Cindy Kerr 7/19/22 Cindy Kerr 7/19/22

1952-2022: KERR Celebrates 70 YEARS

Kerr Engineered Sales Company employees and family members gathered in West Virginia for a weekend of adventure and remembrance to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the company.

July 14 - 17, 2022: Kerr Engineered Sales Company employees and their family members gathered in West Virginia for a weekend of adventure and remembrance to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the company.

The twenty nine employees and family members enjoyed activities that included hiking, biking, rock climbing, white water rafting, golf, shopping, steam train riding, zip lining, fly fishing and visiting the wild, wonderful sights of West Virginia. In between the adventures, BBQ and beverages, an overarching theme of the weekend was the significance of relationships.

In 1952, Art Kerr, Sr. was fifty six when he resigned from Rockwell Manufacturing, as Vice President of Sales. Instead of retiring on the laurels of a successful career, he founded Kerr Engineered Sales Company. Art’s relationships with T. D. Williamson, Sr. and Don Sillers of Peerless, were significant to the founding of the company to bring key products and services to the oil and gas customers in the region.

Seventy years later, while the names have changed, the strength and significance of relationships remain. In 2022, Kerr’s Principals and distribution partners include T.D. Williamson, Peerless, Bruest, Burgess, Ecotec, ZEVAC, GPT and Blackline Safety.

Highlights of the weekend included honoring the many valued employees, family members and partners who built the company then and who are keeping it strong today. Art’s son Jack joined KERR in 1955. Today, at 91, Jack is Chairman of the Board. His sons David, CEO and Thomas, Vice President, joined in 1987 and 1994. A newspaper, “Through the Years,” with highlights of the history and timeline was shared. It is available to download by clicking on the image.

The weekend was jam packed with adventures and story making. At the evening gatherings, the team recounted the details of flying through the trees on a zip line, gripping granite cliffs with fingers and toes, and being propelled from a raft into turbulent white water rapids.

“The relationships and trust that we hold with our team, our customers and the leadership at our principals remains the foundation of the business through seven decades. We look forward to strengthening the relationships way into the future.”
- David Kerr, CEO Kerr Engineered Sales Company

Cindy Kerr 10/21/21 Cindy Kerr 10/21/21

PHMSA Pipes ACT 2020 - Solutions

PHMSA Pipes ACT 2020 comes into effect Dec 27, 2021. Included within the act are new mandates for PHMSA that require operators to revise all plans to address elimination of hazardous leaks and minimize releases of natural gas. There are proven solutions that the KERR team can help you implement.

The PHMSA Pipes ACT 2020 focus is on eliminating hazardous leaks and emissions reduction and comes into effect on Dec 27, 2021.

What this means for pipeline operators is that they must:

Revise all plans to address elimination of hazardous leaks
Revise all plans to address minimization of releases of natural gas
Revise all plans to address replacement or remediation that are known to leak.

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PHMSA will require that leak detection and repair programs consider the environment, the use of advance lead detection practices and technologies, and for operators to be able to locate and categorize all leaks that are hazardous to human safety, the environment, or can become hazardous. With regards to pending regulations, the new legislation would require PHMSA to publish Part 2 of the Transmission Rule within 90 days, and within 1 year review comments to the recent advance notice for proposed rulemaking on Class Location Changes. ”

— PHMSA Pipes Act 2020

2022 Inspection Cycle

full PHMSA pipes ACT

PHMSA has indicated that the 2022 inspection cycle will contain questions related to compliance with the PIPES ACT requirements in Sect 114.

Emissions Reduction Specifics

Gas pipeline operators are required to eliminate hazardous leaks and minimize gas methane releases both planned and fugitive. Operators should evaluate the entirety of their program to ensure the minimization of methane releases.

Solutions for Reducing Emissions

ZEVAC® = Zero Emission Vacuum and Compressor. This revolutionary, patented technology uses compressed air to reduce emissions. Ideal for planned emissions, it is a pneumatic powered vacuum on one side that suctions methane from any pipe/vessel that needs to be de-pressurized. The other side the ZEVAC unit compresses the gas back up to pipeline pressure so it can be discharged to a nearby transmission, distribution pipe.

