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WATER MANAGEMENT - Page 6-7: Efficiently Repurposing Frac Flowback, Produced Water and Brine INDUSTRY INSIGHT - Page 8: The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels WATER MANAGEMENT - Page 10: Sourcewater: the Digital Water Marketplace HEALTH & SAFETY - Page 12-13: Dust Cloud Ignition Caused by Static Electricity
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The Northeast ONG Marketplace
ONG MARKETWATCH ELIMINATE FREEZING OR STICKING MATERIALS IN CHUTES, BINS AND HOPPERS Davis, WV: Thermo-Tech™ introduces a new heated chute, bin and hopper liner system that eliminates materials from freezing or sticking. This new concept retrofits to almost any existing problem area. When installed, these liners will keep aggregates moving at any temperature and eliminate clays and fine powder from sticking due to moisture and high humidity. They are custom fabricated to fit the exact application, welded or bolted in place, and are available with any wear face desired such as AR400/500, stainless, TIVAR, UHMW or ceramic. Additional wear liners can be overlaid in the field. Heated panels are also available to attach to the outside of the affected area when it is unfeasible to gain access to the inside. Thermo-Tech also offers complete heated chutes, bins and hoppers. The replaceable heating element has a five-year warranty and is available in any voltage from 120 to 480 AC and 12 or 24 VDC. Thermo-Tech™ has provided alternative heating solutions for conveyor belts and related components used at mining, quarrying, power generation and material handling facilities since 1984. For more information, visit the company website at www.beltheater. com or call 1-877-693-7693 or 1-304-259-5860
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August/September 2016
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The Northeast ONG Marketplace
ASSOCIATION MEETINGS MOGA Membership Meeting and Dinner | September 15, 2016
Grand Rapids, MI - www.michiganoilandgas.org
INOGA Annual Meeting | October 6, 2016 Evansville, IN - www.onoga.org
WVONGA Fall Meeting | October 10-12, 2016 Wheeling, WV - www.wvonga.com IOGANY Annual Meeting | October 19-20, 2016 Elliocottville, NY - www.iogany.org
Marcellus Shale Coalition Annual Meeting | October 26-27, 2016
State College, PA - www.marcelluscoalition.org
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ARTICLES
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WATER MANAGEMENT: Efficiently Repurposing Frac Flowback, Produced Water and Brine........... 6-7
ALBERTA RIG MATS.............................................. 4 ALPINE ELECTRIC............................................... 14 CST INDUSTRIES................................................ 15 DOSS ENTERPRISES........................................... 15 ERNST SEED........................................................ 13 HKRENTS.COM...................................................... 3 LAMBTON COLLEGE............................................. 2 LEE REGER BUILDS............................................ 14 LEE SUPPLY......................................................... 13 LYDEN OIL COMPANY........................................... 3 MAGNOLIA LAW.................................................. 15 MID-ATLANTIC STORAGE.................................. 14 NEW PIG ENERGY................................................. 1 NEWSON-GALE................................................... 16 NORTH AMERICAN FIELD SERVICES................ 14 OILFIELD CONNECT.............................................. 7 PREMIER SAFETY & SERVICE INC.................... 15 SAFE ENERGY SERVICES................................... 14 WEAVERTOWN ENVIRONMENTAL.................... 14
INDUSTRY INSIGHT: The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels....................................................................... 8 WATER MANAGEMENT: Sourcewater: the Digital Water Marketplace................................................ 10 HEALTH & SAFETY: Dust Cloud Ignition Caused by Static Electricity............................................... 12-13
CALENDARS ASSOCIATION MEETINGS.................................... 4 NETWORKING EVENTS........................................ 8 TRAINING & WORKSHOPS................................ 14 UPCOMING EVENTS........................................... 11
EVENTS
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SHALE INSIGHT.................................................... 9
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August/September 2016
Page 5
