Ball Valves vs Globe Valves
Design - Ball valves have a chamber with a spherical ball that has a hole bored into it. The ball is connected to a handle, which increases or stops the flow.
Benefit - Ball valves allow the user to see exactly what position the valve is in. If the handle is perpendicular to the line, the hole is facing perpendicular to the line, and therefore is fully closed.
Application - Ball valves are used in high-pressure and shutoff applications, because they do not wear easily.
Design - Globe valves have a plate with a hole in it, and a disk or plug completely or partially fits into the hole, slowing or stopping flow.
Benefit - Globe valves offer greater precision than other valves when it comes to regulating flow.
Application - Globe valves are used in applications where flow needs to be finely tuned, they are designed to restrict flow.
Check out GVC’s line of ball, gate, globe and check valves here.
Source: http://www.ehow.com/facts_6759345_difference-between-ball-globe-valves.html
Ball Valves
Ball valves are flow valves that are quarter-turn and straight through apparatuses. These valves allow for shut-off and/or purposes of control. The ball valve pressure rating and materials used determines what kind of seat is required. Not all valve seats are the same.
Ball valves are considered superior to other valves because they are very easy to use and can both maintain and regulate three important things-high pressure, high volume and high flow of temperature. The ball valve design allows for the easy ability to fix the seats if a problem arises and also seals without having to take away the body of the valves from the line.
Ball valves can be found in a number of different styles. Some of these include one-piece, two-piece, three-piece and flanged body construction. Check out GVC’s line of ball, gate, globe and check valves.
Source: http://www.thomasnet.com/about/ball-valves-90370206.html
Oil in the Ocean?
Yes, there is oil in the ocean- not just from the oil spills, but there are other contributing factors as well. Roughly around 37% comes from the mixture of materials and wastes from industrial plants that spill into the water.
7% comes from the seabed naturally. This is usually the oil and tar that you see while walking on the coastline.
2% comes from the exploration and production phases of the oil industry.
12% comes from the accidents that come from the Oil tankers and ships.
33% comes from the operation of theses oil tankers and ships.
The remainder of the 9% is absorbed from the atmosphere..
American Petroleum Institute
The American Petroleum Institute, commonly referred to as API, is the largest U.S trade association for the oil and natural gas industry. API represents roughly 400 corporations covering many aspects of the petroleum industry.
API certification is a common requirement for valves. The publications, and technical standards are designed, according to API itself, to help users improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of their operations, comply with legislative and regulatory requirements, safeguard health and ensure safety.
Check out GVC’s line of API certified valves here.
Source: Wikipedia
Upstream, Downstream, Midstream: What’s the Difference?
Those three words are always used in the oil and gas industry. They point out specific areas on the oilfield.
Upstream: Term commonly used to refer to the searching for and the recovery and production of crude oil and natural gas. The upstream oil sector is also known as the exploration and production (E&P) sector.
Downstream: Term commonly used to refer to the refining of crude oil, and the selling and distribution of natural gas and products derived from crude oil.
Midstream: Processes, stores, markets and transports commodities such as crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNGs, mainly ethane, propane, and butane) and sulphur.
Source: Wikipedia
Mining in the Oceans
I never knew that Mining was done in the water. I always pictured caves and creeks when I thought about mining. Mining in the ocean was actually first developed around the 1950’s.
“Diamonds are found in greater number and quality in the ocean than on land, but are much harder to mine. When diamonds are mined, the ocean floor is dredged to bring it up to the boat and sift through the sediment for valuable gems. The process is difficult as sediment is not easy to bring up to the surface, but will probably become a huge industry once technology evolves to solve the logistical problem”
Diamonds are not the only jewels collected under the ocean floor. Metal compounds such as gravels, sands and gas hydrates are also mined in the ocean. The sands and gravels are used for beaches to protect them from erosion.
“Mining the ocean can be devastating to the natural ecosystems. Dredging of any kind pulls up the ocean floor resulting in widespread destruction of marine animal habitats, as well as wiping out vast numbers of fishes and invertebrates. When the ocean floor is mined, a cloud of sediment rises up in the water, interfering with photosynthetic processes of phytoplankton and other marine life, in addition to introducing previously benign heavy metals into the food chain. As minerals found on land are exploited and used up, mining of the ocean floor will increase.”
http://marinebio.org/oceans/ocean-resources.asp
Oil & Gas Sector’s Emission Intensity Rose, Water Use Fell in 2010: CAPP
For those who do not know what CAPP means; they call them the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), as well as GHG also known as the Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
The CAPP raised intensity 3% in 2010, primarily due to rising production of oil sands and unconventional gas. “In the oil sands, GHG emissions intensity (GHG emissions per barrel of oil sands production) increased by 2% from 2009, after two years of decreasing emissions intensities,” CAPP states, but in their second annual Responsible Canadian Energy Progress Reports covering the performance last year.
