www.lablynx.com
Open in
urlscan Pro
141.193.213.21
Public Scan
Submitted URL: https://878qx.r.ag.d.sendibm3.com/mk/cl/f/MuO5avh5fE-2TpgOcyyTesxDUWxnfkjSZEaM4HGgPZINgKt9jR2cqFEHww4KqsDSwvO4PJs7qNKxjRZpPS38mlJL...
Effective URL: https://www.lablynx.com/library/articles/laboratory_informatics_in_the_oil_gas_chemical_industries/?utm_campaign=SIB-%20...
Submission: On January 24 via manual from CA — Scanned from FR
Effective URL: https://www.lablynx.com/library/articles/laboratory_informatics_in_the_oil_gas_chemical_industries/?utm_campaign=SIB-%20...
Submission: On January 24 via manual from CA — Scanned from FR
Form analysis 2 forms found in the DOM
POST /library/articles/laboratory_informatics_in_the_oil_gas_chemical_industries/#gf_22
<form method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" target="gform_ajax_frame_22" id="gform_22" action="/library/articles/laboratory_informatics_in_the_oil_gas_chemical_industries/#gf_22" data-hs-cf-bound="true">
<div class="gform_body gform-body">
<div id="gform_fields_22" class="gform_fields top_label form_sublabel_below description_below">
<div id="field_22_1" class="gfield gfield--width-full gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_22_1"><label class="gfield_label" for="input_22_1">First
Name<span class="gfield_required"><span class="gfield_required gfield_required_asterisk">*</span></span></label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_1" id="input_22_1" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="First Name *" aria-required="true" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_22_3" class="gfield gfield--width-full gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_22_3"><label class="gfield_label" for="input_22_3">Last
Name<span class="gfield_required"><span class="gfield_required gfield_required_asterisk">*</span></span></label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_3" id="input_22_3" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="Last Name *" aria-required="true" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_22_4" class="gfield gfield--width-full gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_22_4"><label class="gfield_label"
for="input_22_4">Email<span class="gfield_required"><span class="gfield_required gfield_required_asterisk">*</span></span></label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_email">
<input name="input_4" id="input_22_4" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="Email *" aria-required="true" aria-invalid="false">
</div>
</div>
<div id="field_22_5" class="gfield gfield--width-full gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_22_5"><label class="gfield_label"
for="input_22_5">Phone<span class="gfield_required"><span class="gfield_required gfield_required_asterisk">*</span></span></label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_phone"><input name="input_5" id="input_22_5" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="Phone Number *" aria-required="true" aria-invalid="false"></div>
</div>
<div id="field_22_6" class="gfield gfield--width-full field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_22_6"><label class="gfield_label" for="input_22_6">Job Title</label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_6" id="input_22_6" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="Job Title" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_22_7" class="gfield gfield--width-full gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_22_7"><label class="gfield_label"
for="input_22_7">Company<span class="gfield_required"><span class="gfield_required gfield_required_asterisk">*</span></span></label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_7" id="input_22_7" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="Company *" aria-required="true" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_22_19" class="gfield gfield--width-full gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_22_19"><label class="gfield_label" for="input_22_19">Lab
Industry<span class="gfield_required"><span class="gfield_required gfield_required_asterisk">*</span></span></label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_19" id="input_22_19" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="Lab Industry *" aria-required="true" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_22_20" class="gfield gfield--width-full gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_22_20"><label class="gfield_label"
for="input_22_20">Country<span class="gfield_required"><span class="gfield_required gfield_required_asterisk">*</span></span></label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_20" id="input_22_20" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="Country *" aria-required="true" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_22_10" class="gfield gfield--width-full gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_22_10"><label class="gfield_label"
