Technical News

CTS Group has announced plans to acquire TECS International Holding and TECS Netherlands.

On January 1, 2020 both entities, including the TECS offices in the Netherlands, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, will become part of the CTS Group. The company says it will continue all TECS activities with respect to aluminum domes, tank seals, internal floating roofs and other storage tank related product lines and services.

Shareholders in both companies are convinced that the acquisition will ensure the best possible future support for their customers. From January 1 CTS Netherlands or another in the CTS Group will execute orders and contracts awarded to TECS Netherlands or other TECS entities under the agreed terms and conditions.

Gert van Meijeren, as current shareholder and CEO of TECS, will obtain a shareholder position in CTS, after founding and developing CTS since 2004. Van Meijeren will be appointed as CEO of CTS Group. Jacco van der Kamp, the current CEO of CTS, will step down as of January 1.

CTS says in a statement: 'We would like to express our gratitude to Jacco for his dedication in serving the CTS' interests during his employment with us.

'We are convinced that this step will not only benefit our customers but that it will also benefit our staff and suppliers. As such we do look forward to continuing our cooperation in future ensuring we will do everything possible to meet and expectations for all involved.'

Implico has acquired Dutch cloud specialist Brainum to further expand its position in the tank storage market.

The merger brings together the innovation programmes of both companies, particularly in the future-looking areas of cloud and digitisation.

Implico says that the acquisition marks a big step in its global growth strategy and going forward both partners will bundle their competencies. With OpenTAS, Implico offers a feature-rich automation software for tank farms and refineries. In addition, Implico develops the SAP downstream solutions. With QINO, Brainum has a powerful cloud-based terminal management system in its portfolio. After the merger, Brainum will continue to operate autonomously. The acquisition will give Implico better access to the important Benelux market, especially the Netherlands, where numerous oil and gas companies are located.

'The two firms complement each other perfectly,' says Tim Hoffmeister, CEO of Implico. 'Together with our Dutch colleagues, we will further extend our position as thought leader of digital transformation in downstream. Implico has unique expertise in data communications and web services. Brainum has exceptional knowledge of cloud technologies and tank terminal management. The fusion of this know-how allows for new, future-looking solutions and services.'

Martin Keulemans, managing director of Brainum, adds: 'With Implico as a strong partner by our side, we will proceed on our innovation course. The interest in Brainum is a sign of great appreciation for our team and our work. We are proud and happy to be part of the international Implico family.'

Common processes and standards are a core element of a seamless downstream supply chain in the oil and gas sector.

Key industry participants of the German petroleum industry, including refinery and tank terminal operators, gathered at the 15th IFLEXX meeting in Bochum.

Focusing on what the future holds for the sector, attendees focused on innovative process integration options that go beyond the established standards IFLEXX and PIDX, such as cloud services.

It was agreed that enhanced process integration is a key piece of digital transformation and that the IFLEXX community needed to open up and embrace cloud solutions with the goal of broadening the range of interests and provide a forum for participants to learn about and discuss the latest innovations. It was also agreed that external experts should be invited to provide additional insight on certain topics.

Implico's Thomas Fahland said: 'Such a forum would give industry representatives the chance to discuss their requirements for future services directly with the providers.

Sam Carbis Solutions Group and Loadtec Engineered Systems have launched the Carbis Loadtec Group.

From September 1 Loadtec migrated its personnel and systems over to the new company and the team will provide seamless support for customers. Loadtec's extensive product portfolio remains unchanged.

Alec Keeler, managing director of Loadtec and the new Carbis Loadtec Group, says: 'Loadtec Engineered Systems has exclusively represented Carbis for 22 years on a worldwide basis and we are used to working together, cooperating and developing unique solutions for our customers' unique applications.

'We are now a manufacturing company and will offer a closer, faster and improved service with the backing of a long established and financially strong, international partner.'

Shawn Mizell, president of Sam Carbis Solutions, a family business based in Florence, South Carolina, adds: 'I am very excited at the opportunity this partnership affords both companies and look forward to what the future holds.'

Emerson was selected by Eastham Refinery in the UK to design and implement its terminal automation system to cost-effectively enhance system reliability and availability for bitumen loading operations at the refinery's Eastham Terminal.

