American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2021 - 102

IndustryFocus: Companies, People and Products
SPOC Shares Knowledge
Of Oil Field Automation
TRUSSVILLE, AL.-SPOC Automation has launched the SPOC Knowledge
Base, which it describes as an ever-expanding collection of articles and videos
that explore various issues its technical
support and engineering teams have encountered while helping customers.
SPOC points out that it has been making automation technology for upstream
and midstream companies for a long time.
In the process, the company says it has
helped thousands of customers get the
most out of variable frequency drives,
SCADA equipment and pump-off controllers. Noting that oil field technology
must work flawlessly under challenging
conditions, the company adds that it has
troubleshot more issues than it can count.
The knowledge base is a way to share
lessons learned about automation that
can help customers produce more while
slashing lease operating expenses, SPOC
says. The company estimates that some
of the insights it contains, such as how to
change a fan on a drive in the field, will
save hundreds of dollars, while others
could enhance productivity significantly
enough to be worth millions.
To browse the SPOC Knowledge Base,
visit help.spocautomation.com/knowledge.❒

United States Steel Corp. Acquires Big River Steel
PITTSBURGH-United States Steel
Corp. announces it has exercised its call
option to acquire the remaining equity of
Big River Steel for $774 million from
cash on hand.
" We are acquiring Big River Steel,
the cornerstone of our 'Best of Both'
strategy, " says David B. Burritt, U. S.
Steel's president and chief executive officer. " With Big River Steel, we can offer
customers the high performance, innovative steel products they expect from U.
S. Steel's scientists and application engineers made through a state-of-the-art, environmentally sustainable and efficient
mini mill process. "
Big River Steel operates a LEEDcertified Flex Mill™ in northeast
Arkansas that it describes as the newest
and most advanced flat-rolled mill in
North America. According to the company, it completed an expansion in November that doubled its hot-rolled steel
production capacity to 3.3 million tons

Locus Bio-Energy Honored For Green Biosurfactants
HOUSTON-World Finance has
named Locus Bio-Energy Solutions®
North America's best upstream service
and solutions company in recognition
of its environmentally friendly biosur-

CORTEC Offers Hardware For Underbalanced Drilling
HOUMA, LA.-CORTEC says its
new CX-HB3.0 Hydra-Balance choke
and panel system brings increased value
and functionality during managed pressure drilling, underbalanced drilling and
other drilling set point applications.
The system is a hydraulic dual choke

a year, establishing it as one of the
largest electric arc furnace-oriented flatrolled mills in North America.
" I'm extremely proud of what our
Big River Steel team has achieved in
building the most technologically advanced and only LEED certified steel
mill, and I'm equally proud we are
joining a company that not only values
our many accomplishments, but shares
our vision as well, " says Big River Steel
CEO David Stickler. " Being an entrepreneurial disrupter is in our DNA, and
I'm excited about the possibilities we
already have demonstrated by leveraging
U. S. Steel's industry-leading research
and development capabilities. "
United States Steel mentions the transaction is subject to customary closing
conditions, including antitrust approval,
and is expected to close in the first quarter
of 2021.
For more information, visit
www.ussteel.com.
❒

unit that complies with API 6A and
NACE MR0175 and can be controlled
through a compact remote panel that
can be installed close to the driller,
CORTEC says. According to the company, the CX-HB3.0 provides greater
accuracy, ease of use and field-friendly
serviceability for end-users seeking a
simple set point solution.
The Hydra-Balance system features
a main HPU/HMI control panel with
remote HMI panel integration. It offers
a set point accuracy of +/- 25 PSI or
less and an operating pressure range up
to 2,500 PSI while maintaining a compact
footprint to maximize weight and space
savings, CORTEC describes.
For more information, visit www.uscortec.com.
❒
The control panels for CORTEC's CX-HB3.0
Hydra-Balance choke and panel system
have been designed to maximize ease of
use while retaining a small footprint,
CORTEC says

102 THE AMERICAN OIL & GAS REPORTER

factants for increasing oil production
and extending well life, Locus BE reports.
These biosurfactants are the first to
outperform synthetic chemicals at a
fraction of the dosage rate and cost,
Locus BE says, adding that using them
may qualify operators in some U.S. regions for tax incentives that can be
worth millions.
" I nominated Locus Bio-Energy Solutions for the same reasons they are
attracting oil companies, top industry
experts and investors: because there has
been an undeniable need for green, costeffective technology that can address
the industry's pain points, and Locus'
biosurfactant solutions meet that need, "
says Edmund Miller, a senior managing
director at Pan American Finance.
" If the hyper-competitive environment
that is predicted comes to pass, Locus
Bio-Energy Solutions is a business guaranteeing success into the future, " says
Terry Johnson, senior oil and gas awards
coordinator for World Finance. " Our
panel deemed it one of the companies
best equipped to thrive in this new business
landscape while meeting the highest international standards. "
For more information, visit locusbioenergy.com or www.worldfinance.com/oilgas-awards.
❒

http://www.ussteel.com http://help.spocautomation.com/knowledge http://www.uscortec.com http://www.uscortec.com http://www.locusbioenergy.com http://www.worldfinance.com/oil-gas-awards http://www.locusbioenergy.com http://www.worldfinance.com/oil-gas-awards

American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2021

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