for="input_22_10">City<span class="gfield_required"><span class="gfield_required gfield_required_asterisk">*</span></span></label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_10" id="input_22_10" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="City *" aria-required="true" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_22_11" class="gfield gfield--width-full field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_22_11"><label class="gfield_label" for="input_22_11">State</label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_11" id="input_22_11" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="State" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<fieldset id="field_22_12" class="gfield gfield--width-full gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below field_description_below gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_22_12">
<legend class="gfield_label gfield_label_before_complex">I am interested in:<span class="gfield_required"><span class="gfield_required gfield_required_asterisk">*</span></span></legend>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_checkbox">
<div class="gfield_checkbox" id="input_22_12">
<div class="gchoice gchoice_22_12_1">
<input class="gfield-choice-input" name="input_12.1" type="checkbox" value="Subscribing to Email Updates" id="choice_22_12_1">
<label for="choice_22_12_1" id="label_22_12_1">Subscribing to Email Updates</label>
</div>
<div class="gchoice gchoice_22_12_2">
<input class="gfield-choice-input" name="input_12.2" type="checkbox" value="Receiving More Information From Sales via Email" id="choice_22_12_2">
<label for="choice_22_12_2" id="label_22_12_2">Receiving More Information From Sales via Email</label>
</div>
<div class="gchoice gchoice_22_12_3">
<input class="gfield-choice-input" name="input_12.3" type="checkbox" value="Connecting with a LabLynx Team Member" id="choice_22_12_3">
<label for="choice_22_12_3" id="label_22_12_3">Connecting with a LabLynx Team Member</label>
</div>
<div class="gchoice gchoice_22_12_4">
<input class="gfield-choice-input" name="input_12.4" type="checkbox" value="Scheduling a Demo" id="choice_22_12_4">
<label for="choice_22_12_4" id="label_22_12_4">Scheduling a Demo</label>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</fieldset>
<div id="field_22_13" class="gfield gfield--width-full field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_22_13"><label class="gfield_label" for="input_22_13">How can we help?</label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_textarea"><textarea name="input_13" id="input_22_13" class="textarea small" placeholder="How can we help?" aria-invalid="false" rows="10" cols="50"></textarea></div>
</div>
<div id="field_22_14" class="gfield gfield--width-full field_sublabel_below field_description_below gfield_visibility_hidden" data-js-reload="field_22_14">
<div class="admin-hidden-markup"><i class="gform-icon gform-icon--hidden"></i><span>Hidden</span></div><label class="gfield_label" for="input_22_14">Source URL</label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_14" id="input_22_14" type="text" value="https://www.lablynx.com/library/articles/laboratory_informatics_in_the_oil_gas_chemical_industries/" class="large"
aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_22_17" class="gfield gfield--width-full field_sublabel_below field_description_below gfield_visibility_hidden" data-js-reload="field_22_17">
<div class="admin-hidden-markup"><i class="gform-icon gform-icon--hidden"></i><span>Hidden</span></div><label class="gfield_label" for="input_22_17">Lifecycle Stage New</label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_17" id="input_22_17" type="text" value="MQ Lead" class="large" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_22_18" class="gfield gfield--width-full field_sublabel_below field_description_below gfield_visibility_hidden" data-js-reload="field_22_18">
<div class="admin-hidden-markup"><i class="gform-icon gform-icon--hidden"></i><span>Hidden</span></div><label class="gfield_label" for="input_22_18">Lead Attribution</label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_18" id="input_22_18" type="text" value="Direct" class="large" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_22_21" class="gfield gfield--width-full field_sublabel_below field_description_below gfield_visibility_hidden" data-js-reload="field_22_21">
<div class="admin-hidden-markup"><i class="gform-icon gform-icon--hidden"></i><span>Hidden</span></div><label class="gfield_label" for="input_22_21">Post Type</label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_21" id="input_22_21" type="text" value="Library" class="large" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_22_16" class="gfield gfield--width-full field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_22_16"><label class="gfield_label" for="input_22_16">CAPTCHA</label>
<div id="input_22_16" class="ginput_container ginput_recaptcha gform-initialized" data-sitekey="6LcjexEgAAAAAE8ZYIHqHU0MJmLX3LosUexMh5FS" data-theme="light" data-tabindex="-1" data-size="invisible" data-badge="bottomright">
<div class="grecaptcha-badge" data-style="bottomright"
style="width: 256px; height: 60px; display: block; transition: right 0.3s ease 0s; position: fixed; bottom: 14px; right: -186px; box-shadow: gray 0px 0px 5px; border-radius: 2px; overflow: hidden;">
<div class="grecaptcha-logo"><iframe title="reCAPTCHA"
