Global Valve and Controls

Working in the oil and gas industry

While its true the oil industry has its ups and downs it is also true that working in the oil and gas industry has its perks no matter what role you partake in. The world of oil and gas is all about tapping into the world’s resources, and there will always be a need for people to do this, whether it’s for sustainable energy or using the current methods. Technology is constantly expanding, so you’ll always be learning new things.

Working in the O&G industry is not all about lifting heavy machines, knowing how to use different types of machinery or even digging holes in the ground, well yes there are those types of jobs but if you are 8-5 Monday through Friday type of person, then there are tons of office jobs that will suit your needs. And those who are more interested in mixing chemicals and seeing their reactions, there are also lab jobs.

The O&G industry must always be on top of their game when it comes to technology so if you have those awesome computer skills jobs are always opening up in your field. With todays hacks it is very crucial for a company to stay on top of technology. For example, a pipeline company that has a pipeline that transports oil from one Point A to Point B  gets compromised, then its bad news for everyone not just the pipeline company.

Although tons of jobs require you to have a 3 year or more degree there are also tons of jobs that are looking for a person they can teach and grow within the company. For example, many on site jobs do not require a degree but someone with a willingness to learn.

Demand for oil is all over the globe, so there is always the job that requires a applicant to travel which could be a very interesting perk. Many employers provide excellent training for their staff because they want to keep their talent. A lot of employers will also offer other perks such as bonus schemes, good pension plans, private healthcare and dental care, childcare support and more. A good point to remember is that when you first start off you don’t have to go straight to the biggest company.  You can work your way up through smaller companies so you can gain the best experience possible. As the oil and gas sector starts to develop even more, these smaller companies will grow with the sector and be extremely valuable places to work.

Working with machinery dealing with various valves does take special skill and knowledge


Will the Solar Power industry take over the Petrochemical industry?

After oil sky rocketed down around the world, a new technology emerged in Norway which focuses primarily on offshore solar power. When oil started going down in 2014, many engineers lost their jobs and are still looking for work in the O&G industry. The downturn brought, Øyvind Christian Rohn ideas on how to create a new renewable source, even possibly create more jobs than the O&G industry supplies. He created the idea of having offshore solar power technology.  The idea is to have the "technology that will have solar farms that can float on the ocean surface, with their power transmitted back to land. Since physical space is limited in population centres, especially in areas of high growth such as South East Asia, its idea is to use the ocean’s surface around the world."

In Norway, The petrochemical industry is still hierarchy but according to Rohn, "It is becoming the long-term solution for the world because it is abundant energy and costs have gone down rapidly." The solar industry is still very new technology and is currently being used at 1% but the idea is growing very fast. In fact, the municipal county in Oslo is offering households a subsidy of 30% of the investment to install solar panels in their homes.

Cost is not the only thing that many people factor in the challenge is that they have grown up with the idea of having the O&G sector. People have worked in the industry, thus has become part of their culture. The main challenge would be to switch to green energy.


Pipeline valve gets vandalized

Damage to the Dakota Access Pipeline

There is so much controversy regarding the Dakota Access Pipeline, not just local but nationwide.  It has finally begun to have oil flow through few months ago. The pipeline is not 100% finished as it still has almost 5% of construction left just below Lake Oahe in North Dakota.  Every morning contractors inspect the pipeline to make sure all the valves are working properly, and to make sure there are no leaks. Recently, a hole burnt on the pipeline was found. The damage to the pipeline valve will cost roughly between $30,000.00 and $60,000.00.

It is very expensive to fix as the pipe itself is 30" thick. “They observed a small burnt hole in the pipeline,” says Chief Deputy Chad Brown. “At that time there was no oil or spilling coming out or anything like that.” Chief Deputy Brown says the hole is just below one of the curved parts of the pipeline, and it’s only about the size of a dime."

The damage is no accident. It is reported that this is the first time that a pipeline has been vandalized. The authorities in the area have started investigations as a few leads have come up, but currently there have been no arrests.

Fresh painted Thru Conduit Gate Valves



A world without drilling

Are we ready to stop drilling?

What would happen if all the drilling for oil and gas stopped all over the world? Is that even possible? It is very hard to imagine as we have well over 700,000 oil wells! I found this fascinating as there is already a plan put in place in the UK, called NEST or National Employment Savings Trust, recently announced it was moving 10 percent of its investments toward firms that work to reduce climate change and create more environmentally-friendly methods of energy use. NEST will be focusing more on renewable energy such as solar and wind and less on extracting energy which is a sign of climate change. It sounds a bit dramatic to stop all the drilling all of a sudden but further research shows there might be something that both sides can agree on.

The method is to find a plan which is not as expensive and reduces pollution. Washington State University researchers recently published findings indicating they have found a better method of conducting a significant catalytic reaction frequently used in the oil and gas industries. If it’s widely adopted, the energy savings and reduced pollutants could be impressive. Their method is to place a small amount of carbon within the catalyst that breaks apart the carbon and hydrogen in methane. The increased amount causes the creation of nickel carbide. One of the researchers at WSU also noted that the current process is very wasteful and that converting methane without the burn that produces gas would benefit energy providers and the environment. A win-win for both sides!

It is very hard to tell if the new process will affect the global market and how it will affect as businesses have not yet started using this new method of extracting oil.