The scalable, enterprise level midstream logistics management solution based on Emerson’s TerminalManager software and DeltaV distributed control system (DCS) is helping the terminal achieve its goals of digitally transforming its operations and accelerating on a path toward top quartile performance, achieving operational and capital performance within the top 25% of peer companies.

‘We have transformed how we operate with Emerson’s solution,’ says Doug Watt, senior process engineer of Eastham Refinery. ‘Our previous system resulted in many operator interventions on a daily basis. Today, there are practically zero interventions due to the reliability of our new system, leading to a significant reduction in downtime and maintenance costs.

'The accuracy and performance of Emerson’s solution have also helped us maximise tanker load quantities and minimise the potential for safety incidents. As a result, loading delays that were commonplace are no longer a burden and our customer service levels have significantly improved.’

‘Operational challenges are common in terminals and lead to losses in productivity and profitability,’ says Pedro D’Ascola, vice president and general manager for remote automation technologies at Emerson.

‘Addressing critical system and asset availability issues requires modernisation, and our integrated solution is enabling optimisation at the Eastham site. Operators can now access real-time inventory levels and other operational data on demand to minimise costly errors and delays.’

Emerson’s terminal automation solution for Eastham Terminal includes TerminalManager software for management of terminal operations and commercial activities and the DeltaV DCS for accurate blending control and movement.

The Sniffers has developed a methane accounting programme to help oil and gas asset owners achieve

effective methane emission reduction.

The programme determines how much methane is emitted per asset and across the entire chain from well to market. It reduces these methane emissions bearing sustainability in mind and reports audited data to all stakeholders in a credible way.

The programme, based on a ‘fit for purpose’ train of thought, takes the comprehensive approach towards continuous improvement of all emissions from all assets on the gas value chain. It considers all relevant technologies and protocols and provides a balance between sufficiently accurate emission figures and the cost of such a programme.

Bart Wauterickx, CEO, The Sniffers, says: ‘The programme consists of three key steps. First, we develop a fit-for-purpose methane programme together with the customer. It incorporates the right technologies and protocols for the methane situation at the site. Next, field emission surveys are executed. We start from a bottom-up inventory of all potentially emitting sources and generate accurate and reliable measurements.

‘The detailed figures and emission report are then assessed, leading to a stream of continuous improvement actions for a fine tuned programme for sustainable improvements. This is the third and final step in the program. The sustainable improvement programme can consist of adjusting measuring frequencies based on risk-based inspection approaches, continuous IoT sensor measurements or remote emission monitoring techniques,’ Wauterickx adds.

The methane accounting programme applies to all steps of the gas value chain and delivers tangible results. The detailed methane emission figures provide a tremendous insight into the environmental performance of the assets and in the opportunities for further improvement.

It allows customers to drive and prioritise remediation through maintenance projects and engineering changes. More opportunities become visible through peer-to-peer benchmarking against The Sniffers’ extensive emission database; best practices are revealed and areas for improvements become visible. This detailed action-oriented approach from The Sniffers’ methane accounting programme creates high awareness of the environmental impact of oil and gas installations. The programme also allows customers to identify the biggest opportunities for methane emission reduction and enables reliable communication of actual emission data to all stakeholders involved.

Implico has received the ISMS certification by TÜV Nord confirming that its internal processes and regulations comply with the ISO 27001 definitions.

ISO 27001 guarantees a high level of information security, which is subject to steady testing and continuous improvement.

Downstream IT specialist Implico has invested heavily into the documentation and optimisation of its work and business processes under the terms of the Information Security Management System (ISMS). It is now officially certified in the areas OpenTAS, iGOS, IT and SAP hosting.

In the course of the two-stage audit, TÜV Nord did a comprehensive check of the information security in the company headquarters in Hamburg, Germany. Implico convinced the auditors with its resilient information technology, exemplary documentation and strong security awareness. Additionally, Implico has clear regulations for information transfer and regular employee trainings.

Stephan Buhre, managing director at Implico, says: 'In an information-driven industry like oil and gas, security and confidentiality are paramount.

'The ISMS certification classifies Implico as a trustworthy partner with whom even sensitive data is in safe hands. We have heaved security at Implico to a new level.'

Loadtec Engineered Systems has sold its marine arm division to Woodfield Systems Ltd.

