, US Coast Guard and Amy Graydon, US Department of Homeland Security Infrastructure Protection.
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Three sessions from 4-5: “Vulnerabilities to Cyber Attacks: Are You in Control of Your Terminal System?” Daniel Michaud-Soucy, Red Tiger Security; “The Three Fundamental Roadblocks to a Thriving Organization and How to Remove Them,” Walter Nusbaum, Nusbaum, Inc; and “ILTA Safety Award Winners: Roundtable Discussion on Best Safety Practices,” with moderator David Chalson, Sunoco Logistics, and presenters Mike Santee, CITGO, Lance Baker, Flint Hills Resources, Mark O'Neill, International Raw Materials, and Jerry Stauffer, NuStar Energy.
Tuesday sessions
The second morning of the conference features:
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One-hour breakout sessions from 9:20-10:20 am: “Driving Operational Excellence Throughout the Organization,” Tom McDougal, PeopleCore; “Avoiding Common Mistakes with Employment Law and Personnel Management: Tips Every Manager Needs,” Barham Lewis and Dennis Davis, Ogletree Deakins; and “EPA Regulatory Outlook: Air Emissions,” Rob Ferry, TGB Partnership.
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Three sessions from 10:25-11:25 am: “Evaluating Marine Terminal Capabilities: A New International Initiative, Marine Terminal Information System (MTIS),” William Crabbs, ConocoPhillips Company; “Building the Business Case for Safety, Quality and Environmental Excellence,” Mike Dodson, Kinder Morgan; “MSS Permitting: Quantifying Non-Routine Emissions in Texas and Other States,” Rob Ferry, The TGB Partnership, and Larry Darcey, Sage Environmental.
Post-conference workshops
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Tuesday, May 22, 2-5:00 pm: “Air Emissions - Loading Operations,” Rob Ferry, The TGB Partnership. This half-day workshop will focus on air issues pertaining directly to loading operations.
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Wednesday, May 23, 8 AM-5 pm: “Advanced Tanks/Air Emissions,” Ferry, The TGB Partnership. This course provides a detailed look into air emissions issues relating to the design, construction, and inspection of aboveground storage tanks. It will address regulatory compliance, emissions calculations, and recordkeeping and reporting requirements. Time will be provided for attendees to visit the ILTA trade show floor on Wednesday. Breakfast and lunch will be provided both days.
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Wednesday, May 23, 8 am-5 pm: “Reactive Sulfur Management in Petroleum Storage Facilities,” Baker Hughes. This workshop will highlight strategies that can be used to resolve hydrogen sulfide (H2S) issues at liquid terminal storage facilities. Topics covered include the physical properties of the gas, problems that terminals encounter when handling H2S-laden hydrocarbons, and efficient ways to reduce hydrogen sulfide. Best practices for the selection and application of H2S scavengers as well as appropriate techniques for the measurement of hydrogen sulfide in vapor and liquid spaces will be described. Time will be provided for attendees to visit the ILTA trade show floor. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.
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Wednesday, May 23, 8 am-5 pm and Thursday, May 24, 8 am-2 pm: “The Fundamentals of Pump Technologies,” conducted by PSG. This introductory workshop focuses on how a pump system works and explains the different pump technologies that are commonly found at terminal facilities. These pump technologies include: centrifical, diaphragm, gear, rotary vein, and screw. The instructors will discuss pump selection and applications, pump operation and safety, system design and evaluation, and troubleshooting. Time will be provided for attendees to visit the ILTA trade show floor on Wednesday.
