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Anew look at sediment and water An innovative monitor developed by Shell could set new standards for measuring the amount of foreign matter in crude.
Tu cked away in a small part of the vast Westhollow Research Center is a group of employees that comprise Shell Developm e nt Co.'s Tran sportati on Research and Engineering Departm e nt. Co n ce rning themse lves with such thin gs as ocean current s , me tal s tres s and bulk flow, th ey w ork to improve the technology of p ipelining. Though important, th eir w ork u suaII y proceeds with littl e f anfare ; indeed , many of us are una ware they even exis!. Th e f oII owin g article and others that will appear in th e Go Devil from time to time will spotlight some of th e ir pro jec t s. e quipm e nt and m ethod s. and will explain what their work means to Shell Pipe Line. it s empl oyees , and the indu stry in genera l.
• • • The trick to buying oil is , well .. .
buying oil. That is, not buying along with it the water and sediment that naturally accompany it out of the ground.
Our predecessors in the petroleum industry rea li zed thi s, of course, and came up with methods that could tell them, with pretty fair accuracy, what portion of the crude they were bu ying (or se l lin g) w as , indeed,
Though it looks like any collection of pipes and gauges to the untrained eye , research technician Florian Demny (left) can read the new basic sediment and water monitor like a book.
crude, and what portion was not. These measuring methods improved steadily over time until they became permanent and essentia l oilfield pract ices. And, for the most part , they haven' t changed much in recent years. They haven 't had to .
But the higher price of crude an d the n eed for more so phisticated measurement have led to the develo pment of a dev ice that could revo lution ize the way crude oil is checked for sediment and water.
Developed by emp loyees in the Trans porta tion Research and Engineering Department at Westhollow, the new monitor (more accurately referred to as a Basic Sediment and Water Mon itor) recently completed test ing on the Rancho line, and Shell Pipe Line is insta lling two units for further testi ng at Nairn and Cushing in about a mont h. The men who've worked on the project for the past three years are undeniab ly excited about what th eir creation has to offer the pipeline ind ustry. But to understand why, one must first look at the
way bas ic sediment and w ater measurement is currently handled .
When oi l is pumped ou t of the ground at the lease, it is usually run th rough equ ip ment tha t separates from it most of th e water and sediment. It is th en sent through a monitor that determines whether it is " dry" enough to go into the gathering line. And th ough it might be dry enough for that, it is still not without a resid ua l amount of water and sediment. This amo unt has to be determined - parti cul arly at points of custody transfer- so that run tickets ca n prop erl y ref lec t the vo lume reduction to account for the portion of that oil d isplaced by water that should no t be paid for.
To get this measurement, a small amount of crude is regularly withdraw n from any given batch into a sample pot. A sma ll sample is mixed with a solvent and demulsifier to aid in the separation of the oil and water, and put in to a centrifuge tube that wh irls it until the water does separate. The percent water content is
The new monitor, says Tom Stewart, gives an accurate reading no matter what kind of crude is measured. What's morc , the filter used should run years without having to be rc)iaced.
then read fro m a graduated scale on the tube.
" But you've got more than one problem in that process," says Tom Stewart, the staff research engineer on the meter project. "You have to make sure at every step that the sample you draw off actually represents the oil it ca me from, and not just a portion of it where the water might have accumu lated for some reason. If that were to happen, yo u'd get a very high wa ter read ing, even though there mi ght not be all that much water in the batch as a whole. "
The new monitor, says Stewart, cuts down on a lot of that possibility for error because the oil it draws off the main pipeline stream does not have to be mixed-by hand or otherwise. Instead, it is drawn off automati ca ll y ond continuously, then sent through a centrifugal filter that spins the water and sediment out. The resulting dry oil , as well as the oil from which it comes , are routed through instruments and their electri ca l characteristi cs compared to
Albert Hernandez, a delivery gauger, works on Rancho, the first test line for the monitor.
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determine water content. That information is recorded on a strip chart. So, where there were sampl es drawn intermittently into a container before, there is now one continuou s sample that has never been given the chan ce to settl e or otherwise disguise its true nature. Where there was, in effect , an average determination of the water before , there is now a continuous profile of any given batch.
