StocExpo grows in stature

By David Sear


In late March 2011, the seventh edition of the Storage Terminal Operators’ Conference & Exhibition (StocExpo) took place in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Combining a high profile conference plus a wide-ranging exhibition, the show has a track record of successfully bringing together terminal owners and operators from major oil and chemical companies as well as the independent sector.
As might be expected, the show is widely supported by the major refining hubs in Rotterdam and Antwerp. However, its appeal is much more international. As this reporter can testify, walk the aisles and you can hear a multitude of languages spoken, from French to Finnish and everything in-between.
Visitors could see exhibitors covering all areas of the sector, such as actuators, loading arms, terminal automation, vapour recovery systems, tank gauging, roofs and domes, leak detection, tank inspection, metering, fire equipment, etc etc.
For readers of Valve World, we set out to quiz some of the companies offering flow control solutions to the sector. Despite the fact that our visit was unannounced, many standholders were willing to stand in front of the camera and answer pertinent (and some impertinent!) questions.
We were also pleased to interview the show’s organizer, Peter Patterson, who gave his thoughts on the future of the industry. He also revealed that next installment of the StocExpo is scheduled for 13-15 March 2012, also in Rotterdam. For info: www.stocexpo.com
Speaking Russian
Marc Goos, Business Development Director, Belven, discusses the recent alliance between Belven and FNC, explains why the company has developed an extension for ball valves and also confirms why he is learning to speak some Russian!
www.belven.com
Industry trends
With 35 years’ experience, Fred Turco (President, Turco Valve Supply) can rightly be described as someone with a deep and thorough understanding of the trends in the industry. In this interview, he discusses standards, fugitive emissions, and the requirement for double sealing.
www.turcovalvesupply.com
Mid-term goals
Bernard may be a relative newcomer to the sector, but it has already gained a strong foothold in the oil and gas business, confirms Business Manager Henri-Pierre Jung. Actuator buyers appreciate features such as safety, reliability and user friendliness, he believes. Mr Jung concludes by revealing Bernard’s mid-term goals for oil and gas sales.
www.bernardcontrols.com
Impressive growth
With the party spirit well underway, the StocExpo Managing Director Peter Patterson found a few moments to reflect on the show’s impressive growth. Already very international, the 2011 event drew exhibitors from 30 countries and visitors from around the globe. Noting the investments planned or underway in the tank terminal sector, Peter looks forward to the next event, in 2012 as well as sister shows in Calgary and Malaysia.
www.stocexpo.com
Modular benefits
Having first developed actuators for power and water applications, Auma later turned its attention to the oil and gas industry, confirms Area Sales Manager Wolfgang Ranft. He explains the benefits of Auma’s modular system and indicates why heating systems are also available. Auma’s target is simple, he says, to make the best actuators in the world.
www.auma.com
Global outlook
Regional Sales Manager Shirley Nelson first explains why OCV is committed to manufacturing its control valves within the USA before discussing changes in the industry such as digitalization. She confirms that OCV has a controller available that can fulfil some of the functions of a meter and concludes by looking at the company’s global presence.
www.controlvalves.com
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