ONG MARKETWATCH STEEL NATION ADDS TWO NEW ENTITIES TO MEET OIL AND GAS NEEDS Steel Nation has announced a change to their corporate structure adding two (2) new entities due to their continued growth in the Oil & Gas sectors. Steel Nation has formed a new Parent/Holding Company named Steel Nation Holdings, Inc. The company now has three (3) distinct, yet synergistic operating divisions, including: 1. Steel Nation Buildings, Inc. - Led by Executive Vice President Alan Reid, the Buildings division continues to be the leader in the Design/Build of Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings, focusing on Sound Mitigation and Air Handling for energy sector buildings within Mid-Stream, Gas Processing, Storage, Metering and Transmission. 2. Steel Nation Engineering, Inc. – Led by Engineer of Record, Edward Hirzel, P.E., Steel Nation Engineering focuses on Structural, Sound Attenuation and Environmental practices out of the Steel Nation Headquarters in Washington, PA. In addition, Steel Nation Engineering recently opened an Electrical Engineering office in Wexford, PA which is led by Electrical Engineer Marty Micko, P.E. 3. Steel Nation Environmental, Inc. – Led by Mark Dooley, Executive VP/CFO, the Environmental division took over the previous Galati’s Nursery Supply in North Strabane, PA. Steel Nation Environmental supplies Aggregate, Mulch, Sand, Gravels, Seeds and is a top dealer for R.I. Lampus Company Wall Blocks and Pavers. The Environmental division also specializes in Erosion & Sediment Control products, including Silt Fence, Silt Socks, Straw Matting, Hydro Mulch and Drainage Piping. Steel Nation Founder and President Mark Caskey is excited to lead all 3 divisions, and states “With the addition of Steel Nation Engineering and Environmental, we are now able to provide complex solutions to our clients, who often demand turn-key construction management services. We have stepped up to the plate, and are looking forward to assisting clients for decades to come.” Steel Nation is the leading design/builder of transmission, storage, processing plants and mid-stream compressor stations within the Energy Sector of North America, primarily throughout the Marcellus, Utica and other American shale plays. 724.225.2202
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The Northeast ONG Marketplace
WATER MANAGEMENT
EFFICIENTLY REPURPOSING FRAC FLOWBACK, PRODUCED WATER AND BRINE By: Birgit Prochnow, Senior Marketing and Communication Manager APATEQ The future of disposal wells Today, most of the water produced in the course of oil and gas production in the US is discharged by dumping it into disposal wells. In doing so, large amounts of water are wasted and environmental risks such as earthquakes and groundwater and soil contamination are emerging. Consequently, governmental legislation more and more puts the focus on the treatment of this kind of wastewater for
Interior view container: redundantly equipped ultrafiltration
Bird’s eye view of the site with the OilPaq installation in Ohio
repurpose. And disposal wells are subject of rising restriction and prohibition. Their activity is regulated by the EPA (US Environemental Protection Agency) and state governments. Taking these two points into consideration, long-term there is a huge demand for full-solution systems that reliably treat wastewater arising from oil and gas production for repurpose. Another fact is that the market today shows a lack of complete solutions that run at high performance and low operation costs at the same time. Market need for full-solution systems treating produced water As the concentration of contaminants varies significantly from region to region or even from well to well and in addition the requirements for disposal or reuse of the effluent water are largely varying as well, produced water treatment equipment is available on the market in a wide range. Most often, a produced water treatment system will consist of many different types of individual process units used in series to remove a wide suite of contaminants that may not be removed with a single process. Organic and particulate removal, desalination, and disinfection are the major classifications of produced water treatment technologies. Organic and particulate removal is mostly required as a pretreatment step when desalination technologies must be employed to treat produced water. These technologies cover, among others, biological aerated filters, hydrocyclones, dissolved air flotation, absorption, media filtration, oxidation, settling ponds, air stripping, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection, and ceramic and polymeric micro- and ultrafiltration (UF). Desalination technologies are necessary to lower the total dissolved solids concentration and the concentration of ions that are too high for the desired beneficial use of the treated water. Membrane filtration as sustainable solution Membrane technology could represent the most effective technology in the oil and gas industry to eliminate suspended solids, recover oil and recycle frac
flowback and produced water for repurpose. However, due to minute oil particles and light density solids adhering to the membrane surfaces and thereby clogging the membrane pores, large scale attempts to apply this technology in the oil and gas industry have failed in the past. Clean-tech company APATEQ developed a membrane-based solution that combines a proprietary primary treatment with innovative process technologies allowing oil-water separation with membranes without clogging. The membranes have a lifetime of greater than five years and allow long intervals in between its effortless CIP (clean-in-place) procedures and the process does not require chemical additives, making this solution economically very attractive as operation costs of the plant are kept to a minimum. The “OilPaq is a one-stop system that covers almost the entire treatment chain by reducing free and emulsified oil from frac flowback and produced water from typically 500-2,000 ppm to 1-2 ppm levels and suspended solids from typically 500-1,000 ppm to 1-2 ppm levels.
