PEFTEC 2015 – a firm footing for the petrochemical industry

The petrochemical industry embraced an exciting new European conference and exhibition when the inaugural PEFTEC event took place at the Antwerp Expo in Belgium on 18^th and 19^th November 2015. Showcasing the latest in technology and dedicated software for testing and monitoring in the lab, field or on-site, this inaugural event provided international visitors with an arena for business partnering;  opportunities to explore and discuss current and new approaches in methods development and research; and updates on regulatory control in ongoing processes and applications.

Feedback from conference speakers, exhibitors and delegates has been extremely positive, commented organiser Marcus Pattison, who believed that PEFTEC’s success had ensured its adoption as a firm diary date for anyone involved with analytical testing and monitoring for process control, research and development, environmental monitoring, occupational safety and quality control in the petroleum and petrochemical sectors.

“The Paris terrorist atrocities took place a few days before PEFTEC opened its doors, but all of the speakers and exhibitors arrived safely and the number of delegate cancellations was very small,” Marcus Pattison said. “We were determined not to let the terrorists affect our plans and were delighted with the level of support that we received.”

The packed conference programme contained topics ranging from ‘Environmental Monitoring, Process Monitoring and Regulation in and around petroleum and petrochemical plants’ on Day 1; to ‘Analytical Techniques, Methods & Laboratory Sustainability in Petroleum and Petrochemical Laboratories on Day 2.

These topics, along with over 80 technical seminars conducted in 8 seminar rooms enabled delegates to tailor their visit to meet their personal needs.

Most of the Seminars were given by experts from the exhibiting organisations, with the subject matter being application, technology and product driven. Presentations focused on analytical chemistry and laboratory techniques, LIMS configuration, analysis of precious metals in catalysts and the analysis of pressurised hydrocarbons and biomass pyrolysis effluent.

Topics on the second day looked more at environmental and process monitoring applications, including the use of IRMS in testing for oil spill identification, natural gas analysis and data reporting to LIMS, in addition to ISO 17025 and Guide 34 certified reference materials. The monitoring of process gases, steam quality, toxicity evaluation of waste drilling fluids, colour measurement, TOC and mercury monitoring and the IED and the new BREFs on ELVs were also covered. A tool on the PEFTEC.com website enabled visitors to select their areas of interest and view the Conference and Seminar presentations that addressed these themes.

PEFTEC Exhibition

Over 120 international laboratory and process monitoring equipment suppliers and analytical service providers, representing more than 220 organisations worldwide were present, many with new products to show.  As part of the PEFTEC Technical Programme, there were also 40 poster presentations – all of which were located within the exhibition hall. PEFTEC therefore represented a truly unique opportunity to see the entire market sector under one roof at the same time.

A comprehensive report of proceedings on PEFTEC 2015 can be found under Technical Programme at www.PEFTEC.com