Vicki Knott, P.Eng, CEO and Co-Founder at CruxOCM, offers a recap of the American Petroleum Institute Pipeline Control Room and Cybernetics Conference 2024:
Vicki Knott recaps API Pipeline Control Room and Cybernetics Conference 2024
The American Petroleum Institute (API) was formed in 1919. As with any organisation in the Western world whose premise is the petroleum industry, API has been faced with opposition. The withdrawal of BP and Shell in 2021 during the claim of peak oil was a notable change for myself personally where I worried that an organisation as important as American Petroleum Institute (API) was going to be cancelled in popular media.
Given that 83% of the world’s energy consumption is still petroleum-based and growing, the American Petroleum Institute (API) is an extraordinarily important and relevant organisation. Compounded further by the USA’s position as an energy superpower globally, API is an organisation that should never be vilified but celebrated. American Petroleum Institute (API) sets the direction for a high standard of safety in the energy industry globally. When it comes to working towards a successful and just energy evolution, it seems to be becoming popular rhetoric that the best folks to lead this evolution/transition are the folks currently in the energy industry. We already have the best minds in the world leading the energy transition from the inside out, increasing the efficiency of our operations every day. This is something API has recognised and in my opinion their actions exemplify the collaboration needed to further the energy evolution in a successful and just way.
Opening the conference, David Murk presented the Pipeline Operations Safety Awards to the small, medium, and large pipeline operators. Not many industries celebrate their commitment to public safety. More probably should. The awards recognise the independent steps that companies take to go above and beyond when it comes to the health and safety of all. Below are the winners of the Pipeline Safety Awards:
The Small Operator Winner, MIPC, led the industry for the second year in a row by promoting a culture of safety excellence, effective risk management, community engagement, innovative technology, and environmental stewardship.
The Medium Operator Winner, ExxonMobil Pipeline Company LLC, was recognised as a leader in fostering a safety culture across the organisation and for its commitment to ongoing improvement in pipeline safety.
The Large Operator Winner, Marathon Pipeline, distinguished itself in 2023 for proactive, ongoing implementation of API Recommended Practice 1173, Pipeline Safety Management Systems, and by developing a new and revolutionary safety leadership course.
American Petroleum Institute (API) is a steward of safety in our industry. If I were to choose who should lead the transition to new energy sources and make them accessible to the public, my ideal group would prioritise safety as a fundamental part of their culture. This commitment to safety is exactly what the American Petroleum Institute (API) promotes in the oil and gas industry.