" So far, the new system has given us ex tremely acc urate readings ," says Stewart , "with a margin of error at ± .025 percent. Thi s is certainly significa nt, considering the price of crude these days . It has also given us the add ed advantage of keeping the crude entirely within the sys tem, so that employees never have to handle it.
"Up to now," he continues, "there has been no practical way of automating the measurement of sediment and water for custody transfer. That's
one of the big reasons for the development of the new system - so that the process could be automated , like so ma ny other processes in the industry."
The heart of the system is its centrifu ga l filt er, whi ch he designed together with Joe Esparza, a research technician. That filter has since been patented.
"Centrifu ga l filters, as such , are relati vely co mmon in indus try," Stewart points out. " But they've always spun the heavy element - such as dirt or sa nd - from the inside of the filter out , whi ch would eventually clog it ; yo u 'd either ha ve to backflush it or throw it away. The idea here was to develop a self-cleaning filt er which, as far as I know, was a nove l thing. To do this, we modified th e centrifugal fil ter and ran it backward s, forci ng th e dirty, wet oil from the outside in, aga inst the centrifugal force. The hea vy elements collect on
Stewart, a senior staff engineer, helped develop the filter used in the monitor. II was a matter of modifying an ex isting filter and running it backwards, something nol tried before.
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th e outside of the filter and are carried away by th e stream of oil moving past it. What thi s means is that the filt er ca n co nti nually provide a dry stream of oil without clogging.
" We ex pect thi s machine to run fi ve years without ever having to be taken apart, for an y reason ," says Stewart. "And it may go even longer than that."
His enthusias m is echoed by Florian Demn y, the research technician responsible fo r asse mbling the first sys tem and overseeing its initial tests on the Rancho lin e.
" I have no doubts - none - that the meter wi II do as well in the field as it's done here. We've fine-tuned it every way we know how and we think it's ready for general use ."
" We've taken it about as far as we want to as a research tool ," adds Joe Fisc her, a supervisor and staff research engineer in th e Transportation Research and Engineering Department. "It looks like it has a lot of potential for practical use. It's very gratifying that Shell Pipe Line is impressed enough with it to go ahead with fi eld tests on two of their lines . It also makes us feel good because our work ou t here should ha ve practical app li cations - not be just academic. "
Assuming the new Basic Sediment and Waler Moni to r performs like Stewa rt, Demn y and Fischer think it will , the ir efforts - and those of others - over the past three years should benefit Shell Pipe Line and, ultimately, the industry in a way that could not poss ibl y be considered "just academi c." ...
Jim adorns his lodge pole with a buffalo skull, which he faces east to meet the rising sun.
split and fl y on to shatter two clay targets about a foot apart.
Clad in his formal shooting attirewhite bucksk ins, moccasins and a skunk-skin cap - Jim shoulders the heavy muzzleloader, assumes a nearperfect stillness, closes hi s left eye, sights in with his right, and ever so gently squeezes the trigger.
The ensu ing blast momentarily deafens anyone nearby and clouds the air with a thi ck gray smoke that
lingers a moment before drifting away on the breeze. Jim peers at his targets, then shrugs. One lies shattered , th e ot her stands defiantly whole. "Not bad," he says to a visitor, "but anybody ought to get at least one. "
Well , not quite anybody. Nobody just picks up a muzzle
loading rifle and starts hitting everything they fire at. It takes practicelots of it- and through his participa-
tion in a group that regularly takes time to relive the days and ways of Ameri ca's legenda ry Mountain Men - Jim logs that practice in sty le.
On as many weekends as he can manage, Ji m packs up rifl e, tomahawk, throwing knife, teepee, skins, beads, powder, shot, etc ., and heads for th e hill s. There, he joins with severa l hundred other kindred spirit s for two days of ca maraderie and good-natured competition that tests what they know of the special skills that were second nature to the fur trappers and traders of the early 19th century. Relati ve experti se in firearms of the period , along with persona l dexterity with such articles as traps and throwing knives - all are featured parts of a weekend 's agenda that celebrates the rugged individualism and excitement of that unique chapter in American history.
