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Midstream professionals worldwide to convene in San Antonio
Texas Railroad Commissioner Williams to give keynote address
TULSA, Okla. (March 5, 2009) -- Natural gas operators and suppliers from around the world will convene in San Antonio next week for the Gas Processors Association (GPA) 88th annual convention, March 8-11. Nearly 1,400 attendees have registered in advance, indicating a decrease of 6-8 percent from a year ago, but according to GPA management, neither the meeting's agenda nor the quality of the presentations have been impacted by the economic challenges affecting most every industry.
"Certainly the changes in the economy and in energy prices will have an effect on the convention," said GPA president Robert Dunn of Prism Gas Systems, Houston. "We see very high natural gas inventories, reduced natural gas drilling and lower energy prices ... all of these things, plus greater difficulty in financing projects this year, have made it more difficult for companies to operate successfully."
"While the economy is playing an interesting role in this year's show, we still have representatives attending from some 18 countries and more than 400 companies," added Mark Sutton, executive director for GPA. "I believe the numbers are a good reinforcement to what has been a trend for many years now: the GPA convention is the place to be for companies with vested interests in midstream matters."
A non-profit trade association for gas processing companies, GPA holds the convention every year for members to participate in several panel discussions on hot industry topics, learn from shared research findings and hear from experts on everything from related legislative issues to advances in exploration techniques and processes.
Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams is the keynote speaker slated for Monday morning's opening general session. Williams chaired the Commission from September 1999 to September 2003, and again from July 2007 to February 2009. His current six-year term will expire in 2014.
Williams actively serves on a number of state and federal councils and boards with ties to energy responsibilities. In his address to GPA convention attendees, he is expected to touch on Texas' energy matters, insight into the new administration in Washington, D.C., and the outlook for alternative fuel initiatives.
An advocate of alternative energy, Williams' "Breathe Easy" initiative champions the conversion of Texas public and private fleets, especially school buses, from diesel and gasoline to environmentally cleaner, cheaper and domestically produced natural gas and propane.
Also during the general session, GPA will recognize top U.S. and international safety awards winners, determined by lowest incidents per total hours worked. GPA tracks and provides safety data each year, with the information being helpful for tracking safety trends and performances. Despite gas processing involving volatile substances at high pressures, safety records indicate the gas processing industry is one of the safest in the world.
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About GPA
The Gas Processors Association (GPA) is an incorporated, non-profit trade association made up of about 115 corporate members, all of whom are engaged in the processing of natural gas into a merchantable pipeline gas, volume movement, or further processing of liquid products from natural gas. The active membership, as a group, accounts for more than 90 percent of all natural gas liquids produced in the United States and also includes a number of Canadian and foreign companies that produce natural gas liquids on a global scale. GPA has served the light hydrocarbons industry since 1921 and has been instrumental in shaping the midstream business.
We're already planning for the 2011 GPA Convention. Mark your calendars!
April 3 - 6, 2011
San Antonio, Texas
If you are interested in being a speaker at next year's GPA Convention, please remember that the deadline to submit your abstract (to jdreyer@GPAglobal.org) for consideration is Sept. 1, 2010. Presentations will cover topics in gas processing, gas gathering, fractionation, storage and transportation. Learn more.