To read more information about this new method, please visit this website:

Valves such as our GVC BV6000 is a an example of a valve that can be used in oil wells for drilling.




Shale Gas Fact or Fiction

There have been so many articles relating to the shale oil that I believe it is important to know what is true and what is not.

First, what is shale? Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped in shale formations. Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas.

How does one person go about getting these rock formations out of the ground? There are 2 methods. Horizontal drilling and hydraulic drilling.

There is a limited amount of shale to go around: False. According to the EIA Annual Energy Outlook 2011, the United States possesses 2,552 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of potential natural gas resources.

What are some of the most common shale plays that we have heard or read about? Barnett shale, Marcellus shale, and Utica shale.

Coal is cleaner than natural gas. False. Natural gas is cleaner-burning than coal or oil.

Should we be worried when shale is being extracted? Yes. Issues in decreased and polluted water supply in the surrounding areas have been reported. There have also been reports of chemicals being mixed in with water sources due to the drilling.



New regulations help limit the amount of methane gas

Great news except for the people in the fossil fuel industry, new rules have just been put into place when burning methane gas. This will be the second time this year that new rules have been discussed. "Methane is a main component of natural gas, but during the production of gas and oil, methane is often both unintentionally and intentionally released into the atmosphere."

Part of the new regulations is that it involves the oil and gas companies to buy new equipment which limits the amount of methane that is released into the atmosphere. Bad news is that this new equipment could cost a pretty penny, as well as increase the cost of drilling on public lands.

"A year ago Obama announced a goal to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40 to 45% over the next 10 years. The Interior Department’s new rules are in line with this goal."

Good news is that not all in the industry will oppose the new rules as methane could also be used as a power source, meaning that that the gas can be captured and sold. For example, "the amount of methane that was emitted from oil and gas drilling between 2009 and 2014 was enough to power more than 5 million homes for a year!"

New Rules Limit Methane Emissions From Oil, Gas



Solar energy rises

Despite the falling oil prices ( now lower than ever), the solar, wind and energy industry is on the rise for power. The industry is keeping up with the latest technologies and therefore being extremely competitive all around the world. For example. India who's air quality is very poor due to pollution will be using clean energy to reduce waste. Another example, "China is cutting back its use of coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, even though it’s cheap. Developing countries in Africa, where many people don’t have access to a central power grid, are pursuing solar projects as a quicker and less costly way to provide electricity. Wealthier countries are using solar to create micro grids that can keep the lights on when storms like Hurricane Sandy knock out the grid."

Whereas oil is mostly used for transportation, the energy industry is more commonly used for power plants that produce electricity. This is definitely new news, as "the last time oil was at this price, the cost of renewable s was much higher." As a result, the solar, windy and energy industry is very desirable and here to stay it will only rise higher and higher.




The positive outcome from low oil prices

The price per barrel of oil continues to go down, some states the price at the pump is just above $1. This has not happened since 1999. Many large oil and gas companies are continually downgrading their employees, but the positive outcome of the low oil price is that the hundreds of people who are at the pump are also saving hundreds of dollars every week. "An additional $500 to $800 in their pocket to spend last year. That’s enormously helpful and what happens is they spend it. You have more consumer demand – the business have to hire,”

While the Oil and Gas companies are not booming as they have been, we are beginning to see an increase in the US solar industries." The US solar industry now employs more workers than oil and gas, a new report from the Solar Foundation claims, with most of the jobs in power panel installation." By the end of last year, we saw the increase in employees nearly doubled! That number is now higher than the number of people who work in the Oil and Gas companies.

For more info:



Public education is benefiting from the low oil prices

Believe it or not, there are those that are actually benefiting from the low oil prices and no they are not the people at the pump but the public schools.  How is this so? Well, there are many schools in North Texas, for example, that have oil and gas producing properties within their district boundaries. In turn, many local districts receive millions of money per year in property tax alone.

To give you an idea, Last year, Fort Worth ISD received $9.1 million from oil and natural gas property taxes. Northwest ISD received $20.1 million. Weatherford ISD got over $2 million, and Decatur ISD got $10.3 million, which is over one-third of its total tax base.

The money the schools receive allows them to hire more teachers and pay them well, thus giving the students a better education. It also helps the students have better facilities, programs, and supplies. It is no surprise that while oil continues to go down, public schools will continue to profit from many oil and gas companies. Funds for Texas education come from a variety of royalties and taxes paid by the oil and natural gas industry.
Read more here:



No more drilling in Bristol Bay

Environmentalists and nature lovers have received the news they have always wanted to hear; their precious Bristol Bay in Alaska is under the protection of President Obama, and there will be no further disruption to the ecosystem. The reason that Mr. Obama has put these waters under his protection is because, Bristol Bay is home to the last pristine salmon ecosystem in North America and stands unmatched in its productivity. Nearly 50 percent of the world’s wild sockeye salmon come from these waters.” This bay is a jewel for the people who live near or around it as it supports and creates at least 12,000 jobs for the fishermen and processors and provides in the millions of dollars in jobs for commercial fishermen. ”Removing Bristol Bay from future offshore drilling plans is the right decision. We congratulate Bristol Bay leaders for their vision in ensuring that America’s “Fish Basket” will continue to be one of the richest ecosystems and a source of sustenance for people in Alaska and around the world.”

Bristol Bay has not always been so fortunate; many years ago many oil and gas developers were seeking this particular area for drilling.