What Jim and his friends are doing, in the parlance of the era , is " rendezvousing," the name gi ven to the infrequ ent yet infamous gatherings where trappers wou ld shed themselves both of pelt s and the lone liness that life in the mountains can bring.
"Everything we do at a rendezvous is designed to let us experience for ourselves a littl e bit of what th e Mountain Men had to know and endure," says Jim, an electromechanic at the Bay Area Pipeline office in Fremont. "They led the kind of life that man y of us would like to have led or, at least, think we wo uld like to have led. Li ving off the land , li ving in the old days- they're fantasies in the back of just about everybody's mind.
" Bes ides," he adds, "getting out in the woods, shooting muzzleloaders, lighting fires without matches or fan cy c iga ret te lighters, thro wing tomahawks, whooping it up - it 's just fun. It's a great way to spend a few days." It also gives him a specia l way to spend time with his 14-yea r-old so n , Jim , who likes to accompany him to the gatherings. His daughter, Lori, 17, acknowledges that rendezvo using is interestin g, but prefers to pursue other interests.
Ji m first sta rted rendezvousing abo ut fo ur years ago, after he and a fellow wo rk e r were invited to tag along. Befriended by just about everybo d y there, and sold on the idea that the legacy left us by the
Though large and heavy, Jim's .54 ca liber Hawkin is deadly accurate and kicks little.
Mountain Men is wo rth keep ing alive, he wasted no time in acquiring a rifle of his own and gathering his " plunder" - that is, the equipment and ornaments he packs to rendezvous , which are held all over the Un it ed States, but parti cu larl y in th e north west.
The rendezvous was an essential part of the American trapp ing system, which, despite the independent nature of the men who did the work , was a financial undertaking every bit as organ ized as an y you 'll find today.
Harvard hi storian Frederick Merk considers the system used by the St. Louis entrep reneurs a " mode l of efficiency." In hi s recent introduction to "Fur Trade and Empire," Perk explains that groups of thi rty to forty men would be dispatched to promising areas. Around the end of summer, the groups wo u Id converge at a prearranged rendezvous. There, each man would turn in his pelts. Those working for themselves were paid at a previously-set rate. Those employed by the company would collect their wages, wh ich typically ran around $130 a year. Perk writes:
"To th e rend ezvous wo uld come new suppli es from St. Louis - also fresh men. Any trapper wishing further enjoyment of the fr ee dom of the mountains took a new outfit of
traps and equ ipment. An y wishing to leave the mountains and return to civilization went out with the caravan transporting the catch to St. Louis. "Trappers usuall y stayed in the mountain s a number of years. Often th ey had to, for at the rendezvous they com monl y drank and gambled away the earnings of a year and enough more to create a debt to the company ... "
The rend ezvous of today are de-cided ly tam er; most of the money spent winds up on " Trader's Row," a gaunt let of merchants and crafts men who sell anything from tomaha wk handles to porcupine quill hat-bands. Pri ces are re ma rkably nego tiabl e, astu te haggling regarded almost as highly as skill with a rifle.
"We encourage trading," says Jim, who, at 6-3, 205 pounds, presents an imposing figure in any negotiati ons, trade or otherwise. " I may not spend a lot of money at a rendezvous, but I' ll oft en go home w ith something 1 swapped for. That's all part of it, too. "
Jim will often swa p the knives he makes by hand ii, the garage of his Mil pitas home. He developed that skill about the same time he started ren dezvousing, whpn he found that kni ves resembling their ea rl y 19th century ancestors arc hard to come
He does almost no trapping himself, but Jim is familiar with that particular skill.
Hat, buckskins, beads- Jim fashions them all himse lf to assure authenticity .
by. His kni ves, whos e handles he fashi ons out of such things as deer antlers , bear jawbones and a sturdy type of cactus, are much in demand now, known for th ei r unique s tyle and ability to hold an edge.
Still , he is most intrigued with the study, shooting, and - before longthe construction of muzzle loading rifl es. He even hunts with them. " It makes for more of a chall enge," he says. " You ha ve to get closer to the game than you would if you ca rried a high -powered rifle. You al so have to take care to make each shot count, because there's no quick way to sa fely reload.