August/September 2016 The OilPaq consists of three modules: primary treatment, ultrafiltration and an office including control center and storage. Available in various capacities, it is a portable solution, which is either built in standard shipping containers or rackmounted. It works with salinity levels as high as 300,000 ppm and eliminates bacteria such as SRB (sulphur reducing bacteria) and APB (acid reducing bacteria) because bacteria cannot pass the membrane surface that holds back particles larger than 40 nanometer. The fully automated system is controlled by means of a touch screen panel that is integrated into the plant or it can be alternatively completely remote controlled. Thus, one single service technician can simultaneously supervise, operate and maintain several OilPaq sites. OilPaq’s primary treatment and membrane filtration technology complement each other. Whereas the primary treatment already eliminates free and emulsified oil particles down to 200-50 ppm, the subsequent ultrafiltration reduces the value to 1-2 ppm. Besides to the initial reduction of hydrocarbons, the primary treatment collects the oil that has been hold back by the membranes, as oil and concentrate from the ultrafiltration is cycled back in front of the primary treatment stage to be reprocessed. And taking one step further again, the membrane filtration then removes the particles that the primary treatment is not capable to eliminate. The primary treatment of the OilPaq combines dissolved gas flotation with a settling process that uses alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces, in which no energy and no chemicals are used. The ultrafiltration membranes are conditioned to exhibit strong hydrophilic characteristics that reject free oil drops, emulsified oil droplets and other hydrophobic substances. This conditioning prevents membrane pores clogging by free oil, other hydrophobic substances and low gravity suspended solids. While the ultrafiltration concentrate is cycled back to the primary treatment, the permeate represents the final effluent water.
Page 7 explosive environments. Its safety features include, for example, the entirety of water surfaces within the tanks being blanketed with nitrogen to suppress explosive gases. Continuously monitoring environmental gases, sensors for light and heavy gases, H2S and oxygen are installed in the plant. If gas levels inside the OilPaq approach potentially hazardous levels, the plant immediately shuts down all systems automatically. Remote monitoring and operation is a given while safety and operational alarms automatically inform the operator in case there is an unscheduled event. The OilPaq’s critical operational sub-systems are redundantly duplicated to avoid processing disruptions. In the unlikely event that a critical sub-system experiences operational failure, the OilPaq’s software is programmed to take immediate action by switching from the defective device to its redundant other backup Leasing and renting options for immediate savings Considering the ongoing downturn of the industry, APATEQ expanded its business model and, besides sales contracts, now offers also rent and lease based contracts to its customers, thus avoiding acquisition costs and generating immediate double savings by saving wastewater disposal fees and fresh water expenses. Contact APATEQ Dirk Martin APATEQ’s Chief Sales Officer info@apateq.com www.apateq.com
Meeting the highest international standards for effluent and built quality, the OilPaq is designed to operate safely in potentially hazardous areas and potentially
WHATEVER YOU NEED. WHENEVER YOU NEED IT.
CONNECTING YOU TO THE SUPPLIERS WHO HAVE WHAT YOU NEED 1
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Oilfield Connect contacts supplier to match job site need.