src="https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LcjexEgAAAAAE8ZYIHqHU0MJmLX3LosUexMh5FS&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubGFibHlueC5jb206NDQz&hl=en&v=Gg72x2_SHmxi8X0BLo33HMpr&theme=light&size=invisible&badge=bottomright&cb=9d4d5ptjpl9y"
width="256" height="60" role="presentation" name="a-td4h3t7vkbcx" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation allow-modals allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"
tabindex="-1"></iframe></div>
<div class="grecaptcha-error"></div><textarea id="g-recaptcha-response" name="g-recaptcha-response" class="g-recaptcha-response"
style="width: 250px; height: 40px; border: 1px solid rgb(193, 193, 193); margin: 10px 25px; padding: 0px; resize: none; display: none;"></textarea>
</div><iframe style="display: none;"></iframe>
</div>
</div>
<div id="field_22_22" class="gfield gform_validation_container field_sublabel_below field_description_below gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_22_22"><label class="gfield_label" for="input_22_22">Email</label>
<div class="ginput_container"><input name="input_22" id="input_22_22" type="text" value=""></div>
<div class="gfield_description" id="gfield_description_22_22">This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="gform_footer top_label"> <input type="submit" id="gform_submit_button_22" class="gform_button button" value="Learn More" onclick="if(window["gf_submitting_22"]){return false;} window["gf_submitting_22"]=true; "
onkeypress="if( event.keyCode == 13 ){ if(window["gf_submitting_22"]){return false;} window["gf_submitting_22"]=true; jQuery("#gform_22").trigger("submit",[true]); }"> <input type="hidden"
name="gform_ajax" value="form_id=22&title=&description=&tabindex=0">
<input type="hidden" class="gform_hidden" name="is_submit_22" value="1">
<input type="hidden" class="gform_hidden" name="gform_submit" value="22">
<input type="hidden" class="gform_hidden" name="gform_unique_id" value="">
<input type="hidden" class="gform_hidden" name="state_22" value="WyJbXSIsIjliNzNmYjg1NzQyMDdmZDk0MzQ0NjVlZjVmMjQ2ZjZmIl0=">
<input type="hidden" class="gform_hidden" name="gform_target_page_number_22" id="gform_target_page_number_22" value="0">
<input type="hidden" class="gform_hidden" name="gform_source_page_number_22" id="gform_source_page_number_22" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="gform_field_values" value="library_id=11627&post_type=Library">
</div>
</form>POST /library/articles/laboratory_informatics_in_the_oil_gas_chemical_industries/
<form method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" id="gform_24" action="/library/articles/laboratory_informatics_in_the_oil_gas_chemical_industries/" data-hs-cf-bound="true">
<div class="gform_body gform-body">
<div id="gform_fields_24" class="gform_fields top_label form_sublabel_below description_below">
<div id="field_24_4" class="gfield gfield--width-full gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_24_4"><label class="gfield_label"
for="input_24_4">Email<span class="gfield_required"><span class="gfield_required gfield_required_text">(Required)</span></span></label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_email">
<input name="input_4" id="input_24_4" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="Email *" aria-required="true" aria-invalid="false">
</div>
</div>
<div id="field_24_1" class="gfield gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_24_1"><label class="gfield_label" for="input_24_1">First Name<span
class="gfield_required"><span class="gfield_required gfield_required_text">(Required)</span></span></label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_1" id="input_24_1" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="First Name *" aria-required="true" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_24_6" class="gfield gfield--width-full gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_24_6"><label class="gfield_label" for="input_24_6">Last
Name<span class="gfield_required"><span class="gfield_required gfield_required_text">(Required)</span></span></label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_6" id="input_24_6" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="Last Name *" aria-required="true" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_24_7" class="gfield gfield--width-full gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_24_7"><label class="gfield_label"
for="input_24_7">Company<span class="gfield_required"><span class="gfield_required gfield_required_text">(Required)</span></span></label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_7" id="input_24_7" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="Company *" aria-required="true" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_24_8" class="gfield gfield--width-full gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_24_8"><label class="gfield_label" for="input_24_8">Lab
Industry<span class="gfield_required"><span class="gfield_required gfield_required_text">(Required)</span></span></label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_8" id="input_24_8" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="Lab Industry *" aria-required="true" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_24_9" class="gfield gfield--width-full gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_24_9"><label class="gfield_label"
