American Petrochemical & Fuel Manufacturers Pres. Charles T. Drevna made his primary 2013 New Year—s resolution early, and quickly started to keep it.
AFPM has decided to increase its public education effort and explain "how we should be part of the solution instead of perceived economic problems," he told OGJ on Jan. 3.
Oil and gas producers have been aggressive in explaining how the dramatically improved US resource outlook can make a major contribution to the nation—s still-sluggish economic recovery, Drevna said. It—s past time for refiners and petrochemical manufacturers to start doing the same, he maintained.
"We need to expand beyond the oil patch," he explained. "Although we don—t have a refinery or petchem facility in every state, consumers there use our members— products. Changing our name [from the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association] was an initial step in showing we—re manufacturers today. All manufacturing starts with energy."
With that in mind, AFPM planned to hold its first Manufacturing Renaissance conference Jan. 10 in Pittsburgh. Hosted by Carnegie Mellon University—s new Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, the day-long event aimed to focus on manufacturing—s return to the US as a result of increased shale energy development, and the further possible manufacturing growth as a result.
CMU launched the Scott Institute in September with a gift from Sherman Scott, who founded offshore oil and gas mooring systems company Delmar Systems Inc. in 1968, and his wife, Joyce Bowie Scott. It will support teams of CMU engineers, scientists, economists, architects, policy specialists, and others as they tackle a range of energy and environmental issues, the university said.
Scheduled speakers
The Jan. 10 conference speakers lineup included Gary Adams, the former president of Chemical Market Analysis Inc. who now is a chief advisor to IHS Chemical; Bruce Macklin, senior vice-president of global operations at ExxonMobil Chemical Co., and Beth Dryden Bosley, managing director of Boron Specialties Inc.
US Reps. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) and Tom Reed (R-NY), co-chairmen of the House Marcellus Caucus, and caucus member Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) also were expected. Murphy was sworn in as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee—s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on Jan. 4.
"Carnegie Mellon is very interested in what the Marcellus-Utica shales— natural gas liquids-rich properties can do for that entire region—s manufacturing base," Drevna said. "The infrastructure, education, and urban structure to support its growth is already there."
AFPM hopes to do similar conferences along the Gulf Coast and, possibly, in Washington, DC, he added. "With so much domestic oil and gas potential, it—s time to show what potentially could happen south of the cracker," Drevna said.