The marine arm division has developed well over the last two years and has reached a point where it needs to develop and grow further with a like-minded business. Woodfield Systems, based in Whitstable, UK, have the resource and ambition to support the marine arm product range. It will also complement the company's established marine arm brands, which it has been manufacturing since the 1950's.

The core Loadtec marine team will transfer to Woodfield.

Alec Keeler, managing director of Loadtec, says: 'We are excited to see how Woofield will develop the Loadtec marine arm brand using their resource and support activities and we wish them well.'

Sales director of Woodfield Systems David Williams adds: 'This is an exciting time for Woodfield Systems Ltd and the acquisition of the Loadtec marine loading arm division will complement our existing range of marine loading arms.'

Keeler adds that Loadtec will continue to focus on key product markets including road and rail tanker bulk liquid transfer, fall prevention systems and marine gangways.

'The markets are seeing more sophistication in their automation of manual processes along with increased safety assurance,' he says.

'We are taking strong and positive steps to lead the way with new products and packages that represent the cutting edge of what is achievable in chemical plants and terminals.'

Crowcon Detection Instruments has launched a new dual range portable monitor to add to its Gas-Pro range.

Gas-Pro TK has been designed for use in specialist inerted tank environments to monitor levels of flammable gases and oxygen. An environment where standard gas detectors will not work.

Fiona Macrae, regional marketing manager at Crowcon says: 'We have created the new Gas-Pro TK device for the specialist application of monitoring inerted tank spaces during purging or gas freeing. It enables users to monitor the gas mix in tanks carrying flammable gas during transport at sea or on shore, such as oil tankers and oil storage terminals. At 340g, Gas-Pro TK is up to six times lighter than other monitors for this application; a boon if you have to carry it with you all day.'

In tank check mode, the Crowcon Gas-Pro TK (rebranded from Tank-Pro), monitors concentrations of flammable gas and oxygen, checking that an unsafe mixture is not developing. It uses dual IR sensor technology which detects the spectrum of possible flammable gas concentrations from high %vol to low %LEL. The device auto-ranges, switching between %vol and %LEL as gas concentration demands, without manual intervention, and notifies the user as it happens.

'What makes this detector special is the fact that the dual IR is not inhibited by high concentrations; nor does it require oxygen to work - unlike catalytic bead sensors which are totally unsuitable for this application,' adds Macrae.

The Gas-Pro TK is available calibrated methane, propane or butane. With IP65 and IP67 ingress protection, Gas-Pro TK meets the demands of most industrial environments. With optional MED certifications, it is a valuable tool for tank monitoring on-board ship. The optional High H₂S Sensor addition allows users to analyse possible risk if gases vent during purging, as well as the potential risk from pyrophores. With this option, users can monitor over the 0-100 or 0-1000ppm range.

As with other units in the Gas-Pro range of detectors, Gas-Pro TK has the additional benefit of offering full personal gas detection and confined space pre-entry check functionalities.

It will appeal to health and safety managers responsible for marine fuel tankers and on-shore oil storage terminals and tank farms and it provides atmosphere monitoring whilst purging inerted tank spaces or returning to breathable atmosphere (gas freeing).

TankTerminals.com will launch a new and improved database platform at the end of April.

The platform, which has a new website design and database platform, has new features to improve the capabilities of this tool.

It will contain a database on tank storage facilities globally, analytics tools such as a market share calculator, historic and future capacitary evolution and a competitive benchmarking tool.

Patrick Kulsen, managing director of PJK International and TankTerminals.com, says: 'The improved platform will provide more insights in the global tank storage industry and will increase quality and efficiency.'

For more information, visit www.tankterminals.com.

ProSys, a global supplier of software and services, has been acquired by Emerson.

ProSys' services and products increase production and safety for the chemical, oil and gas and refining industries. These solutions build intuitive processes for plant operators and make every process easier.

Its portfolio includes solutions that help operators manager alarms critical to plant production and safety, and efficiently handle changing plant states. Additionally, ProSys provides high-performance and intuitive graphics for better operator communications.

Mike Train, executive president, Emerson Automation Solutions, says: 'Adding ProSys' differentiated technologies and expertise allows us to help our customers improve plant performance, safety and profitability by optimizing their human and automation resources. With ProSys, we can provide innovative control and operator performance capabilities to make control room operators far more effective.'

ProSys' software portfolio support's Emerson's Operational Certainty programme designed to help industrial companies achieve top quartile performance in areas of safety, reliability, and production.

