Author Archives: Carlos De Sordi

Visit PetroChoice at the DUG East Conference June 19-21

PetroChoice will be an exhibitor at the 10th Annual DUG East Conference June 19-21 at the David L Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA. Stop by booth 218 to learn more about PetroChoice products and services.

PetroChoice Sponsors hole at Nebraska Association of General Contractors Golf Outing

PetroChoice was a hole sponsor at the Nebraska Association of General Contractors Golf Outing on Monday, June 4. The event took place at Lochland Country Club in Hastings, Nebraska. PetroChoice employees golfed with representatives from Wilke Contracting, a customer from Kearney, Nebraska.

Pictured left to right are Eric Huber, Sales Manager for PetroChoice, Dave Wilke of Wilke Contracting, Joe Koening, Territory Sales Manager for PetroChoice and Joe Russo, Territory Sales Manager for PetroChoice.

Job Report Shows Oil Industry Hiring On the Rise

New hires in the oil industry have increased from month to month and year over year according to the latest LinkedIn Workforce Report.

The June report, which tracks data through May 2018, showed a 5.2 % increase in oil industry hires from 2017. This has led to hiring increases in major oil and natural gas industry hubs, like Houston, Texas, which has seen a 12.4% increase in hiring.

Current oil prices are most likely the reason for the increase. According to the report, the price of crude oil and hiring within the industry have shown a tight correlation. With crude prices at their highest since 2014, industry players are beginning to hire again.

New Bill Would Exempt Small Trucking Companies from ELD Mandate

A new bill introduced in May would exempt small trucking companies from a mandate requiring the use of Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs).

The Small Carrier ELD Exemption Act is a bi-partisan bill proposed by Representatives Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Greg Gianforte (R-MT). According to the Petroleum Marketer’s Association of America, the act would allow companies with 10 or fewer trucks to continue using paper logs to document their status. The duo also introduced a bill to exempt any truck carrying agricultural commodities from the mandate.

The mandate took effect in late 2017, according to the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) advocacy group. The group petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to exempt all carriers with good safety records who make less than $27 million in revenue from the mandate.

Testing, Awareness Vital in Avoiding Coolant Problems

Avoiding common mistakes and regular testing can extend the life of coolants and keep engines running longer and stronger.

Heating systems, cooling towers, on-highway vehicles, off-highway vehicles and most other systems use some form of antifreeze. Despite its name, antifreeze serves as a coolant in these applications as well as a freeze preventative.

All commercial antifreezes contain either ethylene glycol or propylene glycol bases, along with an inhibitor. The glycol makes up 95 percent of the base with the inhibitors and water making up the rest. Both its coolant and freeze preventative properties are the result of the mix of glycol and water, which effectively lowers the freeze point and increases the boiling point of water.

In general, higher operating temperatures mean higher potential for damage. Today’s engines run hotter than ever before. The average diesel engine operated at about 160 degrees Fahrenheit 50 years ago. Today, an average diesel engine can run between 230 and 250 degrees. This makes maintenance and testing critical.

A mistake users often make is not paying attention to the glycol concentration. This is usually the result of not topping off or changing coolant fluid correctly and can cause serious damage to engine components.

“Low concentration on fully formulated coolant can cause excessive corrosion to steel and aluminum components,” Greg Wyatt, Commercial Vehicle Manager for PetroChoice and Certified Lubrication Specialist, said. “On diesels where Supplemental Coolant Additives (SCA’s) are important on fully formulated coolants, low concentration can cause liner pitting, and if left untreated, can pit through the liner causing engine failure.”

Wyatt said glycol concentration can be adjusted, but proper testing is necessary to determine whether it is better to start from scratch.

“Glycol concentration can be adjusted up or down by draining coolant and adding de-ionized water to heavy glycol concentration, or adding new coolant to low glycol concentrations,” Wyatt said. “Laboratory coolant testing should be performed to determine if existing coolant is worth trying to save or if a complete drain, flush, and refill would be the best course of action.”

Maintaining appropriate inhibitor levels is also an important part of maintenance. Not caring for equipment or coolants properly can lead to elevation or degradation of SCA levels.

“Overdosing conditions occurs if SCA’s are added without proper testing either by glycol test strips or laboratory testing. Typically overdosing is caused by changing pre-charging coolant filters too often or by adding liquid SCA’s when it is not needed. Overdosing can lead to additive drop out, and the additives will develop into a thick sludge that cannot be dissolved and leads to clogging of radiator cores, oil cooler tubes and engine overheating” Wyatt said. “Under-dosing occurs when the additives become naturally depleted through use, and leads to corrosion, pitting and rust.”

One of the more common reasons for SCA level degradation is using an incorrect coolant. Wyatt advises that all operators consult their manufacturer’s guide before choosing a coolant. Inhibitors can also be diluted out by mixing different coolants together. This can be corrected, but Wyatt again stressed the importance of proper testing.

“Nitrites and Molybdates are the most common to drop out,” Wyatt said. “This can be corrected, but laboratory testing must be done to determine corrective procedure to bring back to optimum coolant efficiency.”

PetroChoice Sponsors RHCA Golf Tournament

PetroChoice sponsored the 14th Annual Regional Hispanic Contractor’s Association (RHCA) Golf Classic Friday, May 25, at the Indian Creek Golf Course in Carrolton, Texas. PetroChoice representatives golfed alongside customers from Austin Bridge & Road of Irving, Texas.

