Dallas, TX – The Southern Gas Association is honored to announce the winning presentations for the 2022 Innovative Tech Forum: OnBoard Dynamics, Groebner, Washington Gas Light, Zahroof Valves, NiSource, SeekOps, Kodiak Gas Services and EnerCom.
“Congratulations to the winners of our Second Annual Innovative Tech Forum. This forum showcases the technology, service, and product innovators, business pioneers, and influencers who are not afraid to lead the way to the future for the natural gas industry.” said Suzanne Ogle, President and CEO of the Southern Gas Association. “After last year’s inaugural event’s success, we were pleased to partner with our Associate Members to promote the innovation acceleration we see in the natural gas industry. SGA applauds each of the presenting companies and all those who submitted proposals. As providers of innovation-driving, sustainable energy solutions, these companies think of themselves first as collaborators and partners in helping operators deliver on their net-zero pledges.”
“We were impressed with the outstanding quality of submissions, making the final selection very difficult this year,” said Steve Lindsey, SGA Board Chair and EVP/COO of Spire. “Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to all of those who submitted proposals. The winning Management Conference presenters are a prestigious sampling of cutting-edge companies that the Innovative Tech Forum will propel forward and upward. We are grateful to our Associate Section Managing Committee for their ongoing support and leadership in this effort.”
The winning presentations at the Innovative Tech Forum equip the industry with the equipment and practices necessary to allow the world to meet rising energy demand achieving climate aspirations.
OnBoard Dynamics presented their GoVACTM Flex system, the cleanest way to evacuate pipelines.
GoVACTM FLEX is a portable, self-contained natural gas pipeline evacuation system. The patented integrated combustion engine runs on a small portion of the natural gas that is being compressed. Without the need for external power sources, such as diesel-powered air compressors, this design results in the lowest possible carbon and emissions footprint during pipeline evacuations. The system can transfer recovered natural gas to either an adjacent pipeline or a tube trailer and/or a CNG storage pod. This system is small enough to be towed by a ½ ton pickup, making it easy to maneuver around job sites and be quickly deployed to field operations.
Groebner presented their PA12 thermoplastic pipe material.
Groebner’s PA12 provides new solutions to address supply chain, pressure, RNG and hydrocarbon issues. This technology can shape the future of the natural gas industry helping solve Hydrocarbon Permeation issues. PA12 can extend life expectancy over steel, reduce/eliminate CP costs, reduce the number of joints underground and can help carry RNG at a reduced cost to stainless and more.
Washington Gas Light presented their hydrogen fuel cell medium-duty crew truck pilot.
The crew truck pilot represents a critical next step in the commercialization of fleet hydrogen station and vocational medium-duty fuel cell truck technology. It helps fleet owners achieve zero emissions without compromising payload and duty cycle, which is often the case with pure battery electric vehicles in the medium and heavy-duty vehicle sectors.
https://www.washingtongas.com/
Zahroof Valves showed an impact on performance, reliability, ESG and maintenance with their StraightFlo™ valve.
The StraightFlo™ valve is a genuinely disruptive technology (50+ patents globally), making proven improvements in compressor performance, reliability, maintenance, and emissions control. More than 36% of all unscheduled reciprocating compressor shutdowns are due to valve problems, resulting in an estimated $2B annual costs in downtime, maintenance, and fugitive emissions. Compressor valve technology has changed little in the last 100 years, leaving operators without options for significantly improving economic or environmental sustainability. The StraightFlow™ improves on the performance of their currently available Reciprocating Compressor Reed Valve that reduces the methane intensity associated with the operation of reciprocating compressors in the Oil & Gas industry.
NiSource presented their NiSAFE Blackline Personal Safety Device.
NiSource’s NiSAFE Blackline Personal Safety Device is wearable safety technology for field employees conducting their day-to-day work activities. It provides added layers of protection and faster response time to emergency situations creating a safer environment for our employees, customers, and communities.
NiSource also presented residential intelligent safety endpoints with their Gas Smart Meter.
NiSource’s Gas Smart Meter with new safety features and cellular (LTE-M) communications can now monitor important safety limits for pressure, flow and temperature at the closest point to the customer. The device is configured to automatically stop the flow of gas if a safety limit is exceeded. We can also monitor and shut off the flow of gas over the LTE-M network if there is a potentially dangerous situation involving a customer.
SeekOps presented detecting, localizing and quantifying methane emissions using drone-mounted SeekIR TDLAS technology.
Unlike traditional LiDAR, SeekOps’ SeekIR is a passive sensor that is deployed in the downwind plume of methane, using its highly sensitive technology to detect concentrations as low as 40 PPB. SeekIR’s signal is not degraded by clouds, reflectivity, water, insulation, snow, etc., and provides highly accurate quantification in addition to detection and localization.
Kodiak Gas Services presented EcoView which provides responsibly sourced natural gas and addresses the ever-evolving regulatory environment.
Kodiak Gas Services EcoView AI technology provides predictive maintenance as well as real-time emission data. This technology can show where actual leaks are on the compressor package so that repairs are quickly made, and equipment is kept within compliance.
EnerCom presented Facilitating Connections for Energy Technology Companies and Capital Markets with the Energy Venture Investment Summit.
EnerCom teamed up with the Colorado School of Mines to create The Energy Venture Investment Summit whose focus is on companies with operations and innovation in areas such as alternative energy, advanced oil and gas technology, environmental monitoring and sustainability, carbon capture and recycling.
Southern Gas Association’s Innovative Tech Forum takes place on April 21, 8:00 am to 10:20 am, EDT and celebrates natural gas innovation. The Innovative Tech Forum is a dynamic tech fest dedicated to product and service discovery and highlights all the ways innovative thinking and innovative technology can build a better and cleaner energy future for all of us. Focusing on innovation, SGA Associate Members who submitted proposals will have an opportunity to showcase their cutting-edge solutions with the SGA Operating Member community in a 15-minute live technology presentation with live Q&A during the 2022 Management Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Visit here to register to attend the conference.
Our panel of Industry Judges included SGA’s Board Executive Committee and our 32 Board Directors. Names and companies can be viewed on our website:
- Steve Lindsey, EVP and COO, Spire
- Scott Doyle, EVP Natural Gas, CenterPoint Energy
- Luke Litteken, SVP Gas, Xcel Energy
- Scott Hallam, SVP Transmission and Gulf of Mexico, Williams
- Jimmy Staton, President & CEO, Santee Cooper
About Southern Gas Association
Founded in 1908, the Southern Gas Association is the leader in natural gas training and professional development. SGA is a community of natural gas professionals across the U.S. and Canada. Representing the industry from drill bit to burner tip, SGA’s membership comprises more than 200 operators across the distribution, transmission, and gas supply marketing sectors and more than 350 industry partners. Through digital and in-person engagement, SGA members share ideas, resources, and best practices to develop people, relationships, and solutions.