for="input_24_9">Country<span class="gfield_required"><span class="gfield_required gfield_required_text">(Required)</span></span></label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_9" id="input_24_9" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="Country *" aria-required="true" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_24_10" class="gfield gfield--width-full field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_24_10"><label class="gfield_label" for="input_24_10">City</label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_10" id="input_24_10" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="City" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_24_11" class="gfield gfield--width-full field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_24_11"><label class="gfield_label" for="input_24_11">State</label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_11" id="input_24_11" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="State" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_24_12" class="gfield gfield--width-full field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_24_12"><label class="gfield_label" for="input_24_12">Phone Number</label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_12" id="input_24_12" type="text" value="" class="large" placeholder="Phone Number" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
<div id="field_24_5" class="gfield gfield--width-full field_sublabel_below field_description_below gfield_visibility_hidden" data-js-reload="field_24_5">
<div class="admin-hidden-markup"><i class="gform-icon gform-icon--hidden"></i><span>Hidden</span></div><label class="gfield_label" for="input_24_5">Library ID</label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_text"><input name="input_5" id="input_24_5" type="text" value="" class="large" aria-invalid="false"> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="gform_footer top_label"> <input type="submit" id="gform_submit_button_24" class="gform_button button" value="Email The PDF" onclick="if(window["gf_submitting_24"]){return false;} window["gf_submitting_24"]=true; "
onkeypress="if( event.keyCode == 13 ){ if(window["gf_submitting_24"]){return false;} window["gf_submitting_24"]=true; jQuery("#gform_24").trigger("submit",[true]); }">
<input type="hidden" class="gform_hidden" name="is_submit_24" value="1">
<input type="hidden" class="gform_hidden" name="gform_submit" value="24">
<input type="hidden" class="gform_hidden" name="gform_unique_id" value="">
<input type="hidden" class="gform_hidden" name="state_24" value="WyJbXSIsIjliNzNmYjg1NzQyMDdmZDk0MzQ0NjVlZjVmMjQ2ZjZmIl0=">
<input type="hidden" class="gform_hidden" name="gform_target_page_number_24" id="gform_target_page_number_24" value="0">
<input type="hidden" class="gform_hidden" name="gform_source_page_number_24" id="gform_source_page_number_24" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="gform_field_values" value="">
</div>
</form>Text Content
1-866-LabLynx (522-5969)
sales@lablynx.com
Join our 2,346,549 community members.
Navigation
* Industries
* Analytical
* Environmental
* Forensics
* Government
* Healthcare
* Life Science
* Manufacturing
* Your Laboratory
* Products
* Industry Solution Suites
* LIMS Apps
* Platforms
* Your Laboratory
* Services
* Community
* Company
* About Us
* Blogs, News, Events
* Careers
* Library
* Support Desk
* Emergency Support
* Pay Invoice
* Contact Us
* Demo & Pricing
* Industries
* Analytical
* Environmental
* Forensics
* Government
* Healthcare
* Life Science
* Manufacturing
* Your Laboratory
* Products
* Industry Solution Suites
* LIMS Apps
* Platforms
* Your Laboratory
* Services
* Community
* Company
* About Us
* Blogs, News, Events
* Careers
* Library
* Support Desk
* Emergency Support
* Pay Invoice
* Contact Us
* Demo & Pricing
LABORATORY INFORMATICS IN THE OIL, GAS, AND CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES
1. Library →
2. Articles →
3. Laboratory Informatics in the Oil, Gas, and Chemical Industries
Author: Joe Liscouski
Date: January 2023
OVERVIEW
When I was younger, we had black and white TV (three channels!) and were told
that oil came from dinosaurs; it said so in the TV commercials. Now we have
color displays and different ideas about where oil comes from (or how much is
left). There are different theories about oil’s origins. The prevailing theory
has oil coming from decaying organic matter at the bottom of ancient seas.1 Some
of that matter could be aquatic animals and maybe a few dinosaurs, but most of
it is plankton. Today we have a lot more information about what happens to that
oil.
INTRODUCTION
In the next few sections, we’re going to look briefly at the petrochemical
industry and the production efforts that are derived from it and then look at
the roles that informatics systems play in research and service lab support
operations, including testing support, quality control, and the
informatics-supported instrumentation of inline process control.