From left to right are: Jorge Dulna of Austin Bridge & Road, Jim Hibbits, Sales Manage, PetroChoice and John Franklin, TSM, PetroChoice.

Mining Giant DeBeers to Begin Selling Man-Made Diamonds

International diamond retailer and miner DeBeers has announced it will begin selling man-made diamonds, according to several sources.

The lab created diamonds will be sold under the company’s Lightbox brand and will cost significantly less than natural ones. These synthetic diamonds mark a major change of pace for the company, which had previously insisted it would never sell man-made stones and had been critical of competitors who did.

According to CNN, the man-made diamonds will cost around $800 for a one carat stone. A similar natural diamond would retail for closer to $8,000 Each will contain a tiny logo that is invisible to the naked eye but serve as an indicator for experts that the stones were produced in a lab. The man-made stones will be available by September.

DeBeers has been producing man-made diamonds for commercial use for some time. These diamonds have been used for drilling in industrial applications, particularly in the oil and natural gas fields. However, this will be the first time the company sells them as jewelry.

DeBeers has been mining diamonds since 1888. By the early 20^th century, it controlled nearly 90 percent of the world’s diamonds. It maintained that stranglehold for much of that time, before industry fragmentation and more competition began cutting into its share. It currently operates mines in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Canada.

API Advises Oil Pros to Prepare for Hurricane Season

The American Petroleum Institute (API), along with other oil and natural gas industry organizations, are advising oil and gas industry professionals prepare for the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season.

Hurricane season, which will officially begin on June 1, can severely impact the oil and natural gas industry. The gulf coast region often finds itself in the path of major storms like hurricane Harvey, which hit Houston in 2017, causing $125 billion in damages and killing 68. The region, which includes Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas, is also a hotbed for oil and natural gas, accounting for more than 50 percent of the U.S.’s refining capacity, according to the API.

“To prepare and respond to weather events, API works with federal, state, and local first responders and government officials to help promote safety and restore normal operations following a storm,” Suzanne Lemieux, API Midstream and Industry Operations Manager, said. “Our industry has developed innovations, technology and knowledge from past big-weather events that has better prepared the industry to withstand future storms.”

The API partnered with organizations like the Petroleum Marketer’s Association of America, American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers and American Gas Association, as well as local and federal authorities to raise awareness and provide hurricane readiness materials.

Preventative Maintenance, Proper Coolants are Key for Metalworking Professionals

Few applications put as much wear and tear on equipment as metalworking. With such complex machinery operating under such heavy workloads, it isn’t uncommon to experience breakdowns or downtime. However, using the correct fluids and regularly maintaining machines can go a long way towards avoiding costly issues and extending equipment life.

According to Rich Limpert, Regional Manager for PetroChoice and Certified Lubrication Specialist, keeping your equipment running longer and stronger starts with choosing the right coolants, something some users don’t always consider.

“We have had experience with customer that have been choosing the wrong fluids for their metalworking, which should be water soluble coolants,” he said. In some cases, they will use a synthetic because they want more lubricity.”

While choosing the right coolant for the job is important, even the best products won’t perform without routine maintenance. A daily check on the appropriate properties can help determine whether lubricants are still working effectively and lead to the discovery of other potential issues.

“Regular, everyday housekeeping practices can help customers use their products better and prolong life. The number one key to anything involving water soluble metalworking fluids is checking your refractometer readings daily,” Limpert said. “The second step is making sure you know what the multiplier is for the coolant you are using so you can accurately describe the coolant to water ratio.”

Limpert said keeping that ratio in check can extend the life of a coolant and equipment.
“The coolants are designed to last a long time with the right mix of water to coolant. That often gets overlooked. If you drive the concentration that drives the PH, which drives just about everything else. Performance, odor, all of those things.”

Keeping equipment up and running can be costly in and of itself. While maintenance costs can be high, they often pale in comparison to the costs associated with repairing or purchasing new equipment.

“They put their sump life in jeopardy. Sometimes you get kind of a cocktail of different fluids and end up with a variable PH,” Limpert said. “You end up spending more money on tools, which is ten times the cost of coolant.”

Putting off maintenance and ignoring fluids can have disastrous results.

“We had an account where a customer hadn’t changed their coolant out in four years. I looked at it, it didn’t look right and it smelled off. I asked them to pull the sump tray out and when he did there was a biomass of fungus that was about a foot and a half long. That one always stuck out to me.”

Preventative maintenance can also ensure companies get the most out of their coolants, as many get locked in to specific cycles and end up changing fluid that is still effective. This may not result in long term damage, but it still cuts into the bottom line.

“Some products last longer than others. Oftentimes the customers will take advantage of the life of the coolant and properly maintain it, other times they don’t,” Limpert said. “They will get into a maintenance cycle that is a certain amount of time, something like changing their lubricant every 30 days or 60 days. Sometimes they have a coolant that will last two to three years with regular maintenance.”

PetroChoice a Platinum Sponsor at Annual Golf Tournament

PetroChoice was a platinum sponsor at the 25th Annual Fort Worth TxDOT/Associated General Contractors of Texas Charity Golf Tournament. The May 21 event raised money for the Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas. PetroChoice employees golfed with representatives from Conaster Site Services, a customer based in the Fort Worth area.

Pictured from left to right are: Greg Bena, Conatser Site Services, John Franklin, Territory Sales Manager, PetroChoice and Sonny Mays, Director of Heavy Duty Technical Sales, PetroChoice