The following chart and map shows the standards this company has followed since 2010 with regards to winterization of its midstream and downstream assets, directing supervisors when to begin winterization activities at their facilities based on whether the facilities are located in Zone 1, 2 or 3.

The standard requires local asset supervisors to:

• Identify equipment and assets in their areas which are susceptible to cold weather damage or operational impairment
• Ensure winterization schedules are maintained
• Assign winterization tasks to the appropriate personnel / contractors

Winterization includes the following common tasks:

• Cleaning and lubricating with temperature appropriate grease or oil
• Draining any standing water
• Checking for moisture accumulation in gear boxes and other enclosed components and draining if necessary
• Draining cooling systems and refilling with antifreeze when appropriate
• Installing plugs to drain lines and filling with antifreeze when appropriate

Winterization list for the terminal:

• Insulate all water piping to the buildings
• Verify that heat tracing on all bio diesel piping is in good working condition
• Ensure heaters in all 3 foam buildings are operational
• If the weather forecast shows freezing temps for several days, tarp potable water pump to the admin building
• Installed freeze protection valves on some of the firewater monitors – these ¾” valves open when the temperature drops below 35°F and close when the temperature increases to 40°F
• A few lessons learned from Uri that will be added to the check list this year:
  • Need Kerosene heaters on standby to defrost C5+ VCU burner tips
  • Insulate and tarp natural gas feed regulators and piping to the terminal

Other Details:

• Each site has specific tasks that must be carried out for that site. The list of tasks are exhaustive for each site, and include photographic guides for each task.
• Water is often the problem, so procedures ensure that all water within systems is removed.  Systems are equipped to trap water for removal.
• The appropriate lubricants and antifreeze agents are prescribed for each piece of equipment.

Visual examples of winterization tasks:

Example 2
The following details an upstream operator’s winterization protocols for each season.
Winterization efforts start in October, prior to the onset of winter weather in each operating area, typically in October.
Winterization strategies vary by operating area and individual well site; there is no one-size-fits all solution:

• Considerations include local weather patterns and individual site layout/orientation to minimize freezing

Winterization strategies may include:

• Infra-red imaging to identify temperature drops
• Insulation on high-risk equipment
• Compressor shelters
• Methanol injection at critical points to prevent freezing
• Additional crew shifts at key locations

Other details:

• Environment Health and Safety focus – the safety of our staff and the environment come first
• Utilize a continuous improvement model – every event presents an opportunity to learn and improve

Texas Winterization Efforts:

Winterization Efforts – Onsite Examples

Example 3
The following compressor winterization checklist was created and is used by an upstream operator in the Permian Basin.

Example 4
The following outlines winterization preparations and business continuity plans undertaken by an upstream operator.

With oil and natural gas exploration and production activities across the United States, [this operator] is no stranger to preparing our operations to run efficiently in cold weather. Each year from South Texas to North Dakota, our skilled teams prepare for freezing temperatures, sleet and snow and continue to deliver our piece of the energy supply chain.

By maintaining detailed business continuity plans we can protect our dedicated workforce and continue critical business functions during unexpected events, including a public health event such as a pandemic or a natural disaster.

Here are a few proactive measures we’ve taken to prepare for freezing temperatures in our Eagle Ford assets in South Texas:

• As part of our extensive digitalization strategy, our operations are monitored remotely and in real time through our SCADA network, which allows our field teams and control center to monitor equipment and well performance. Along with SCADA, we leverage Field Service Management, a powerful digital technology that allows us to prioritize, schedule and dispatch field resources to our sites. We also utilize Smart Alerts to detect operating abnormalities and automatically communicate those alerts back to our operating teams. A few examples of field abnormalities from a winterization perspective are declining battery voltage, decreasing gas temperature alerts, low methanol tank levels, etc.

• Every year we proactively evaluate our locations for the installation of line heaters – mobile units designed to protect our natural gas systems against freezing – and start deploying these units to key sites in September before temperatures dip. We focus this equipment on our highest impact wells to maximize their impact in maintaining our production levels. We have approximately 125 units operational throughout the field.
• At our larger facilities, we have backup power generation to keep key equipment online during power interruptions.
• We proactively perform preventative maintenance on major equipment ahead of the winter months to help prevent facility malfunctions during cold weather events.

Additionally, when faced with forecasted significant winter events, our team initiates a weatherization action plan, which consists of:

• Reviewing our field staffing levels, schedules and securing local hotel space to ensure we have coverage and are able to keep our teams local to minimize travel while maintaining a focus on employee safety and improving response time.
• Proactively draining surface lines to remove accumulated water or condensate to prevent freezing or ice plugs.
• Proactively fueling generators and charging batteries for control systems and communications tools.
• Injecting methanol into the natural gas stream as temperatures drop. Methanol is commonly used to reduce freezing in oil and gas production and transportation operations. We have over 700 pumps installed at most of our locations that are capable of being used to inject methanol to minimize freezing issues.

As critical infrastructure providers, [company] takes very seriously our mandate to maintain an uninterrupted supply of much-needed affordable energy. Our powerful combination of skilled and dedicated teams, early preparation and the best digital technology allow us to deliver affordable, reliable and responsible energy no matter the weather conditions.