" It also makes you more safety conscious. The black powder we usc is a powerful ex plosive; carrying around a horn full of it is like wearing a hand grenade on your hip . So if any of us starts doing something unsa fe, we're going to be called down on it pretty qui ck."
But, firearms aside, it's the people that make rendezvousing th e special happening it is. "We're all out here for the same thing," he says. "To enjoy the outdoors, to get to know each other a little bett er, and to get to know, at least in sp irit , the trappers and traders who helped fo und this cou ntry. They might not be around anymore , but that doesn't mean we can't learn something from them. " ...
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pipelin~eople
Gerald Davis honored for extinguishing gasoline pump blaze
Davis's firefighting earned him the esteem of an entire communit y.
Using the fire extingui sher from his Shell Pipe Line truck, Gerald A. Davis quickly snuffed out a blaze he spotted while driving past a service station in Kalkaska , Mich., and earned for himself the respect of the community and a commendation from the local sheriff's department.
An electrician in the Central Mich igan District, Davis performed the celebrat ed deed Dec. 3 after a car slid from an icy roadway into a service s tation , knocking over a gasoline pump. One of the first to see the resulting fire , Davis stopped his truck, grabbed his ext inguisher and put the blaze out while the fire department was in route.
" Most people probably would have gotten out of there as fast as they could
when they saw the fire was from a gas pump," a sheriff's department official was quoted in the local newspaper, which featured the illcident on its front page. " But he just went right up to it and put it out ... That guy risked his life and limb putting out that fire. If (the pump 's safety valves) wouldn't have worked right, the whole block cou ld have gone up. "
The Kalkaska County Sheriff's Department recognized Jer ry 's bravery Feb. 17 when it presented him a Special Commendation that read , in part: "The action and risk you took to your own personal safety in a hazardous situation showed courage and true community concern. "
Says Je rr y: "Anybody would have done it."
Pipe Line, drivers lauded for constant attention to safety
The Texas Safet y Association honored Shell Pipe Line Corp. and a number of its employees March 25 at a safety conference and exposition conducted in Houston.
The entire com pany received a "First Place" award for logging 875,351 work hours in 1980 wi th only two disabling injuries, which figures to an incidence rate lower than that of last year.
An Award of Excellence was presented to all Shell Pipe Line employees who drive passenger cars in Texas; those em p l oyees drove 726,933 miles in 1980 with only two accidents. An Award of Merit went to all drivers of pickups and large r trucks in Texas; they drove
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more than 3.5 million miles with only eight accidents.
Fifteen drivers received Award of Honor certificates for their driving records. Those recognized from Central Di v ision are: C.C. Beeman , 28 years without a pre-
ventable or non-preventable accident; J.H . Coomer , 29 years; L.G. Eagan, 29 years; E.D. Heard, 35 years; C.L. Johnson, 25 years; R.L. Mitchell , 28 years; L.L. Nas h, 26 years; W. H. Nixon, 34 years; G. B. Phenix, 26 years;
and P.B. Reeves, 29 years. Dri vers honored for their
records in Gulf Coast Di vision are: T.E. Harper, 30 years; J.E. McKinnie, Jr. , 27 years; R.A. Plasczyk, Jr. , 26 years; E. L. Reeves, 25 years; and W. L. Talley, 30 years.
E.L. Reeves, J.E. McKcnnic, W.L. Talley, T.E. Harper and R.A. Plasczyk all received driving awards.
Smiling hig'at the retirement party for Clyde Pyle and Pete Reaves are (from left) George Axmann, Pyle, Reaves, and Roger Guthrie,
Reaves, Pyle get parting gifts
The retirements of two stat ion attendants in Odessa were recognized Feb. 27 with a galhering allended by 250 friends and fellow em~ ployees. Pet e Reaves and Clyde Pyle were bolh honored at a party held for them in Goldsmith, Texas.