ZEVAC uses compressed air to draw the pressure down on a section of the pipe and capture natural gas to be re-compressed into an adjacent pipeline.

Bruest Catalytic Heaters are catalytic converters that convert hydrocarbon such as Methane, Propane, and Butane to carbon dioxide and water vapor. Bruest takes advantage of the fact that the conversion process also generates infrared heat to safely heat up natural gas instruments such as valves, regulators, instrument gas and cold temperature sensitive devices.

The catalytic heater panels convert the fuel gas to CO2, water vapor, and infrared heat with virtually no NOx in the process. Bruest also uses Catalytic Heaters to reduce methane emissions in the Fugitive Emission Digester. This unit uses a catalytic heater pad to catalyze methane from instrumentation that would usually bleed to atmosphere.

Bruest HOTCAT heaters upgrade performance with reduced emissions.

GPT Seal ability is key.

The VCS-ID gasket constructed of GRE and a 316SS, has a PTFE inside diameter (ID) it immediately seals the pipe bore preventing media from getting to the GRE. The EVOLUTION gasket eliminates GRE totally, it benefits from the addition of the PTFE ID giving unparalleled sealing tightness performance, ideal for emission reduction in pipeline connections.

The GPT Monolithic Isolation Joints (MIJ) for below ground pipe applications gives a positive, leak proof block against the flow of electrical current in the piping system. MIJs offer an alternative to buried flanges and are maintenance-free and long lasting block against the flow of electric current in all piping systems. MIJs eliminates the risk of failure due to improper field assembly of traditional flange components by providing a complete coated isolation system that simply requires two butt welds on either end of the joint for installation.

PIPES Act 2020 - Leak Specifics

Leak mitigation should be reviewed to ensure leaks are repaired as soon as possible and operators should consider increased leak detection patrols.

For liquid pipeline operators, the primary focus will be on the elimination of hazardous leaks through a comprehensive review of their lines.

Operators need to ensure their repair criteria is sufficient to prevent future leaks e.g. replacement versus sleeve. They need to determine segments of line that need to be remediated or repaired.

KERR Solutions for Leak Detection

Gazomat - Using optical technologies, GAZOMAT detection equipment covers the entire field detection process, including high-speed inspection by car, leak detection on-foot, leak location and quantification, coupled with the newest data processing and GPS mapping tools.

KERR SOLUTIONS FOR LEAK REPAIR AND EMISSION REDUCTION

TDW STOPPLE® isolates a section of line for repairs while maintaining gas supply.

TDW - Hot tapping, STOPPLE®, SHORTSTOPP® and plugging teams use world class technology to create safe work zones for pressurized pipeline maintenance, modification and repair. Strategic use of a STOPPLE® or SHORTSTOPP® plugging device can effectively reduce the overall amount of gas to be blown or drawn down. This is done by isolating a much smaller section of line vs. blowing down a large section between two valves.

TDW in-line inspection (ILI) technologies are fully engineered to provide comprehensive threat assessment and to detect cracks and crack-like anomalies, corrosion and metal loss, dents and interacting threats.

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Kerr Engineered Sales Company has represented leading pipeline repair and performance companies in Eastern US since it was founded by Art Kerr, Sr in 1952. They have been serving the industry for over 69 years with knowledge and expertise in natural gas, pipeline, industrial, water and power industries. From gas compressors or pipeline pigs to complex, fully integrated systems, Kerr delivers an exceptional level of expertise and service.

Cindy Kerr 4/14/21 Cindy Kerr 4/14/21

Unsung Heroes - Natural Gas Operator Reducing Emissions

Instead of portrayed as a hindrance to climate change, forward thinking gas companies are fulfilling the role of enablers in the transition to renewables. In the Northeast, we see a strong commitment to reducing carbon emission from companies we work with in maintaining and enhancing pipeline safety and performance.

David Kerr, President and CEO, Kerr Engineered Sales

KERR Engineered Sales has supported this gas utility compressor station since the 1950’s.

