THE PRESIDENT’S LETTER
By Neil Mackay, STATS Group, Australia
Hello All!
Since my last letter, PPSA has been busy
representing our members and promoting
the pigging industry around the world.
Back in April, PPSA exhibited at PTC in
Berlin, a nice mid-year opportunity
between our annual seminars to engage
with our members, Operators and suppliers
alike.
Beyond our traditional channels, we've also
been working to raise awareness of pigging
and pipeline integrity. Earlier this year,
Mark Elliott, Diane Cordell and I took part
in a World Pipelines Podcast discussing
Pigging Pipelines – What Operators Need
to Know. Catch up on the action at
https://www.worldpipelines.com/podcasts/navigating-the-world-of-pipeline-pigging/
Adding to this industry outreach, our Past
President, Neil McKnight, reflected on
PPSA's 35-year journey and the important
role the Association continues to play in
connecting operators and vendors to
improve pipeline safety across the industry
in his Inside Oil & Gas Magazine article, A
Legacy of Support, 35 Years in the Making.
Another important member resource is the
2026/2027 PPSA Directory, which I'm
pleased to announce is now available. The
directory remains one of the most valuable
resources PPSA provides, helping
operators quickly connect with the right
products, services and expertise from
across our global membership. Subscribe
for your free copy at
https://ppsa-online.com/subscriptions
Supporting the next generation of pipeline
professionals remains a key focus for
PPSA. This year we were proud to sponsor
three Young Pipeline Professional events:
the YPP-USA Symposium in Houston,
USA, the YPPE Mini Conference in
Nivelles, Belgium, and the Borneo Pipe-
line Conference (BPC) in Miri, Malaysia.
Representing PPSA at BPC, I had the
pleasure of participating in the Fireside
Chat discussions. While there, I spent
time with the volunteers behind YPP
Malaysia, whose passion and commitment
have helped grow both the organisation
and the conference from strength to
strength. Remarkably, BPC is only in its
second year, yet it is already establishing
itself as a must visit event on the
international pipeline calendar. YPP
Malaysia's membership has also grown to
more than 600 professionals in recent
years, a testament to the energy and
dedication of the team behind it.
Culminating in a competitive golf
tournament, the incentive to find the
fairway has never been greater, with a
course local crocodile eager for your next
hook or slice to find the water's hazards
edge.
Looking ahead, PPSA will again be
exhibiting at the IPC Exposition in
Calgary, drop by, pick up a hard copy of
the directory and have a catch up with
Diane.
Attention now turns to our main event, the
relocated, growing and expanded PPSA
Conference, 17th-19th November in
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. In
addition to technical paper presentations,
exhibitions and networking opportunities,
we're pleased to be offering two specialist
training courses: Managing Cracks and
Seam Weld Anomalies presented by
Sergio Limon of Blade Energy Partners,
and An Introduction to Pigging delivered
by PPSA member companies. We will
also be hosting a panel session focused on
Industry Priorities and Technology
Gaps, undoubtedly generating
some valuable discussion. What
makes the PPSA Conference
unique is its pure focus on pigging
products and services. If you
haven’t registered yet, please
secure your place now at:
https://ppsa-online.com/conference
But, in the meantime of course....
Keep on piggin', folks.