Pele, who joined Shell Pipe Line Corp. in 1942 as a pipe ~ liner in Denver City, Texas, was presented a wood rou ter,
logelher with lable and bils. Clyde, who hi red on in 1946 as a pipeliner in Hobbs, N.M., receive d a portable radio and tape player. They were also presented certificates of appreciation by Roger Guthrie , Central Di vision manager.
Both men are planning to travel with their wives and to con tinue making Ode ssa their home.
Grad picture deadline extended
Altho ugh man y pipeliners must have had children grad· uating from high school or college this year, relatively few have sent in a picture of their graduate for inclusion in the special upcoming sec· Lion honoring them. For this rea so n, the deadline for sending in a picture and information has been extended 10 July 17.
Allho ugh a 4x5-inch glossy black-and-while pholograph is highl y preferred, any head-and-shoulder shot will do, provided it is clear and in focus.
In addition to the photograph, the following information s hou ld be s ubmitted:
stu dent 's full name; the school or college attended ; school activities and honors; and future plans. The Go Devil also needs the name of the parent(s) , job classification, work address and work phone.
Please do not write on the back of the pholographs. Securely attach the information sheet to the print , but make sure that any paper clips used do not scratch the face of Ihe picture. All photos will be returned.
Send the material to: Tony Canino, Editor; Go Devi l ; One Shell Plaza-1517; P.O. Box 2463 ; Hou ston , Texas 77001.
Couple marks 50th with photo
Reliree Edward E. Chrysler and wife, Margaret, ce lebraled Iheir 50th wedding anniversary Jan. B, and were featured in the Feb. 15 issue of Ihe Meridian [Miss.) Slar.
Edward retired from Products Pipe Line in 1964 as a resident station operator at the North Salem sta tion. He and Margaret 's golden anniversary was recognized by friend s and neighbors with
Edward and Margaret Chrysler
a reception in their honor at the Central Presb yte ri an Church in Meridian .
" ... Many good memories are associated with the company and former associates," they wrote in a letter to the Go Devil. Their so n , Robert , works in Houston as a financial planning advisor for Uncle Ben 's Rice.
Tykeliners
Cheri and Roberl Merkord, mechanical te c hnician , Pasadena, had their second SOil April 4 with Ihe birlh of Shane Gregory, who measured 7 pounds, 6 ounces, 20 inches at birth. Sh ane' s brother, Mitch, is 21/2 years old.
Sheila and J .S. Shepard, senior engineering assistant, Indianapolis, announce the birlh of their firsl child, Brell Joseph, on April 2 . Brett measured 8 pounds , 6 ounces , 20 1/2 inches at birth.
Sympathy
George N, Alderson, who retired from Shell Pipe Line Corp . on May 1, 1954, died March 27. He is survived by Ius widow, Myrlle, of 1207 W. 2nd St., ElkCily, Okla. 73644.
Samua1 W. Millard, who retired from Shell Pipe Line Corp. on May 1, 1967, died Apri112. He is survived by his widow, Alia, of 569 S. Joplin, Tulsa, Okla. 74112.
Wilbert V. Schaffler, who relired from Shell Pipe Line Corp. on May 1, 1961, died April 2. He is survived by his widow, Alma, who can be reached through their daughter, Wilma E. Compton, RR. 2, Box 248H, Ardmore, Okla. 73401.
William Waddle, who retired from Products Pipe Lines on May 1,1969, died April 9. He is s urvived by his widow, Dell, of 1950 Sunnyside Ave. , Dyer, Ind. 46311 .
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mil'Posts Personnel T. W. Ferguson J.B. COX J. R. Prince I. R. Rios
Changes from Pipeliner to from Pipeiiner (12) from Safety Rep. to from Lead Pipeliner Mechanic Trainee from to Gauger Oper. A Terminal Supv. from to Oper. Mtr. Station Denver City: Texas to SI. james, La. New Orleans, La. to from Argo, Il l. to East Goldsmith SI. james, La . Chicago, Ind .