The oil that is pumped out of the ground is the essential starting point for the
industry’s manufacturing and production operations. In 2021, the US consumed
19.78 million barrels per day including about a million barrels of biofuels.2
The major end-use sectors consist of transportation (67.2 percent of that
production), industrial (26.9 percent), residential (2.8 percent), commercial
(2.5 percent), and electric power (0.5 percent). That production found its way
into:
* Fuels for internal combustion engines, jet engines, heating systems, etc.;
* Feedstock for chemical products including plastics, medicines, coatings,
etc.;
* Parts for vehicles including tires, car seats, bumpers, the plastics used in
the interior/exterior as well as fuels and lubricants;
* Construction materials such as roofing, sealants, plastics (including coating
for trim and window components), tools, wiring insulation, plumbing, etc.;
* Accessories such as smartphones, jewelry, and eyeglass frames;
* Textiles that are used in clothing and other applications;
* Household and medical applications such as appliances, hospital beds, combs,
toothbrushes, and cosmetics;
* Electronics containing large amounts of plastic in their equipment housing
and components (particularly in printers); and
* Toys, office accessories, agricultural applications, and more.
In short, the petrochemical industry affects almost every aspect of our lives
and civilization to the point where a major concern is what to do with these
materials once they’ve satisfied their initial usage. Recycling used products is
a growing problem that is being attacked on a number of fronts. What I’d like to
highlight here is the work done on recycling used oil. This is important in this
discussion because it opens another avenue for lab operations to participate in
this industry.
Used oil isn’t “bad oil” or “used-up oil”, but rather dirty oil that can be
recycled and repurposed if it is cleaned up.3 During its use, lubricating oils
(e.g., engine oil) can pick up dirt and metal shaving that over time can cause
deterioration of the structure of the oil, but if removed, can create new
products such as biodiesel fuels, lubricants, and feedstock into chemical
production. Both research and service laboratories are needed to develop these
new products, develop new methods of recycling oils, and analyze the resulting
materials for the characteristics needed in those next stages of production.
Throughout this set of industries, we find oil and gas laboratory applications
distributed across three phases: the initial product and feedstock production,
the conversion of the feedstock to products, and the recycling of used products
to new sources of raw materials. The efficient and thorough utilization of these
materials is important not only for the health of the basic industries that
depend on them, but also because the supply/demand relationships become
significant geopolitical factors in worldwide economics and policy decisions
concerning international relationships and climate change.
The processes used in facilities to convert feedstock materials to products are
examples of continuous production methods. They run 24 hours a day, seven days a
week, and they rarely shut down. In most cases changes in product
characteristics (e.g., a different product being produced), are accomplished by
a gradual change over in production conditions and materials with the
intermediate materials sold as scrap. This avoids a potentially costly
production shutdown, which later requires that the production system be cleaned,
inspected, and then restarted. The costs of a shutdown can be measured in lost
production time, and the resources required for cleaning. Restarting a process
can also take time since the production system has to come up to a stable
operating condition before it is producing a product that meets the
specifications for that material.
LABORATORY OPERATIONS
Throughout the production process, one type of service laboratory will play a
significant and potentially changing role in making sure that the operations are
running smoothly and that any abnormalities are flagged: the quality control
(QC) lab. The details of a service lab’s operations will be covered below. In
addition to QC, service labs provide support by performing analytical chemistry
analysis, physical properties measurements, and materials characterization
evaluations. These support both production and research operations. Before we
examine their roles, we’ll look at QC’s four main functions in oil and gas
production operations (Figure 1).
As Figure 1 denotes, the production process samples would be taken at set points
during the process and prior to production output. These points, designed in the
system during its planning, are there to provide a measurement of the process’s
health so that potential issues can be detected and corrected early and avoid
the creation of scrap materials. Depending on the nature of the process, these
sampling points can be of two types: places where physical samples can be taken,
and at the instrumentation to measure key aspects of the process. Physical
samples are taken back to the QC lab for evaluation. In-line instrumentation can
either take continuous samples (e.g., spectrophotometric) or periodic samples
such as those taken by automated process chromatographs.
Before the advent of instrument data systems (IDS) to collect and analyze
instrument output, in-line instrumentation was the responsibility of the QC lab,
whose tasks included making calibration checks, developing a calibration chart
for the device, and performing the measurements and calculations needed for each
instrument. Now that we have computers to automatically carry out the analysis
needed for each instrument, the QC task list might be reduced to instrument
maintenance and calibration checks with the computer taking on the routine data
analysis and sending the results directly to process control.
Automation is changing the role of the QC lab and the specialists within it.
Some tasks —particularly physical properties measurements, and the evaluation of
the finished product — may always remain a human effort due to the difficulty in
automating them. However, automation is going to reduce the workload of the
quality control lab; an organization whose role may evolve over time.
