Faculty attend course on midstream science
November 10, 2020 | by Shelly Vitanza
As part of its ongoing effort to build a dialogue between LU faculty and the midstream industry, Lamar University’s Center for Midstream Management and Science sponsored a course in midstream science.
Dr. Brian Craig, dean of the College of Engineering, along with 13 engineering and computer science faculty
members, spent a three-day weekend with instructors from the GPA Midstream Association to improve their understanding of midstream industry engineering and operations.
"The purpose of this three-day course was to enhance faculty’s understanding of midstream engineering, operations and assets to better enable them to identify and think about industry problems that they can help solve through their research efforts,” said Thomas Kalb, director of the Midstream Center. “Lamar University has an incredible pool of academic talent and research capabilities that represents a huge, relatively untapped asset available to our industrial neighbors.”
The course used the GPSA Engineering Data Book as a reference text and taught the faculty/students what happens at midstream operating facilities including midstream products, equipment typically found at midstream facilities and the processes that turn variable hydrocarbon feedstock into fungible product.
“It was a total immersion in the midstream industry,” said Craig. “The specific information learned included a step-by-step review of all engineering and operations and standards and issues driving the midstream industry, A to Z. It was good and modified to deal with professors’ inquisitive minds and research interests.”
From 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. for three consecutive days, the faculty/students took part in interactive lectures, performed light calculations and experienced working scale models of plant equipment.
“Every faculty member sacrificed the weekend, attended and participated and we’re all better for it,” said Craig. “I look forward to the next step which is problem solving for this sector of the oil and gas industry.”
The GPA Midstream Association is one of the longest standing nonprofit trade associations representing the midstream industry in the U.S. and a valuable resource on the issues facing the industry.
LU’s Midstream Center, established and funded by the Texas legislature in late 2019, serves as a bridge between Lamar University and the midstream industry, including all oil and gas transportation, gas processing, terminals and storage. The Midstream Center seeks to identify technological midstream issues and bring LU's knowledge and research capabilities to bear to solve these concerns, enabling companies to reduce cost and enhance revenues and profits.
For more information about LU’s Midstream Center, visit https://www.lamar.edu/engineering/midstreamcenter/index.html.
Dr. Brian Craig, dean of the College of Engineering, along with 13 engineering and computer science faculty
members, spent a three-day weekend with instructors from the GPA Midstream Association to improve their understanding of midstream industry engineering and operations."The purpose of this three-day course was to enhance faculty’s understanding of midstream engineering, operations and assets to better enable them to identify and think about industry problems that they can help solve through their research efforts,” said Thomas Kalb, director of the Midstream Center. “Lamar University has an incredible pool of academic talent and research capabilities that represents a huge, relatively untapped asset available to our industrial neighbors.”
The course used the GPSA Engineering Data Book as a reference text and taught the faculty/students what happens at midstream operating facilities including midstream products, equipment typically found at midstream facilities and the processes that turn variable hydrocarbon feedstock into fungible product.
“It was a total immersion in the midstream industry,” said Craig. “The specific information learned included a step-by-step review of all engineering and operations and standards and issues driving the midstream industry, A to Z. It was good and modified to deal with professors’ inquisitive minds and research interests.”
From 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. for three consecutive days, the faculty/students took part in interactive lectures, performed light calculations and experienced working scale models of plant equipment.
“Every faculty member sacrificed the weekend, attended and participated and we’re all better for it,” said Craig. “I look forward to the next step which is problem solving for this sector of the oil and gas industry.”
The GPA Midstream Association is one of the longest standing nonprofit trade associations representing the midstream industry in the U.S. and a valuable resource on the issues facing the industry.
LU’s Midstream Center, established and funded by the Texas legislature in late 2019, serves as a bridge between Lamar University and the midstream industry, including all oil and gas transportation, gas processing, terminals and storage. The Midstream Center seeks to identify technological midstream issues and bring LU's knowledge and research capabilities to bear to solve these concerns, enabling companies to reduce cost and enhance revenues and profits.
For more information about LU’s Midstream Center, visit https://www.lamar.edu/engineering/midstreamcenter/index.html.