How the operator roundtable benefits oqsg customers
Serving as a training and compliance solution for more than 120 midstream oil and gas operators, OQSG understands the importance of consistently delivering new, more efficient solutions to their customers.
“The OQSG program is always improving to better meet the needs of our customers,” said Paul Williams, Director of Business Development & Compliance at OQSG. “Those improvements can be updated courses, changes in procedures, new software features, and more efficient ways to satisfy regulatory requirements.”
Despite the continuous advances in OQSG resources and training solutions, the company faced a challenge. Although attempts to keep operators up-to-date with these changes were made through phone calls and email outreach, many operators remained unaware of the solutions that existed.
OQSG needed to develop a more robust solution to meet the needs of their pipeline operator customers. That solution came in the form of the Operator Roundtable.
What is the Operator Roundtable?
The Operator Roundtable is an event designed to improve the flow of information between OQSG and their customers and discuss program enhancements, best practices, and industry changes.
Beginning in 2018, the event is hosted at least once per year. Due to travel restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 and 2020 Roundtables were virtual. Before that, the event was held in locations across Texas and Louisiana.
The May 2021 virtual event hosted the largest group of attendees to date, with more than 25 operators in attendance. Participating companies included Chevron Pipe Line Company, Colonial Pipeline, ExxonMobil, Kinder Morgan, and Shell Pipeline Company.
The event allows operators to share questions and concerns about regulatory changes, and for OQSG to explain how they can support their customers throughout these changes.
“One recent challenge that operators are facing is increased scrutiny during audits,” said Williams. “Inspectors want to see more evidence that operator programs are thorough and that they are being implemented as written. As a result, operators have to present more documentation during audits. The roundtable meeting provides an opportunity to share new effective solutions to these kinds of challenges.”
Continuous Improvement with Operators Top of Mind
OQSG continues to improve the Operator Roundtable each year based on feedback. Overall, customers have expressed satisfaction with the event.
“We’ve been told that the Operator Roundtable is a great forum to openly share information with other compliance representatives, that it is an opportunity to learn about operator-specific OQ solutions, that it is a great opportunity to participate in the development of OQSG content, and that they did not know so much was available from OQSG,” said Williams.
OQSG operators have also shared positive feedback.
“The updated course materials benefit both the Operators and Contractors. I really like the Evaluator Recertification course. The review of Pinion Course Builder was very intuitive. Looking forward to the next meeting.”
-Lee Heppner of Kinder Morgan
What’s next? OQSG continues to keep their customers top of mind as they plan future Operator Roundtables. The company currently plans to host two events per year unless special circumstances require planning an extra session. The next Operator Roundtable is planned for October 2021.
“We’ve developed some good business relationships over the years, and that has led to the implementation of very effective solutions for our customers,” said Williams. “We really enjoy working with those individuals to design, implement, and manage their compliance programs.”