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844-541-2255 Oilfield-Connect.com | Info@Oilfield-Connect.com
Page 8
The Northeast ONG Marketplace
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
THE MORAL CASE FOR FOSSIL FUELS By: Alex Epstein Is humanity’s continuing—and expanding—use of fossil fuels a moral choice or an immoral choice? To answer this question, we need to be clear on our standard of value—our metric of good and bad—in energy and environmental issues. At SHALE INSIGHTTM 2016, September 21-22 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh these issues and countless others will be explored in-depth with industry thought leaders from both the public and private sector. As a SHALE INSIGHTTM 2016 keynote speaker, I will discuss why it’s important to maximize human flourishing by carefully looking at the benefits, risks and side effects of all our alternatives. I believe the fossil fuel industry has a unique ability to meet our energy needs: • There are 7 billion people in the world who need cheap, plentiful, reliable energy to flourish. Some 3 billion have virtually no energy by our standard, which means we need vastly more energy. • The fossil fuel industry produces more than 80 percent of the world’s power. It is the only industry that knows how to produce cheap, plentiful, reliable energy for electricity, transportation and heating on a scale of billions. • Since the energy industry is the industry that powers every other industry, the fossil fuel industry increases productivity and prosperity in every area of life, from agriculture to hospitals (24/7 electricity). • For these reasons, any restriction on fossil fuel use would do devastating damage. This must be factored into all policy debates over restricting fossil fuels to reduce CO2 or other byproducts. If we truly look at fossil fuel energy by the standard of human flourishing, we discover that it is not an immoral product we need to restrict but a moral product we need to liberate. Our society’s lack of a clear, pro-human, full-context framework for thinking about energy is leading to disastrous, anti-fossil-fuel policies that are already harming millions, and will harm billions. SHALE INSIGHTTM 2016 will offer attendees an unprecedented opportunity to network with individuals and companies that operate throughout the Marcellus and Utica shale play. The Conference will focus on the next phase of the Shale Revolution and feature keynote presentations, an interactive exhibit floor, tailored panel discussions, the Technology Showcase and a Natural Gas Use Marketplace. To learn more about these topics and much more register for SHALE INIGHTTM 2016 by visiting ShaleInsight.com.
NETWORKING EVENTS August 25 Divot Diggers Golf Outing Hermitage, PA | www.pioga.org August 26 SOOGA Summer Golf Outing Mineral Wells, WV | www.sooga.org September 7 YPE Crew Change Washington, PA | www.ypepittsburgh.org September 9-10 IOGAWV Sports Weekend Morgantown, WV | www.iogawv.com September 14 Appalachian Pipeliners Association Golf Outing Midway, PA | www.appalachainpipeliners.org September 20 APA Monthly Speaker and Dinner Canonsburg, PA | www.appalachainpipeliners.org September 28 YPE Crew Change Canonsburg, PA | www.ypepittsburgh.org September 29 Appalachian Pipeliners Association Clay Shoot Dilliner, PA | www.appalachainpipeliners.org October 5 YPE Crew Change Washington, PA | www.ypepittsburgh.org October 6 ABGPA Sporting Clays Farmington, PA | www.abgpa.org October 14 SOOGA Fall Sporting Clay Shoot Whipple, OH | www.sooga.org
FOR MORE EVENTS VISIT WWW.ONGMARKETPLACE.COM/EVENTS
August/September 2016
Page 9
The Nation’s leading forum for public-private dialogue on shale development REGISTER | SPONSOR | EXHIBIT
PLATINUM SPONSORS
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CRYSTAL SPONSORS
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GENERAL SESSIONS
PUBLIC AFFAIRS SESSION TOPICS
TECHNICAL SESSION AND WORKSHOP TOPICS
Connecting the Global Marketplace
Industry Economic Forecast
Data Management
Cracking the Code for Jobs: Building the Petrochemical Industry
Mergers, Acquisitions and the Future of Midstream
Energy Infrastructure Roundtable
Local Government Regulatory Challenges
Environmental, Health and Safety Systems
Pipeline Safety
Induced Seismicity
Success Using Social Media
Managing Wastes in the Unconventional Industry
Creating Market Demand: Driving End-Use Pipelines to Prosperity The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels World View of the Oil and Gas Markets 2016 Political Election Update
TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE Industry Innovation and Emerging Technologies
Permitting Interstate Pipelines The Sky's the Limit: Unmanned Aircraft in the Natural Gas Industry
NATURAL GAS USE MARKETPLACE Featuring Natural Gas Use Projects, Vehicles, Research and Innovations
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE AVAILABLE AT WWW.SHALEINSIGHT.COM/SCHEDULE/ REGISTER AT WWW.SHALEINSIGHT.COM/REGISTER/ONG
