THE International Liquid Terminal Association (ILTA) will hold its 35th Annual Conference and Trade Show June 1-3 at the Hilton Americas-Houston and George R Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.
This is the premier gathering of terminal industry professionals, attracting more than 3,700 terminal company executives, managers, operations personnel, environmental specialists, and suppliers from around the world.
More than 320 companies from around the world will exhibit at the trade show this year
Plenary Session
On Monday, June 1 from 8:30-9:45 am, ILTA’s 2015 conference will begin with a discussion on how recent shale oil developments have rapidly shifted the US from a net importer to a net exporter of petroleum products and what it means for the liquid terminal industry.
Greg Haas, director of integrated oil and gas research for Stratas Advisors, will share his near- and long-term vision for shale petroleum commodities and their impact on terminal operations in the United States and abroad in “Terminal Capacity Forecasts and the Exportation of US Shale Petroleum Products.”
Haas will provide demand outlooks, supply forecasts and export projections for major liquid commodities including refined products, naptha, and natural gas liquids such as butane, ethane, and propane.
Keynote luncheon
Mike Eruzione, captain of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team, will be the keynote speaker on Tuesday, June 2 from 11:30 am-1:15 pm.
At the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, his game-winning goal against the Soviet Union advanced his team to the final game, where it beat Finland and won the gold medal.
Walt Disney adapted the story of the “Miracle on Ice” into a feature length film, Miracle, which was released in February 2004. The film stars Kurt Russell as legendary Olympic head coach Herb Brooks and Hollywood up-and-comer Patrick O’Brien Demsey as Eruzione.
A native of Massachusetts, Eruzione was well-known as a local sports talent, being on all-scholastic teams in baseball, football, and hockey. At Boston University, Eruzione captained his senior year hockey team and finished as the second leading scorer in BU history. For all four years that Eruzione played at BU, his team won the Eastern Collegiate Championships. Eruzione was also cited as best defensive forward in the East all four years and was inducted into the Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame.
After graduation, Eruzione joined the US national team and then played for two years with the Toledo Goaldiggers of the International Hockey League, maintaining his amateur status. In the IHL, he was voted the McKenzie Award, which is annually presented to the most outstanding American-born hockey player in the league.
The following season, Eruzione was chosen to join the fateful 1980 US Olympic team at left wing and held the honor of being elected captain by his teammates, as well as being inducted into Olympic Hall of Fame.
After the spectacular Olympic victory, he spent several years in New York and New Jersey as a commentator for the Madison Square Garden Communications Network. He provided coverage of the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils games and also did special interviews with players and coaches.
In 1984, Eruzione was a broadcaster for ABC Sports for both the Winter and Summer Olympics from Sarajevo and Los Angeles, and again in Calgary for the 1988 Winter Olympics. In 1992, Eruzione went to Albertville, France, for the Winter Olympics with CBS as a hockey commentator. In preparation for the 1994 Winter Olympic Games, he did the Olympic Hockey Tour sponsored by John Hancock Insurance Co, promoting the US team and supporting our Olympic athletes. In Lillehammer, Norway, he commentated once again for CBS, covering the Olympic hockey games.
Presently, he divides his time between charity work, public speaking engagements, and serving as director of development for Boston University athletics, a post to which he was named in September 1995. Prior to that, he worked as BU’s director of Special Programs for Alumni Relations and Development for two years. He also serves as an aide to Jack Parker, head coach of BU’s hockey team.
Earlier this year, in Lake Placid, Eruzione was part of a special reunion of the 1980 team called “The Miracle On Ice Reunion,” which included audio, video, and speeches from players.
In an interview with the Buffalo News in February, Eruzione said, “These 35 years have been incredible for me. They’ve given me an opportunity to do so many things I never would have been able to do, whether it’s my job at Boston University, the speaking engagements that I’ve had, the people I’ve met all across the United States.”
He told the Buffalo News that he receives 30 to 50 letters a month from fans talking about the Olympic experience.
“Every time they tell me a story, it’s usually, ‘I remember where I was when,’ ” Eruzione said. “It’s when Kennedy was assassinated or ‘I remember where I was when the Challenger blew up, I remember where I was on 9/11.’ And then ‘I remember where I was when we won’. And they always say ‘we’ won. Sometimes I laugh and go, ‘I didn’t know you were on the team’. But that’s what the moment meant to so many people in this country.”
Monday sessions
The first morning of the conference features:
• One-hour breakout sessions at 10:05 am: “A Terminal Company’s Pursuit of Operational Excellence through Management of Change,” Scott Cole, Tesoro Logistics; “Keys to Strengthening Your Safety Culture,” Larry Toepper, Charles Taylor Safety Management; and “Recent Regulatory and Legal Developments Impacting Environmental Compliance,” John King, Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, LP.
• Three sessions from 11:10-12:10: “API Recommended Practices 1595 and 1640 for Maintaining Fuel Quality,” David Ware, Aviation Training Academy; “The Power of Vision in Engaging and Inspiring Your Team,” Walter Nusbaum, The Nusbaum Group; and “Strategies for Emissions Reporting and Recordkeeping,” Lisa Olson Murphy, Hill Country Environmental.
• Three sessions from 1:40-2:40: “Evolution of Technologies for Cleaning Black Oil Tanks,” Tom McQueary, TriStar Global Energy Solutions, Mike O’Rourke, Triton Industries, and Paul Taylor, ExxonMobil Corporation; “Communicating Effectively at Public Meetings: A Skills Tune-Up,” Ken Haseley, The Ammerman Experience; and “Government Inspections: The Latest in Preparation and Response,” Richard Alonso, Bracewell & Guiliani, LLP, Jane Besch, Vopak Americas.
