The Gas Compressor Association’s (GCA) 26th Annual GCA Expo and Conference will take place as an in-person event August 17-20, 2021, in Galveston, Texas.
GCA is a professional trade organization dedicated to products and services for the natural gas compression market, representing compressor packaging and compressor rental, lease, and service companies. Its members include compressor, driver, cooler, and control panel manufacturers, packagers, and rental fleet owners.
Educational sessions planned for the 26th Annual GCA Expo and Conference include:
- The Compressor Application: Settings vs Setup
- Communicating Across Generations
- Building a Culture That Lasts
- Maximizing Existing Tools to Minimize Risk During High-Hazard Tasks
- Torsional Vibration “The Silent Killer”
- Key Factors for a Successful IoT Implementation in Natural Gas Compression
Wednesday’s keynote speaker is W. Norm Shade, Sr. Consultant and President-Emeritus of ACI Services Inc., a manufacturer of custom-engineered reciprocating gas compressor products. He has almost 50 years of gas compression experience. Prior to joining ACI, Shade spent 32 years with Cooper Energy Services and Cooper Cameron Corporation in design and development positions involving reciprocating and centrifugal gas compressors, reciprocating engines, and gas turbines, as well as management positions that included Director of Engineering, General Manager and Vice-President. In 2003, he started WiNS Consulting Services Inc., a consulting company that continues to provide market research and technical services for the oil and gas industry.
He has authored more than 450 published technical papers and articles related to the gas compression industry. His monthly column, “What Went Wrong,” appears in Gas Compression Magazine. He has taught numerous short courses on gas compression, holds several patents, and has been actively involved in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Gas Machinery Research Council (GMRC), the Gas Compressor Association (GCA), the American Petroleum Institute (API), the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) for many years. His latest book, Gas Compression: A Primer On Compression Equipment & Technology, was developed with a special focus toward heavy industrial compressors used in the oil and natural gas industry. This 300+ page gas compression textbook is available from Third Coast Publishing Group.
Wednesday’s keynote address will discuss real-world equipment failure scenarios and what could have been done to prevent downtime.
Thursday’s keynote speaker is Brad Livingston of Safety Difference. After being employed by a natural gas pipeline company for 10 years, Brad was involved in a potentially life-ending incident on the job that was 100% preventable. During his presentation, you will hear words like perspective, attitude, short-cut, pride, and complacency. You will learn how each of these played a role in the actions that led to his injuries, and how those injuries have affected every day of the rest of his life. Today, Brad travels the country as a professional speaker sharing his story on the importance of workplace safety.
For more information and to register for the 26th Annual GCA Expo and Conference, visit https://www.gascompressor.org/meetings