Page 10
The Northeast ONG Marketplace
WATER MANAGEMENT
SOURCEWATER: THE DIGITAL WATER MARKETPLACE By: Josh Adler, CEO, Sourcewater Most people outside the energy industry don’t know that the average onshore oil well produces ten times the volume of water as oil, all day, every day. In fact, the cost of dealing with this “produced water” is the primary cost of operating an oil or gas well. Moving, treating and disposing of water is half to two-thirds of the total cost of producing each barrel of oil, from $20 to $30 per barrel. While energy production requires water as an input, the industry is a net generator of surface water. By tapping into prehistoric water that has been trapped for eons below impermeable rock, the production process generates water without depleting groundwater stocks—something no other industry does. In California, the production process creates a thousand times more water than the energy industry uses. Most of the produced water goes right back down the well for enhanced oil recovery. But it doesn’t have to – it could be treated and reused on the surface. I’m not the only one to notice: at the Global Water Summit in Abu Dhabi, the Executive Editor of The Economist, David Franklin, said that the world’s largest company in 2050 could be “ExxonHydro.”
mean the difference between solvency versus insolvency. For the first time, water management has become the primary survival issue for U.S. oil and gas companies. An age old solution to the water management issue seems to be the best bet—the creation of a water market place. The industry needs a place where buyers and sellers of water and water services can easily find one another to get business done. An efficient water marketplace is going to lead to more recycling, more conservation, and more investments into water treatment technologies. Not limited to the energy sector, a marketplace model has the potential to improve sustainability for every major off-grid user including agriculture and industry. With an effective system in place, all kinds of water, not just freshwater, can be appropriately valued, traded, and put to its best use. To learn more about Sourcewater and their digital water marketplace visit www. sourcewater.com or call (432) 203-6010
Waste disposal is the #1 operating cost for the oil and gas industry. Sourcewater is the first online marketplace for water and water services for the energy industry. I started Sourcewater because I was shocked by the absence of water markets. Water is by far the largest input and output of the upstream energy process. How could there be no marketplace in which to find the resource, value it fairly and ensure supply? Energy companies have markets for the chemicals they use, even the sand. They employ thousands of brilliant people and the most advanced software and financial analytics to squeeze the last penny out of every oil and gas trade. Yet a $1 savings in water management is equivalent in their bottom line to a $10 per barrel increase in the price of oil. Surely water optimization should get at least as much attention as energy trading. But it doesn’t. Some of this is a cultural legacy in the industry. Hitting a gusher or making a deal is exciting. Wastewater isn’t exciting: it’s a nuisance. It’s not just a cultural barrier though. There is a good reason for the lag in investing in water management – it only recently became a survival factor. Before the shale boom, there hadn’t been largescale onshore energy development in the U.S. for decades. All prior developments had been conventional, where only a diminutive amount of water is needed for drilling, and most of the wastewater is re-injected onsite for enhanced oil recovery. However, enhanced oil recovery does not apply to extracting unconventional resources, an industry that has skyrocketed in the past decade. In 2009 to 2014, hydrocarbon production in the U.S. doubled. Alongside the boom in unconventional production, the volume of onshore wastewater requiring disposal increased by 20x in the same timespan. Water as an operating expense exploded. No one in senior management noticed. Nor should they have, from a purely rational economic standpoint. When oil is $100 per barrel and your total operating expense is $40 per barrel, you’d be foolish to spend any time or money trying to get your operating expenses down by a few dollars. You’d rightly spend all of your efforts on getting more oil out of the ground to make that $60 per barrel margin while the sun shines. But in the last 18 months, oil went below $40. If we can save them 10% to 20% through more efficient water markets and better data, that might
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August/September 2016
Page 11
UPCOMING EVENTS AUGUST
SEPTEMEBR
23-24 PIOGA Pig Roast, Equipment Show and Technical Conference
25-27 AAPG Eastern Section Annual Meeting Lexington, KY | www.aapg.org
Champion, PA | www.pioga.org
23-25
(cont.)