Solace Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused on special situations investments has acquired CST Industries.

CST Industries, the world's largest and leading tank and dome manufacturer, provides storage systems, complementary or independent cover products, proprietary coating and lining services, field installation, inspection, maintenance and retrofit proficiency, to a wide range of end markets.

Christopher Brothers, managing partner at Solace, says: 'As global demand for storage tanks and covers increases, we believe CST is well positioned to leverage its scale, unique engineering and manufacturing experise, strong and growing order backlog and significantly strengthened balance sheet to meet the needs of its customers worldwide.'

Tim Carpenter, CEO of CST, adds: 'This is an exciting new chapter for our company. Over the past 18 months, we have made significant operational improvements across all facets of the business, enhancing our safety, quality, delivery, manufacturing proficiency, responsiveness and customer satisfaction.'

Alliance Tank Service (ATS) Group has bought Willbros Tank Services in a move to move to expand resources for steel tank construction and repair.

The expanded company will operate as ATS Group and will have offices in Cushing, Oklahoma, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Channelview, Texas.

ATS president and CEO John Allcorn says: 'With the acquisition of Willbros Tank Services, we are excited to be able to offer our customers expanded resources for steel tank construction and tank repair.

'Combining Willbros' team with ATS', we'll be collectively stronger, safer, more reliable, and more responsive to customers. ATS' and Willbros' individual strengths will dovetail nicely and allow us to expand workflow and widen our geographical reach.'

Alliance Tank Service (ATS) is a turnkey tank service provider that offers aboveground storage tank construction, API 653 tank repairs, civil and structural engineering design, concrete foundation design, in-house drafting, cathodic protection, secondary containment, piping and consulting services.

Phillips 66 is jointly developing an autonomous robot that can inspect storage tank floors while product remains in the tank.

Jointly working with Square Robot, the companies are developing the untethered robot, which is currently being designed and is expected to be certified for use in a wide range of petroleum products.

The robot is expected to enter service in mid-2018.

In order to examine tank bottoms, the structures are taken out of service to be drained, opened and cleaned. This robot will be able to automatically survey and map obstacles within a tank while it remains in service. This will create a specific route map allowing maximum coverage of the tank floor.

Using non-destructive testing data gathered, a certified inspector will produce a floor thickness map allowing for a more accurate prediction of a tank floor's remaining life.

Todd Denton, general manager, midstream operations, Phillips 66, says: 'Ensuring the integrity of our equipment is one of our top priorities and we are always looking for innovative new technologies to help us achieve this.

'Our collaboration with Square Robot presents a unique opportunity to develop technology that will enable us to maintain our equipment and minimise disruption to our customers.'

Jacobs Engineering Group has been awarded a greenfield fuel storage and distribution terminal contract in Mexico by Invex Infraestructura.

Jacobs is expected to perform engineering services and support Invex with regulation compliance and safe and efficient execution. The engineering phase will provide the basis for construction and operations of the strategic terminal.

Jacobs Petroleum and Chemicals senior vice president and general manager global operations Mark Bello, says: 'This project, which is expected to help boost confidence in fuel supply throughout the country, is fully in line with Jacobs' strategy and continued focus on developing storage terminal opportunities in Mexico and Latin America.

Jacobs provides technical, profession and construction services for industrial, commercial and government organisations globally.

Linde Engineering Dresden, Linde AG, engineering division has awarded SA Fire Protection a contract for deluge skids at the Braskem La Porte Polypropylene Plant in Houston.

SA Fire will provide engineering, design, manufacturing, testing, inspection, accessories for commissioning, start up and maintenance of the skids at the plant, which is set to become the largest polypropylene production line in North America by more than doubling annual production at the site.

The skids will be equipped with UL listed electro-pneumatic deluge valves in nickel aluminium bronze manufactured by SA Fire with a special configuration trim to meet the high specification skid design.

The system design was developed to meet US regulations and to cope with local requirements. With the project engineering taking place in Cascina, Pisa and the manufacturing taking place at the factory in San Pier Niceto, SA Fire Protection will be taking advantage of its resources across two centres of excellence. The collaboration between Linde Engineering and SA Fire protection is a good fit as both companies have competencies in customised processes for the oil and gas industry. The project marks an important point as SA Fire further penetrates both the north European and the North American market.