The International Liquid Terminals Association (ILTA) held its 33rd Annual International Operating Conference and Trade Show on June 3-5 in Houston, Texas. The ILTA event is the largest and longest running conference and trade show dedicated exclusively to the terminal industry. More than 3,700 industry professionals attended the event, which featured three plenary sessions, 35 conference presentations, including 14 in Spanish, a golf tournament, two networking receptions, and a day and a half trade show.
“We are extremely pleased with the feedback we received from attendees and exhibitors,” said ILTA President David Doane. “The high level of participation in this event each year reinforces our position as the terminal industry’s preeminent show.” He added, “Exhibitor satisfaction was so high that we are pleased to report that the show floor is 85 percent sold out for 2014.”
The conference focused on a variety of operational and business topics, along with environmental, health, safety and security issues. Speakers discussed current and emerging issues that directly impact the terminal industry. The opening session featured presentations on lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy. The speakers described how they prepared for the hurricane and how they managed once the disaster struck. The featured speaker, Jeff Currie of Goldman Sachs, discussed the key issues surrounding the increased output of shale oil in the United States and how it is reshaping the energy market.
Other conference topics included mechanical integrity, cyber security, vacuum truck hazards, workplace safety, and tank overfill protection. Cal Ripken Jr., one of the greatest baseball players of all time, was the keynote speaker. During the presentation, he provided his unique perspective on leadership, commitment, and excellence, three attributes that perfectly describe his career as a great athlete.
A total of 15 terminal companies were recognized during the safety awards breakfast on June 4. Marathon Petroleum Company received the Platinum Safety Award for a large terminal company. U.S. Venture received the Platinum Safety award for a small terminal company. The 2013 Safety Excellence Award was presented to 12 terminal companies that achieved a safety record of less than one injury per 100 workers in 2012. The companies are: Asphalt Operating Services, LLC; Buckeye Terminals, LLC; CITGO Petroleum Corporation; Demaco Corporation; Enterprise Products Partners, L.P.; Hess Corporation; Motiva Enterprises – NJ Complex; Murphy Oil Corporation; NuStar Energy, L.P.; Petro-Diamond Terminal Company; Phillips 66 Company; and Sunoco Logistics Partners, L.P. Three companies were recognized for receiving an ILTA safety award for five consecutive years. The companies are: Hess Corporation; NuStar Energy, L.P.; and Petro-Diamond Terminal Company. In addition, LBC Houston received a Safety Improvement Award for demonstrating significant improvement in its safety record over the past four years. “An ILTA safety award not only demonstrates excellent safety performance, it also sends a strong, positive message about management performance, and this message is conveyed not just to the company’s employees, but also to its customers, and to regulators, public officials, and local communities,” Doane stated.
The 34th Annual ILTA International Operating Conference and Trade Show is scheduled for June 2-4, 2014, at the Hilton Americas-Houston and the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX.
About the International Liquid Terminals Association:
Based in Arlington, VA, ILTA is an international trade association that represents over 80 owners and operators of bulk liquid terminals and aboveground storage tank facilities in all 50 states and in 49 countries. ILTA members operate more than 830 facilities consisting of about 14,000 tanks, with a global storage capacity of approximately 1.7 billion barrels. Products handled by ILTA members include crude oil, petroleum products and a wide variety of chemicals, as well as ethanol, biodiesel, vegetable oils, molasses and fertilizers. Its membership also includes more than 350 companies that supply products and services to the bulk liquid terminal industry.