In addition to QC labs, the oil, gas, and chemicals industries utilize the
capabilities of research labs and other service lab organizations. Those service
labs include:
* Analytical chemistry groups that perform testing in support of research and
test method development (some of which are used in QC labs) and conduct both
routine and non-routine testing and analysis.
* Physical properties groups which are similar to analytical chemistry groups
but focus on the physical properties of materials (e.g., color, viscosity,
density, etc.), depending upon the process and products.
* The materials characterization group, which follows the same activities noted
in the other groups, but with an emphasis on examining the rheological
characteristics of fluids, molecular weight distribution, thermal analysis
(e.g., differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis), etc.
While some of these laboratories may develop their own test procedures, many
others rely on organizations such as the ASTM International4, the American
Petroleum Institute (API) and other trade associations for standardized
procedures. They also conduct testing to meet environmental regulations provided
by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Research groups are often tasked with developing new products, improving
existing products, or improving/optimizing the production process to achieve
better economics, meet environmental regulations, or improve product
characteristics.
LABORATORY ACCREDITATION
The laboratories in these industries need to be accredited to the ISO 170255
standard (designed to demonstrate technical competence for analytical results as
well as the lab’s management structure) and any relevant industry regulations
that cover their production operations. Most are governed by the International
Organization for Standardization’s ISO 9000 family of regulations, but they may
also fall under the purview of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Food
and Drug Administration (FDA), and trade group requirements. The Bureau of Land
Management (US Department of the Interior) may also impose accreditation
requirements as part of its inspection and enforcement efforts for oil well
sites on federal and Indian land.6 Finally, oil and gas labs may also seek
certification by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA).7
The A2LA is the largest independent accreditation organization in the world and
operates as a non-profit organization.
INFORMATICS IN LABORATORY WORK
RESEARCH
Research and product development projects in the oil and gas industry will vary
widely in complexity. However, regardless of the nature of the research, there
are elements that are common to most research projects, including:
* Project description, including the entire program or a subset of the
activities;
* Planning;
* Development and experimentation;
* Data and observation analysis;
* Results communication and sharing; and
* Preparation of documentation, reports, patent filings, etc.
Some research work could benefit from laboratory informatics systems. These are
data collection, and database systems that act as data
aggregators/concentrators, taking data and information from instruments and
observations, and then organizing them to be more easily used thus increasing
their value to the organization.
The use of laboratory informatics in research can:
* Improve communications by giving more people easier access to the data they
need to make decisions — making data sharing easier and more effective since
it can be placed in a common format — while enabling security controls to
prevent unauthorized people from accessing confidential information;
* Help coordinate the work of different research groups;
* Give better insight into the lab’s data and information;
* Improve the economics and efficiency of research programs;
* Provide better control with increased security over the lab’s data; and
* Allow for better decision-making about the direction of research programs.
There are four tiers of laboratory informatics that can be used in that process.
The informatics systems among those tiers (Table 1) include electronic
laboratory notebooks (ELNs), laboratory information management systems (LIMS),
scientific data management systems (SDMS), laboratory execution systems (LES),
and IDSs.
The most likely tools used in research are those in Tier 1; ELNs are used to
record the details of projects and their development, and LIMS is used to record
the results of testing which may be part of the research lab or sent to a
third-party service lab for test work. (Service labs can also provide a quality
control function where needed.) Large projects can benefit from cloud-based
systems to share data between geographically dispersed facilities.
SERVICE LAB OPERATIONS
Material testing is an essential part of product development and research, as
well as production in the form of quality control. That testing can be
extensive, as can be the record-keeping and management of testing programs.
Fortunately, such work can be done more easily with the aid of a LIMS.
LIMS has three functions that help support oil and gas laboratory testing:
1. Workflow management – What work is coming in? What has to be done? What are
the priorities? What results have to be approved and released? These are
routine questions that occur in any production operation and testing labs
are a prime example. These and related questions to lab operations are
addressed by a LIMS. As part of its operations management samples can be
logged in at the lab or remotely (and then identified as “in the lab” when
they arrive). This makes it easier to keep track of work that is coming in
and plan each day’s testing schedules.