28-29
POWER-GEN Natural Gas
Flexible and Cost Effective Well Site Facilities Onshore 2016
Columbus, OH | www.power-gennaturalgas.com
Houston, TX | www.facilities-design-onshore.com
30-31 IADC Asset Integrity & Reliability Conference Houston, TX | www.iadc.org
OCTOBER 4-5
SEPTEMBER 7-8
IADC Human Factors Conference Galveston, TX | www.iadc.org
11-12 IADC Contracts & Risk Management Conference
PUC Gas Safety Seminar
Houston, TX | www.iadc.org
State College, PA | www.puc.pa.gov
13-14 IADC Advanced Rig Technology Conference Galveston, TX | www.iadc.org
15
16-21 SEG International Exposition and Annual Meeting Dallas, TX | www.seg.org
31-1 NARO Appalachia Convention
SOOGA Annual Trade Show
White Sulpher Springs, WV | www.naro-us.org
Marietta, OH | www.sooga.org
21-22 Shale Insight 2016
NOVEMBER
Pittsburgh, PA | www.shaleinsight.com
21-22 SPE Liquids-Rich Basins Conference
2 OOGA Technical Conference and Oilfield Expo Cambridge, OH | www.ooga.org
Pittsburgh, PA | www.spe.org
21-24 ADDC Convention
2-4 IADC Annual Meeting Scottsdale, AZ | www.iadc.org
Denver, CO | www.addc.org
Denotes National Event
Visit our website for links to these events
WWW.ONGMARKETPLACE.COM/EVENTS
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The Northeast ONG Marketplace
HEALTH & SAFETY
DUST CLOUD IGNITION CAUSED BY STATIC ELECTRICITY By: Newson Gale
rapid act of tipping the powder from the drum into the vessel. In this study the capacitance of the chime was estimated to be 71 pico-farads. Knowing these values it is possible to estimate what the potential energy of the spark discharge was.
Newson Gale’s latest series of articles that contain case studies of fires and explosions caused by static electricity draw attention to the wide range of processes that are susceptible to electrostatic charge generation and accumulation on portable and fixed plant equipment.
Taking the above formula (i), Q = σA, the maximum charge on the chime can be calculated:
This case study investigates the factors behind the ignition of a combustible dust cloud during a manual powder processing operation. In this example a process operator was tasked with manually tipping approximately 18 kg (40 lbs) of powder from a plastic drum, constructed from polyethylene, into a metal process vessel. The plastic drum contained a combustible powder that had a minimum ignition energy of 12 milli-joules. A metal chime was positioned around the circumference of the top of the plastic drum to provide it with impact protection from daily usage in the plant.
Therefore, the total charge on the chime would have been close to 1.7 microcoulombs. Hence the voltage of the chime would have been in the region of 24,000 volts.