The industry was more successful in reducing the fresh water consumption, but while the mining activity rose 4% from 2009, the fresh water withdrawal dropped 6%. They discovered a total count in the Western Canada Wells. In 2010 the total well count was 281,993 wells. But in 2006, the number was 250,422. As you can see the amount of wells were being drilled was at a faster rate than reclaiming the existing wells.
CAPP members state “in 2010, total of 19,625 well in Western Canada that were either undergoing active reclamation or are in the monitoring stages of reclamation in preparation for certification.” With that being said the oil sands are a growing, long-term resource, so the total active footprint is expected to grow for a number of years.
The reports show:
- Total active footprint – 71,497 hectares at the end of 2010, an increase of six per cent from 2009.
- 90 per cent of the total active footprint is cleared
- The industry recorded seven fatalities in 2010, compared to 24 in 2009.
- Canada’s oil and gas production has the highest NOx emissions intensity within the industry.
- The industry credits the improvement to fuel gas efficiency improvements and better combustion technology.
- Oil sands production has the highest SO₂ emissions per barrel of production, due to the high sulphur content in raw bitumen.
- In Western Canada the SO₂ emissions intensity has decreased by 24% since 2006, with a decrease of seven per cent in 2010 as compared to 2009.
I’m sure we will wait and see what will happen in the near future, but until then this is what we are dealing with and this is what the reports show.
FOX PETROLEUM ACQUIRES RENFRO, CAMERON PARISH PIPELINES
“Fox Petroleum announced that it is acquiring Renfro Energy LLC and Cameron Parish Pipelines LLC for three-hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) in cash.”
Among all of the pipeline encounters and devastating accidents the Fox Petroleum is proudly to announce of their $300,000 full on cash for this Renfro Energy LLC as well as Cameron Parish Pipelines LLC which will start producing between 15-20 barrels a day which adds to 600 barrels per month.
Renfro Energy LLC is located in Dallas, Texas, which developed in March of 2002. (In the article: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Fox-Petroleum-Acquire-Renfro-iw-981621205.html?x=0%20ForceRecrawl:%200). They’re based at a limited liability hold a house existing oil and gas assets which is located in Texas, Oklahoma and for acquisitions identified in Louisiana. They sold over $6 Million of oil and gas properties through approximately 15 acquisitions.
This project will significantly lead to the bottom line and being how the cost will be at a decent price for a long term asset which will continue to have a great value. (In the article: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=110891) This company expects to complete the transaction by October 31st, 2011 upon completion of PCAOB audits. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, so the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or to changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law, that is if they decide to mandatory the statements.
Steel Plant Blast Burns Three Men
Ever wondered what would happen if you introduce water and molten steel inside a plant’s electric arc furnace? Well, Australian Workers Union Branch Secretary Richard Downie said “It explodes for one; two men had been released from the hospital due to their minor burnt injuries. The third man was in the Royal North Shore Hospital Burns Unit.”
The explosion occurred Thursday, November 24th, 2011 at 12:33AM, the furnace crew was removing a partly melted “skull” of scrap from the inside of the plant’s electric arc furnace. ”The skull somehow dislodged a water-fed cooling plate, which fell into the ‘heel’, which is the molten steel at the bottom of the furnace after it has been tapped,”
A 42-year-old man was burnt to multiple regions, a 40-year-old man’s’ hands were burnt, and also a 37-year-old man had “Shrapnel burns to his torso.” Another man was knocked backwards down a set of stairs by the force of the explosion, and also a crane driver suffered from the blast.
14 Killed in Chemical Plant Explosion
In the article http://www.firedirect.net/index.php/2011/11/14-killed-in-chemical-plant-explosion/ they say Melamine Production Unit in Xintai was being repaired and maintained until the chemical explosion which killed 14 workers. What caused the explosion? No one knows . . .
In the country of China, more industrial accidents occur due to the basic safety measures. The explosion happened late Saturday Afternoon,” four workers were killed in the explosion, ten died at the hospital, while five other workers were injured which at the moment are announced in a stable condition and soon will be able to go back to work.”
Even though the Melamine is a nitrogen-rich chemical, which is used to make plastics and other products, however, no poisonous or harmful substances were released by the explosion.
“Accidents in factories and on construction sites are common – and China’s coalmines are the most dangerous in the world, despite the government’s efforts to improve safety standards.”