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摘要

More than 20 leading energy executives from North and South America will provide the latest information on tens of billions of dollars in planned new oil and gas pipeline construction at the 4th Annual Pipeline Opportunities Conference March 25 at the Houston Hyatt Regency. Sponsored by Pipeline & Gas Journal and the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, (INGAA), the conference will focus on the unprecedented "boom" now under way in the industry as well as the growing number of challenges facing pipeline operators and service companies. Conference chairman Jeff Share, Editor of Pipeline & Gas Journal, said pipeliners are unanimous about the business opportunities in North America as petroleum supplies seek to match demand. Yet with a teetering economy that threatens to dry up badly needed investment capital, workforce and equipment shortages, increased regulatory mandates and traditional public opposition to new infrastructure projects or expansions, the challenges are equal to the opportunities, Share said. Following an opening address by Norm Szydlowski, president and CEO of Colonial Pipeline Co., the nation's largest operator of oil products pipelines, executives from Enbridge Pipelines, TransCanada's Keystone project, and Magellan Midstream Partners will discuss projects and opportunities in the burgeoning liquids pipeline sector. Mike Mears, Senior VP of Magellan, is also chairman of the Association of Oil Pipelines and is leading research into the transportation of ethanol. Brad Kamph, a consultant who has just completed a groundbreaking study on workforce issues in the pipeline industry for INGAA, will share his findings in a roundtable discussion along with prominent pipeline contractor David Sheehan, Bechtel executive Jerry Fee, and others. A session called "Painting Your Pipeline Green" will suggest how companies can successfully exploit growing opportunities in the environmental arena.