The operator tipped the powder into the process vessel, resting the drum on the edge of the vessel. As he removed the drum from the vessel when the powder was fully deposited there was an ignition of the dust cloud that had formed at the top of the vessel. It was postulated that the accumulation of electrostatic charge on the chime resulted in a static spark discharge from the chime as it came into close proximity with the vessel when the drum was removed. The vessel was grounded through its own fixed connection to the plant. In order to verify this theory an experiment was conducted to determine how much electrostatic charge could have been generated by the movement of the powder. 18 kg (40 lbs) of the same powder was tipped from a similar drum into a Faraday cage from which electrostatic charge measurements were taken. A charge of 3.6 micro-coulombs was measured on the Faraday cage which received the powder. In this case the powder was charged due to the friction caused between the powder and the plastic drum as the powder slid down the inside surface of the drum. A field meter reading of 500 KV/m (the maximum voltage the meter was capable of measuring) was recorded on an isolated area of the plastic drum which would have had the effect of charging the metal chime by induction. Given the high rate of charge generation caused by frictional charging, the amount of electrostatic charge that could have been induced on the chime would have been limited by the surface area of the chime. In this case the surface area of the chime was approximated to 0.0641 m2 (99 in2). If the total quantity of electrostatic charge (3.6 micro-coulombs) created by the movement of the powder was induced on the chime this would have exceeded the maximum charge density any surface can hold in air. The maximum charge density of a surface in air is equivalent to 27 micro-coulombs per square metre. The total charge density of the chime in this case, theoretically, would have been 56 microcoulombs per square metre. (i): Charge density (σ) = Total charge (Q) / surface area (A) Charge density (σ) = 3.6 x 10-6 / 0.0641 Charge density (σ) = 56 x 10-6 C/m2 It can be assumed that the maximum charge density, i.e. the total possible amount of charge that could be held on the chime, was achieved through the simple and
=> 27 x 10-6 x 0.0641 = 1.7 x 10-6 C
(ii): voltage = total quantity of charge / capacitance of charged object V = 1.7 x 10-6 / 71 x 10-12 V= 24 KV The average breakdown voltage of air is 3000 volts per milli-metre, therefore the voltage of the chime would have been capable of discharging an electrostatic spark from a distance of at least 8 mm (0.3”) to the grounded process vessel. The potential energy of the chime can be calculated from: Potential energy (W), = Q2/2C Where: Q = charge on chime C = capacitance of chime Therefore the potential energy of the chime: = (1.7 x 10-6)2 / (71 x 10-12).(2) = (2.89 x 10-12) / (142 x 10-12) = 20 milli-joules. This exceeds the minimum ignition of the powder which was 12 milli-joules. Given that the minimum ignition energy of the powder dispersed in air was 12 milli-joules and that the circumstances of the process proved there would have been significant electrostatic charging of the equipment, and other sources of ignition being eliminated, a static spark caused the ignition of the dust cloud that formed around the grounded process vessel. What actions could have been taken to prevent this explosion? It’s highly plausible that this operation had been conducted multiple times without a visible incident occurring with electrostatic sparking taking place in previous operations without a combustible dust being present in the spark gap when discharges occurred. This is a common feature of process operations that have suffered from the consequences of a fire or explosion caused by static electricity. The first place to start is to determine why electrostatic charge was “permitted” to accumulate on the chime. In this case electrostatic charge accumulated on the chime because the chime was electrically isolated from a true earth ground. Had the chime been connected to the grounded process vessel, charge would not have accumulated on the chime. Excess electrostatic charges would simply have found their way to earth. So in accordance with industry guidelines like NFPA 77 and IEC 60079-32-1, the isolated metal component should have had a connection to a verified ground (in this case the process vessel) with a resistance of 10 ohms or less. Both IEC 60079-32-1 (13.4.1) and NFPA 77 (7.4.1.6) & (7.4.1.4) state: “Temporary connections can be made using bolts, pressure-type earth (ground) clamps, or other special clamps. Pressure-type clamps should have
August/September 2016 sufficient pressure to penetrate any protective coating, rust, or spilled material to ensure contact with the base metal with an interface resistance of less than 10 Ω.” Devices like the ones highlighted in the pictures below can be used to connect the drum to the grounded process vessel. At minimum a grounding clamp with FM/ATEX approvals, like the example in the picture on the left, should be specified so that any physical impedances like paint coatings and product deposits are fully penetrated to make contact with the base metal. The picture on the right shows a device that will inform the operator when he/she has achieved a connection resistance of 10 ohms or less between a metal drum and the process vessel. This is indicated via a pulsing green LED mounted in the grounding clamp that provides the operator with a simple GO / NO GO instruction to tip the powder into the process vessel.