Head Office G.L. Hallam
C, A. Haskins from Pipeliner (1 2) to M.P. Rome L.D. Shamp L. L, Beck from Pipeliner to Uti!. Pipeliner from from Pipeliner (12) from Land Agent from Division Mgr. to Utility Pipeliner from Pasadena, Texas to to Utility Pipeliner to Sr. Land Agent Mgr. Oil Mvrnts. from Denver City, Texas to Mt. Belvieu SI. james, La. Indianapolis , Ind. Mid·Continent Div. to Kermit
Oil Mvmts., Houston F. Hipolito Mid-Continent M.C. Sieben
C. C. Pettis from Prod. Stor. Attn. Opers. Foreman
J,A. Bruce from Pipeliner to to Stal. Attn. A from from Argo, Ill. to
. Mt. Belvieu, Texas
Jrom Accountant to Corrosion Trainee to Clovelly, La. A.D. Barker East Chicago, Ind.
Pipe Line Accountant from Eunice, N.M. to from StaLAttn. A Treas. -Finan. Supp. Midland, Texas to Pipeliner from C.A. Silcox J. L. Hoecherl Chelsea/Grand Lake from Oper. Mtr. Station R.A. Miller M.D. Roever fro l11 Pipeliner (12) to Neosho, Mo. to Elec. Mech. C from from Accounting Asst. from Laborer to to Lead Pi peliner
East Chicago, Ind. to to Sr. Accounting Asst. Pipeliner 6-12 Austin , Texas
A.C. Brown Argo, Ill. Treas.-Finan. Su pp. McCamey, Texas Mtr. Meas. Mech. B to
L. P. LaMaison Mtr. Meas. Mech. A West Coast from Pipeliner (6) Kalkaska, Mich.
Central Gulf Coast to Pipeliner (12) Gibson, La.
E. A. Cirks W.R. Barker
J.D, Adams F. L. Baggett from Pipeliner to from Oil Tester
from Utility Pipeliner from Pipeliner (12) G. J. Melancon Terminal Attn. to Dist. Gauger
to Tank Farm Gauger to Prod. Star. Attn. from Gauger Oper. A Argo, Ill. Bakersfield, Calif. I from Kermit, Texas from St. James, La. to Station Attn. A I to McCamey to Sorrento, La. Norco, La.
G. R. Garner C. W. Lowery from Dist. Gauger I
from Lead Pipeliner E. Aragon D.P. Barber T.J. Nolan to StaL Attn. A frol11 to Pipeline Analyst
from Delivery Gauger from Pipe liner (12) from Prod. Star. Attn . Neosho, Mo. to from Bay Area to I
to Field Gauger to Utility Pipeliner to Stat. Attn. A from Chelsea/Grand Lake Anaheim, Calif.
Bloomfield, N.M. SI. James, La. Napoleonvil1e , La. to Gibson
D.L. North R.D.Morrow
D. S. Chapman D. P. Berteau from Pipeliner to Dist. Gauger
from Laborer to from Utility Pipeliner P. L. Pearson Oper. Mtr. Stat. from from Bakersfield, Calif.
Pipeliner 6-12 to Gauger Opec. A from Mechanic C Harristown, Il l. to Bay Area
Goldsmith, Texas Norco, La. to Mechan ic B Des Plaines, Il l. Empire, La. J. W. Porter
D. J. Clelland R.J. Brown L. Ratley, Jr. from Pipeliner Comm. B to Comm. A from Pipeliner (12) M. D. Peterson from Opers. Foreman to Oil Tester Midland, Texas to Prod. Stor. Attn. from Utility Pipeliner to Opers. Supervisor Bakersfield, Calif.
from Gibson, La . to to Stal. Attn. A from from East Chicago, Ind.
R.E. Dinger NapoleonvHle, La. Mt. Belvieu, Texas to Argo , lll .
from Pipeliner to to Clovelly, La.
Corrosion Trainee from Newcastle , Wyo. to Midland, Texas
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SPLC Welcomes
Central ,.M. King Dpers. Foreman El Paso, Texas
D.P. Miller Draftsman II Midland, Texas
R.E. Smith Laborer Bloomfield , N.M.
K. B. Stith Laborer Newcastle, Wyo.
Gulf Coast
C. R, Grabert Laborer Gibson, La.
M.G. Kohnke Safety Rep. New Orleans, La.
