The growth of new technology in the gas, oil and mining markets is impressive. I’m constantly hearing about companies that have developed new and better ways of meeting the everyday needs of this industry.
In the past I’ve written about the need to tell the industry’s positive stories, to offer a counterpoint to sensational news reports of tanker spills and groundwater contamination claims. Those things happen, but they certainly don’t represent the whole story.
It’s easy for the average person – especially those with little background or understanding – to develop misconceptions about the oil and gas industry. The whole industry, to many, gets boiled down to a handful of giant multinational corporations exploiting the earth’s resources for private gain. But everyone in this industry knows there’s so much more to it.
For one, all those people are users of the products derived from these resources. We fuel our vehicles, heat our homes, and use thousands of petroleum-based products in our everyday lives. How many of those people would be up for cutting plastics out of their lives? For eliminating one of the most ubiquitous manufacturing materials in the world? For getting rid of their toothbrushes and phones and the packaging that keeps their food fresh? And how many people would want to see plastics eliminated from medical facilities? How many would be willing to say good-bye to modern life?
Everything in this industry is not perfect, but it would be interesting to see a reporter balance a story about suspected well water contamination with some information about the products that are made from the oil coming out of those fracking fields. I watched a news report the other day about this very issue – it is a serious issue – and was struck by one minor detail: The people who were claiming their water problems were related to gas and oil industry practices were bringing outside water back to their homes in plastic containers. There’s a certain level of irony there.
Hotshot drivers aren’t going to solve this. Hydroexcavation firms aren’t going to change public perception. And containment service providers aren’t going to eliminate media bias. Together, however, the innovations coming from these service providers are changing the industry, and they can help tell a different story to those outside the industry.
There are so many stories right here in this magazine that show how contractors are reducing environmental impact by limiting traffic in and out of oilfields, how water is being recycled on site in environmentally friendly ways, how flare gas is being captured and used to run generators and other equipment in the field, how old pipe is being turned into new products, how new materials are making pipelines safer, and how better containment barriers are preventing contamination before it happens.
This month’s Money Machines feature highlights a company that has developed a much more efficient way to decontaminate oil refinery equipment. The company has developed and fabricated its own closed-loop, trailer-mounted, chemical circulation unit that significantly reduces the amount of on-site equipment and manpower required for cleaning projects. It’s a great example of how innovation is coming from all parts of the industry. And it’s a story we’re proud to tell in GOMC.
Enjoy this month’s issue.
