American Gas - June 2013 - (Page 28)

Tech prodigy Pedro sAntos describes the ways in which utilities can use compression technology to bring natural gas to more customers profile how gas fuels youThful innovaTion Pedro Santos is founder and CEO of OsComp Systems, a maker of wet gas compression and other solutions for the natural gas industry. He created the company’s core technology while finishing graduate business studies at MIT in 2009. In 2011 Santos was included in Forbes’s “30 Under 30” list of young innovators. A native of the Dominican Republic, the 29-year-old received that nation’s presidential award in 2012, recognizing him as the most accomplished professional under 35. His company has received grants from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, and has been funded by Energy Ventures and Chevron Technology Ventures. American Gas: The technology you developed is called “near-isothermal multiphase compression.” Can you explain what that is? Pedro Santos: It’s essentially a rotary compressor that can compress both liquids and gas in the same chamber. We atomize the liquid in the compression chamber so we can absorb the heat that’s generated during compression. The result is significant energy savings. In upstream applications, it allows you to produce oil and gas at a single point, without having to separate them. It means you can compress gas with much greater efficiency, lower emissions, and a much simpler infrastructure. One application we’re developing is a virtual pipeline to allow LDCs to extend their service areas. We’ve developed a process to fill trailers with compressed gas at rapid rates. So the economics of moving gas by trucks is improved. Global Partners, for example, will use the technology in a compression station they’re building in Maine with Bangor Gas. They’ll be filling large-capacity CNG trailers and transporting gas to large industrial users. They get those users connected to natural gas in an area with one of the lowest percentages of gas use in the U.S. That’s a big deal, because with oil prices where they are, there are a lot of manufacturing companies in that region that are uncompetitive because they don’t have access to natural gas. We can bridge that gap. AG: What were the influences that led to your developing the technology? Santos: My dad was a distributor of compressors. I tore down my first compressor at the age of six. I grew up in the industry and paid my way through college working in a compressor distribution company. When I went to MIT, I wanted to participate in the energy industry. With all the changes in natural gas, I saw that as a great opportunity. When I was searching for inspiration, I went back to compression and saw a big need there. AG: Many innovators your age are focused on social media. Why did you choose the energy industry? Santos: The world will always need energy. IT in particular, all these servers and infrastructure need energy to survive. So while a lot of my friends were going into IT, I saw a lot of opportunities in gas. What we’re doing to make energy more accessible to industry, and giving people access to lowcost natural gas, is a big motivator. AG: What’s it like running a company when most of the people who work for you are older and have more experience? Santos: The average age in the gas industry is probably older than me. It’s only natural that a new generation is coming in. Five years ago we thought there was a natural gas shortage. Now we have an oversupply, and that’s creating incredible opportunities. I’m not an exclusive case; many younger people will bring new technology into the industry. AG: What should the energy industry be doing to attract more innovators? Santos: Many people think of the industry as not being very innovative. But it’s one of the most technology-driven industries. If the industry can better explain its commercial and technical challenges, then more people can bring a creative approach to solving these problems. AG: Where do you see the industry heading over the next several years? Santos: The biggest opportunity is on the demand side. How can we convert applications that run on liquids, such as locomotives, to natural gas? How can LDCs expand into more areas faster and at a lower cost? All of North America will see a revolution in the speed of conversion, and that will continue to accelerate. u PhotograP hy by troy fiElds 28 AmericAn GAs JUNE 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Gas - June 2013

American Gas - June 2013
Contents
President’s Message
Subject Index
Safety: It Takes a Village
Digest
Issues
Update
Need to Know
Need to Know
By the Numbers
Places
On the Market
State House
Elm Street
The Calm Before the Storms
Profile 28
2013 AGA Membership Directory
Jobs
Buyer’s Guide
Marketplace
Headway

American Gas - June 2013