Lamar University’s Center for Midstream Management and Science has joined the International Pipe Line & Offshore Contractors Association, the only university in the United States to do so.
Lamar joins the ranks of three other universities: Gubkin University in Russia, Ghent University in Belgium and Cranfield University in the UK.
IPLOCA is a not-for-profit association whose mission is to share ideas, engage the industry and its stakeholders, facilitate business opportunities and promote the highest standards in the pipeline industry, according to a press release.
Each of the four member universities focuses on issues facing the pipeline industry with a unique perspective.
Cranfield University has a Welding and Laser Processing Engineering Center which plays an important role in improving onshore and offshore manufacturing practices with industry partners. Ghent University has its Soete laboratory which develops defect acceptance criteria for girth welds in pipelines. Gubkin University is a national research center and a source of manpower for the Russian oil and gas industry.
Lamar’s Center for Midstream Management and Science also stands out among its colleagues.
“The Lamar University Center for Midstream Management and Science is the only center in the world solely focused on midstream,” said Thomas Kalb, director of the center, in a press release. “The center has funded over $900,000 of research in more than 25 Lamar University faculty-led projects focused on solving practical technological and operational problems facing industry.
IPLOCA has five membership categories: Regular Members, Associate Members, Corresponding Members, Academic Members and Honorary Members. Lamar is an Academic Member whose activities encompass the research and/or study of pipes, materials, tools, supplies, welding, coating, testing and modus operandi associated with onshore and/or offshore pipelines and /or associated process engineering facilities, the press release mentioned.
The organization has members in over 40 countries and represents 250 key players in the onshore and offshore pipeline construction industry worldwide.
“IPLOCA regularly awards scholarships and we will be able to apply for these,” Kalb said in the press release. “We will also be included in events and discussions where industry leaders will provide valuable insights into what industry leaders think and care about. This prestigious membership will provide CMMS with opportunities to reach leaders in industry that we otherwise wouldn’t have.”
The center was established and funded by the Texas Legislature in 2019.
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