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MAKE CALL T H E
Your HDPE Experts Pipe • Fabrication • Fusion
VESX45 – dual clamp assembly for connecting portable objects Bond-Rite® EZ with clamp mounted LED indicator that pulses green when a connection resistance of 10 ohms or less is made between conductive portable equipment. The use of a plastic drum inside the EX/HAZLOC area also needs addressing. Charging of resistive powders is impossible to eliminate unless specific changes are made to the powder to enhance its electrical conductivity. Very often this is either impractical or not possible to achieve. However, using a plastic container constructed out of a low conductivity material like polyethylene is not recommended in codes of practice as the charge generated during the transfer process remains on the surface of the drum, even if attempts are made to try and ground the plastic drum. Using plastic objects that are poor conductors carries a significant risk of induction charging of other objects in the EX/HAZLOC area. Process equipment and operators if they are in contact with, or in close proximity to, charged plastic objects, can become electrostatically charged. Ideally a metal drum should be used and connected to the grounded process vessel so that no charge is permitted to accumulate on the metal drum. Last, but not least, all process operators should be grounded through static dissipative footwear that can effectively permit any charge generated during the operation through their own movement bleed off their bodies to the ground. This will ensure they do not carry the risk of discharging static parks from their bodies onto grounded objects. Codes of practice like IEC 60079-32-1 and NFPA 77 outline what proactive measures can be taken to minimise the risk of a fire or explosion caused by discharges of static electricity. The majority of hazards can be controlled through the installation and proactive use of static grounding devices. Devices ranging from basic grounding clamps right through to ground status indicators with output contacts for interlocking with processes can be specified for a wide range of processes. For more information on the specification of static grounding solutions visit our website: www.newson-gale.com / www.newson-gale.co.uk / www.newson-gale.de For more information on this article contact Mike O’Brien: e-mail: mike.obrien@newson-gale.co.uk Phone: +44 115 940 7500
For Details!
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ernstseed.com sales@ernstseed.com 800-873-3321
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The Northeast ONG Marketplace
TRAINING & WORKSHOPS SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
12-13 NFPA 600 Evaluation Sarnia, ON www.lambtoncollege.ca/firetraining
3-5 Incident Command and Emergency Management for Industry Sarnia, ON www.lambtoncollege.ca/firetraining
13 SafeLand USA Bridgeport, WV www.rjrsafety.com 14 ITL Containment Training Program Fostoria, OH 888-377-5640 17-18 OOGEEP Firefighter Workshop Applecreek, OH www.oogeep.org 17-18 OOGEEP Firefighter Workshop Applecreek, OH www.oogeep.org 28-30 Introduction to Industrial Interior and Exterior Firefighting Sarnia, ON www.lambtoncollege.ca/firetraining 29 KOGA Western Kentucky Technical Program Owensboro, KY www.kyoilgas.org
13-16 Introduction to Industrial Exterior Firefighting Sarnia, ON www.lambtoncollege.ca/firetraining 22-23 OOGEEP Firefighter Workshop Applecreek, OH www.oogeep.org 25 SafeLand USA Cambridge, OH www.rjrsafety.com 26-28 Introduction to Industrial Interior and Exterior Firefighting Sarnia, ON www.lambtoncollege.ca/firetraining 27 Preparation a& Action:Communication Strategies for Navigating a Crisis State College, PA www.marcelluscoalition.org 31-1 NFPA 600 Incipient III Sarnia, ON www.lambtoncollege.ca/firetraining
WANT YOUR TRAINING EVENT ON OUR CALENDAR? CALL US AT 724-787-4451 OR EMAIL INFO@ONGMARKETPLACE.COM
August/September 2016
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LET’S TALK DIRT AND CEMENT.
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The Northeast ONG Marketplace