• Three sessions from 2:45-3:45: “Best Practices for Tank and Piping Insulation,” Gary Banks, Banks Industrial Group LLC; “Managing Air Permitting Challenges in Terminal Expansions,” Brian Burdorf, Arcadis US Inc; and “Complying with Federal Railroad Administration Inspection Requirements for Rail Cars,” Michael Mashburn, Colonial Terminals, Inc.
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• Three sessions from 4:05-5:05: “Use of Welded-on Patches in the Critical Zone of Tank Bottoms: A Case Study,” Bryan McArthy, Steve Wickerson and Mingxin Zhao, Enterprise Products Company; “Legislative Outlook for the Terminal Industry,” moderator Peter Weaver, ILTA panelists Shay Bluntzer, NuStar Energy, LP, Caroline Eliassen, Phillips 66 Company, and Jake Menefee, Marathon Petroleum Corporation; and “SPCC Enforcement: What Terminals Need to Know,” Mark Howard, US Environmental Protection Agency.
Tuesday sessions
The second morning of the conference features:
• One-hour breakout sessions at 9:25 am: “Marine Terminal Resilience: Actively Preparing for Extreme Weather Events,” Michael Ajemian and Daniel Kennedy, COWI Marine North America; “Developments in Labor Law: Considerations for Managers,” Barham Lewis, Ogletree Deakins; “Expectations, Effectiveness and Excitement: Three Big E’s in SafEty LEadErship,” Britt Howard, CH2M-Hill.
• Three sessions from 10:30-11:30: “Man Overboard! Best Practices for Dock Safety,” LCDR Darwin Jensen, US Coast Guard, Don Griffin, CITGO Petroleum Corporation; “How to Stop Managing People and Start Managing Priorities,” Eric Papp, Results-Based Seminars, LLC; and “A Risk-Based Approach to Internal Environmental Audits: A Case Study,” Doug Hileman, Doug Hileman Consulting, LLC, and Andy McClish, TransMontaigne Partners LP.
Post-conference workshops
• Tuesday, June 2, 2 pm-5 pm: “Air Emissions-Loading Operations,” Rob Ferry, The TGB Partnership. This half-day workshop will focus on air issues pertaining directly to loading operations. $225, $250, $275.
• Wednesday, June 3, 8 am-5 pm and Thursday, June 4, 8 am-2 pm: “Advanced Tanks-Air Emissions,” Ferry. This course provides a detailed look into air emissions issues relating to the design, construction and inspection of aboveground storage tanks. It will address regulatory compliance, emissions calculations, and recordkeeping and reporting requirements. Time will be provided for workshop attendees to visit the ILTA trade show floor on Wednesday. Breakfast and lunch will be provided both days. $450, $475, $500.
• Tuesday, June 2, 8:30 am-12: pm: “Communicating Effectively at Public Meetings: Developing Strategies and Techniques,” Ken Haseley, The Ammerman Experience. This half-day, highly interactive workshop will focus on proven tactics for delivering critical information in front of emotional audiences in order to promote beneficial outcomes at public meetings. Attendees will participate in simulated meeting exercises to learn key skills for improving message content and delivery, anticipating reactions from the audience, and responding to questions. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. $350, $375, $400
• Wednesday, June 3, 8 am-5 pm, and Thursday, June 4, 8 am-2 pm: “Introduction to Terminal Operations,” ILTA. This course provides attendees with a comprehensive overview of terminal facility operations and system components. Topics include an overview of the terminal industry, the role of terminals in the supply chain, operational safety, product handling, tank design and maintenance, regulatory compliance and industry standards. The program will also cover facility equipment and describe types of aboveground storage tanks, roof designs and tank components. Taught by industry experts, this course is ideally suited for new employees and for personnel interested in being conversant in all aspects of aboveground liquid storage terminals and their operation. Experienced personnel who want a review of tank and terminal fundamentals will also benefit from attending. Breakfast and lunch will be provided both days. $450, $475, $500.
Golf tournament
The 19th annual tournament will be held at Wildcat Golf Club on May 31 with a 1 pm shotgun start. ILTA’s scramble tournament is played on Wildcat’s two spectacular golf courses, the Lakes and Highlands, located just south of Houston.
On the Lakes course you start high. Its highest elevations –up to 100 feet—provide breathtaking views of Houston’s major sports complex—Reliant Stadium, home to the Houston Texans. As you work your way down you’ll see the water—acres of seemingly countless lakes. The Lakes’ dramatic elevation changes can be rivaled by no other course in Houston. Water comes into play on seven of the Lakes’ holes. Playing 7016 yards from the tips, the Lakes is a bit longer than the Highlands. You’ll enjoy navigating around the water, managing the Lakes rolling fairways and experiencing its fast greens.
At first sight, the Highlands Course offers a links golf experience, but you’ll soon discover the open tumbling fairways and impressive elevations are more typical of a Texas Hill Country course. Throughout your round, 6954 yards from the tips, you’ll enjoy panoramic views of the city—from Houston’s Galleria area to the Medical Center, Reliant Park to Downtown. Every hole on the Highlands course offers a challenge. Protected by well-placed bunkers, lying beyond deep ravines, each pin demands your full attention. Course management will come to mind as you discover an errant shot is held captive by native grasses, or lost to a miscalculation of distance. ♦