2. Results management and data logging/capture – LIMS provides a complete
database for capturing and organizing samples and test results. Results can
be entered manually, or for more efficiency via electronic data/information
transfer from instruments and IDSs. Most major IDSs have programming
interfaces that permit downloading of work that has to be done through the
IDS, and then upon completion permit sending the sample ID’s and results
back to the LIMS. This avoids manual data entry, greatly improves
productivity, and provides a basis for 24/7 operations.
3. Regulatory support – This is an important aspect of a LIMS’ capabilities. It
provides traceability for data; if results are challenged, the lab can
respond to it by looking at the data history (including audit trails), who
carried out the analysis, and who approved the results. The lab can also see
what equipment was used and verify its readiness for use. This becomes
important when labs have multiple responsibilities, for example to the EPA
as well as corporate management.
While a LIMS provides facilities for data collection and organization, it also
has functionality that can be used to improve communications between testing
labs and those submitting work to the lab. This is particularly important in the
QC lab, where communication between that lab and process control is critical.
For example,
* Process control has to be kept updated on the status of testing and results
so that it can make real-time decisions about the state of the production
process and any anomalies that might occur. The LIMS may have a direct
interface with process control and production management systems including
enterprise resource planning (ERP), manufacturing execution systems (MES),
product lifecycle management (PLM), and batch records systems.
* The receiving department needs to make QC aware that new raw materials have
arrived and have to be evaluated. Once that is done, QC has to notify
receiving and production that the material is certified as ready-to-use.
* The QC lab has to notify the shipping department that materials are either
ready to ship to customers or, that some aren’t suitable for dispersal and
have to either be reworked (if possible) or sold as scrap.
IN CLOSING …
Modern laboratory informatics systems are essential to the efficient operations
of both oil and gas production facilities and related research work. In
research, ELNs can manage the progress of research projects with LIMS providing
support for extensive routine testing programs. In service lab operations the
dominant system will be the LIMS; however, in groups that carry out test method
development projects, an ELN may play a supporting role. An SDMS will provide
support for research and service labs supporting research by providing a means
of organizing large data files and documents. And IDSs support both research and
service lab operations, streamlining the process of data generation, collection,
analysis, storage, and reporting.
With all of this data and information being produced, it is incumbent upon the
oil and gas labs and their IT support to provide reliable and regular systems
backup and data management so that important current and historical data is not
only securely retained, but is easily accessible/recoverable as needed. This
data will be necessary to support regulatory compliance and legal challenges if
products are found to be suspect in customer applications.
With a well-designed laboratory informatics architecture and attention paid to
technology management and planning, a laboratory informatics system can provide
a solid basis of support for a petrochemical organization’s research,
production, regulatory, and customer support needs.
REFERENCES
1 https://www.howden.com/en-us/articles/pcog/where-does-crude-oil-come-from and
https://www.thoughtco.com/oil-comes-from-dinosaurs-fact-or-fiction-3980636
2 https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/use-of-oil.php
3 https://www.epa.gov/recycle/managing-reusing-and-recycling-used-oil
4 https://www.astm.org
5 https://17025store.com/iso-17025-standards/what-is-iso-17025/
6
https://www.blm.gov/programs/energy-and-minerals/oil-and-gas/inspection-and-enforcement
7 https://a2la.org/about/
Share this Post
COMPLETE FORM TO DOWNLOAD
Email THE PDF
CONTACT US
"*" indicates required fields
First Name*
Last Name*
Email*
Phone*
Job Title
Company*
Lab Industry*
Country*
City*
State
I am interested in:*
Subscribing to Email Updates
Receiving More Information From Sales via Email
Connecting with a LabLynx Team Member
Scheduling a Demo
How can we help?
Hidden
Source URL
Hidden
Lifecycle Stage New
Hidden
Lead Attribution
Hidden
Post Type
CAPTCHA
Email
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
TAKE YOUR NEXT STEPS
READY TO MAKE A REAL CHANGE?
GET STARTED WITH YOUR IDEAL LIMS!
Get Started Now
Contact
P: 1-866-LabLynx (522-5969)
F: 877-432-4129
E: info@lablynx.com
Physical Address
2400 Lake Park Drive
Suite 435
Smyrna, GA 30080
LabLynx LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) © 2023.
All Rights Reserved by LabLynx, Inc.
Terms of Use | Privacy Statement
Email(Required)
First Name(Required)
Last Name(Required)
Company(Required)
Lab Industry(Required)
Country(Required)
City
State
Phone Number
Hidden
Library ID
Notifications