Regardless of the way that natural gas is positioned in today’s news, the clean burning energy source remains a critical staple that meets a large share of electricity demand. Natural gas is absolutely fundamental for manufacturing in combined heat and power systems, as a raw material to produce chemicals, fertilizer, pharmaceuticals, plastics and more. It is clean, affordable and a vital source for heating and power generation throughout the US.

Instead of portrayed as a hindrance to climate change, forward thinking gas companies are fulfilling the role of enablers in the transition to renewables.

Behind the scenes, not in the headlines, pipeline performance commitments are fulfilled every day-by-day by utilities to ensure optimal performance, sustainability, and most of all safety.

“Natural gas is the "great enabler" for the energy transition because it is a reliable source of power that can backstop renewables. Gas is "low-cost, abundant, it's important in reducing the utilization of coal, and equally important in fostering renewables. You've got to be able to create baseload capability, and it addresses the enormous intermittency challenges."
- Al Monaco, CEO Enbridge Inc.

Yes, energy utilities and distributors are tackling the environmental and sustainability challenges at different paces. Some are already in transition and others are deep in planning and strategy. In the Northeast, we see a strong and steady commitment to reducing carbon emission in maintaining and enhancing pipeline safety and performance.

At a compressor station in rural Ohio, KERR Engineered Sales has supported a utility company for decades in improving performance and reducing emissions with upgraded equipment and process.

Compressor stations are a critical part of natural gas pipeline systems. Over 1,700 of these facilities aid the transportation process of natural gas from one location to another across the US. As gas flows through a pipe, friction and turbulence naturally slow it down. While natural gas is transported through a pipeline, it needs to be periodically pressurized at intervals. By compressing the gas, these facilities “boost” pressure in the pipeline and help move the gas long distances, or move it into underground storage facilities.

While adding more compressors to the station, the company upgraded the technology to stop using an inefficient water bath boiler unit that had high emissions. A BRUEST HOTCAT was installed to supply warm natural gas for the engines. The heater has zero emissions which allows the company to upgrade the performance while reducing emissions.

Bruest HOTCAT heaters upgrade performance with zero emissions.

The TDW STOPPLE ® procedure was used a few years prior to replace a leaking valve. The STOPPLE® allowed the company to isolate a small section of line to replace the valve. When leaky valves are replaced, emissions and gas leaks are prevented. By using bypasses along with a STOPPLE® application, customers have uninterrupted gas supply while the maintenance operation is being carried out.The TDW STOPPLE ® procedure eliminates the need to “blow down” a pipeline to carry out repairs.

Pipeline pressure has to be relieved in a natural gas pipeline for maintenance, testing and inspections. The company purchased an emissions reduction innovation developed by TPE Midstream. ZEVAC, (Zero Emissions Vacuum and Compressor. Instead of using a traditional “blowdown” method which releases gas from a pipeline to the atmosphere, ZEVAC uses compressed air to draw the pressure down on a section of the pipe and capture the natural gas so it can be re-compressed into an adjacent pipeline.

At the same compressor station, TDW pigs were used to clean a section of the pipeline. This included upgrading to a safer and more efficient closure, the TDW D2000, which was retrofitted onto the pig trap by cutting off the old threaded closures. KERR assisted with pig runs and In line Inspections (ILI.) ILI ensures that a pipeline is performing, identifies anomalies and measures the integrity of the pipeline.
These projects represent day-to-day pipeline performance commitments that utilities do every day to ensure optimal performance, sustainability, and most of all safety.

The TDW D2000 Quick-Actuating Closure is the most trusted in the industry

Gas utilities, like one in the northeast we’ve supported since the 1950’s, are delivering on initiatives to reduce emissions, while ensuring that consumers have a steady supply of clean natural gas. Gas flows in and out of pipelines that are monitored and maintained every hour of every day by unsung heroes who follow rigorous maintenance, safety and emissions compliance.

Kerr Engineered Sales Company has represented leading pipeline repair and performance companies in Eastern US since it was founded by Art Kerr, Sr in 1952. David Kerr is the President and CEO. He is a past Chairman of the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable and holds memberships with Ohio Gas Association, The Energy Association of Pennsylvania, and the Guild of Ancient Supplers.

1952-2022: KERR Celebrates 70 YEARS