On the fuel quality side, we have been carrying out a field sampling program, very formally organized and very carefully planned. We are finding that fuel quality research needs to continue because we are still seeing concerns in the field. Many service organizations are interested in better understanding the fuel quality that they are dealing with. We don’t have all the measurements yet, but at least we think we have the most important basic ones. We are able to essentially complete a health check on the fuels that are out in the field on a quick turnaround basis. We are being approached by heating oil marketers with a range of concerns about their fuel quality in the field. To whatever degree we can, we are assisting with our analytical capabilities to help them understand what they’re dealing with and to help them develop solutions for those problems. That includes water in fuels, blocking filters, excessive degradation rates for fuels, pump problems such as sticking and seal leaks—which we are seeing on an isolated basis—and nozzle fouling. These have been problems that are rather common in the industry, and have been for a long time. We are doing whatever we can do to help address any unusually high occurrences of such problems. DF: Are there any projects or any areas that you’d like to tackle that aren’t yet on the docket? TB: Right now the focus is expanding our fuel quality analysis capabilities. I think that we have room to improve in that area. We are finding, in our first year of experience, that this is an area where we can really make a contribution to the industry, by having those capabilities locally and giving us the ability to really dig in on local and regional problems. I’d like to measure particulates, study long term storage stability, fuel blending and more. DF: Are the lab services available on a contract basis to third parties? TB: We are evaluating that question. Part of the reason for wanting to have a situation where an outside company can contract to use the lab services is that, when we do that, we can guarantee them confidentiality of data flow— because they own the data, they basically paid for it. It is a little unfair for NORA to pay for research that doesn’t benefit the entire industry and we are really sensitive to that, so if it’s something that benefits one company and helps promote their business, then it’s only fair that the cost of that should be borne by the company it is benefitting. So, because NORA is funded by the industry-at-large, all the work NORA does should go into the public domain; but if a manufacturer wants something that is specific and remains proprietary, they will then have to pay for that service separate from the general NORA funding. ICM 16 ICM/March/April 2017
ICM March-Apri 2017
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