L. D. LeSueur Laborer SI. James, La.
B. A. Mclnally Laborer Clovelly, La.
N.A. Schwab Utility Pipe liner Sorrento, La.
B, J. Stein Laborer Sf. James, La.
D.A. Triffo Pipeline Engineer New Orleans, La.
D. E. Wallace Pipel ine Engineer New Orleans, La.
Mid-Continent D.W.Adams Laborer Dyersburg, Tenn.
V.Cork Clerk Indianapolis , Ind .
Service Anniversaries
J. E. Allen MCD- Healdton, Okla. 40 years May 27
,. T. Davis CD-Jal, N.M. 40 years May 14
J. K. Reid GCD- Norco, La. 35,years May 27
J. T. Adams GCD- Norco, La. 30 years May 14
R. Baesler GCD- New Orleans, La. 30 years May21
I. Butler, JI. MCD- Kalkaska, Mich. 30 years May 3
B.L. Hammer MCD-Casey , Ill. 30 years April 16
,.D. Koon CD- Snyder, Texas 30 years May 14
G. L. Rouleau MCD- Hammond, Ind. 30 years May 28
C. A. Thoele, JI. MCD- Roxana, Ill . 30 years April 23
N.G. Wilson HO- Houston, Texas 30 years May 16
J. M. Hamilton HO- Houston, Texas 25 years May 1
A. E. Dockray MCD- Cushing, Okla. 15 years April 4
D. E, Gerding MCD- Unioll , Mo. 15 years May 2
S.D. Hurley CD-Newcastle, Wyo. 15 years May 16
G.R. Lutz HO- Houston, Texas 15 years May 16
W.L. Patterson MCD- Cushing, Okla. 15 years April 25
W.G. Kliewer GCD- New Orleans, La. lSyears May 1
P.L. Vance MCD- Cushing. Okla. 10 years May10
H. S, Wolff MCD- Roxana, !lI. 10 years May 17
D.E. Woodcock MCD- Cushing, Okla. 10 years May3
Retirements
Central
R. V. Klepper Gauger Foreman Ham lin, Texas April 1
J.K. Reid CGD- Norco 35 years
C. A. Thoele, Jr. MeD- Wood River 30 years
Gulf Coast
H.D. Burton Terminal Supv. St. James, La. April 1
,.T. Adams CGD-Norco 30 years
B.L. Hammer MCD- Vandalia/Casey 30 years
N.G. Wilson HO-Houston 30 years
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Editor: ....... Tony Canina Art Director: ....... Don Iyeki Production: . ...... Cynthia Bailey Photo Coordinator: .. Maya Dixon
FIELD REPORTERS
Central Division Midland. Rocky Mountain.
Gulf Coast Division
. . Pat Hopson . Ann McColley
New Orleans ............. Gail Melton
Head Office General Engineering ... Art LaRochelle
Mid·Continent Division Indianapolis . .... .... ... Laurie Burch Eastern District ....... . Shirley Abbott Central Michigan ... Sue Sparks Cushing ..... . ... .. Carolyn Maynard Wood River . ... Ramona Martin
West Coast Division Los Angeles ............. Dine Moore Coalinga. . ...... Doretta Deshields Long Beach . ..... . ... Connie Sanford
JM BEARD
il.l 8 BOX b6tl GONZA L ES
310 0 07 I
853122 6
L A 7 0737
Bulk Rate U. S. F\ostage
PAID Houston, Texas Permit No. 2264
Published for employees, pensioners, families and friends of Shell Pipe Line Corp. All correspondence should be addressed to Go Devil. 1517 One Shell Plaza, P.O. Box 2463, Houston, Texas 77001, or to one of the field reporters listed above.
A Glance Backward It is 1959. C.E. Branson, station foreman, Mesa, prepares to depress the reset button on a vibroswitch, a piece of equipment that will shut down any pump units vibrating excessively. The switch is part of the equipment installed to convert the Rancho Pipe Line System to remote operation. "Texas Gulf Division dispatchers will eventually be ab le to operate the entir e Rancho Pipe Line from their new quarters in the Pasadena Terminal building," the Go Devil reported at the time.