A Record number of exhibitors participated the 29th Annual International Operating Conference and Trade Show on June 8-10, 2009, in Houston, Texas. The annual event is held by the Independent Liquid Terminals Association (ILTA).
More than 250 domestic and international companies exhibited in the trade show. Fifty-three companies exhibited for the first time. More than 3,300 industry personnel attended the three-day event, which included the conference, the trade show, and three training workshops.
“This year, as the decline in our economy has continued, many companies in our industry have cut back on their travel budgets,” said ILTA President David Doane. “However, ILTA's strong membership base produced an excellent turnout for this year's conference and trade show.”
The opening session of the conference featured a dialogue among four business leaders in the petroleum and chemical industries. The participants in the executive roundtable were: Curt Anastasio, president and chief executive officer of NuStar Energy LP Hank Heithaus, president of retail marketing at Murphy Oil USA, Olav Refvik, founding member of Arrowhawk Capital Partners, and Rod Sands, president and CEO of Explorer Pipeline Company. These executives provided their insights into key issues affecting companies in today's economic and political climate.
Additional political discussion came during a panel discussion entitled “The New Political Landscape, What's in Store for the Terminal Industry?” Panelists were Bob Tippee, Oil and Gas Journal; Jay McKeeman, California Independent Oil Marketers Association; and Jim Benton, New Jersey Petroleum Council.
For the first time, this year's conference featured sessions in Spanish. These technical presentations focused on three key issues for terminal operators — tank emission controls, inventory management systems, and vapor recovery technologies.
On Tuesday morning, 12 ILTA terminal member companies received the Safety Excellence Award for demonstrated exceptional performance in protecting the safety of their employees. Five small and seven large terminal companies received the Safety Excellence Award. Winners were selected using data from ILTA's safety survey, which is based on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Form 300A
The 2009 winners were: Asphalt Operating Services LLC, Buckeye Terminals LLC, CITGO Petroleum Corporation, Flint Hills Resources, Hess Corporation, Houston Fuel Oil Terminal Company, Intercontinental Terminals Company, International Raw Materials, Ltd, JIT Chemical Corporation, Marathon Petroleum Company LLC, Motiva Enterprises-New Jersey Complex, and Petro-Diamond Terminal Company.
Two companies, NuStar Energy LP and Western Refining Company LP, were awarded the 2009 Platinum Safety Award for their demonstrated exemplary safety culture. Each company received a solid crystal tank that depicts a floating roof tank.
The tank is seven and one-half inches high and slightly more than five inches in diameter. It has three-dimensional detailing of the roof, a manway, and a water supply line for the foam chambers. The tank also has etched detailing of the stairs and the panel seams.
Thirty-four storage terminal companies participated in the 2009 Safety Survey and Recognition Program, a 20% increase from 2008. “We encourage all ILTA terminal members to participate in this program in 2010,” Doane said. “All participants receive a summary report of the safety data that can be used as a benchmark for internal performance management.”
The 30th Annual ILTA International Operating Conference and Trade Show is scheduled for May 24-26, 2010 at the Hilton Americas-Houston and the George R Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.