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Sponsored by Tracerco – Direction, Measurement and Diagnostics Solutions
Learn More at tracerco.com

In this episode of Refining Reality, Bill and Brian sit down with Brett Rogers of Purity Gas to unpack one of the least glamorous but most critical molecules in refining and energy operations: nitrogen. From tank blanketing and pipeline preservation to refinery safety, logistics risk, emissions reduction, and on-site generation, Brett explains why the industry may be moving from delivered nitrogen to decentralized production.

The conversation digs into why nitrogen is really the “anti-oxygen” of the plant, how on-site generation can reduce delivered nitrogen costs by 70–90%, why remote assets from Alberta oil sands to offshore facilities care deeply about supply control, and how scope three emissions can be reduced by eliminating trucked deliveries. It is part safety lesson, part supply-chain wake-up call, and part nerdy love letter to a molecule most people ignore until something goes wrong.

Sponsored by Tracerco: https://tracerco.com/
Hosted by Energy Rogue®: https://energyrogue.com/

More on Purity Gas: https://puritygas.ca/

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Sponsored by Ericsson – Driving oil and gas forward with seamless connectivity.

This conversation features Casey Thames sitting down with Swapnil Bhadauria and Ben Williams of EY to discuss why digital transformation remains one of the most talked-about initiatives in oil and gas, yet many organizations still struggle to move beyond pilots, dashboards, and disconnected technology investments.

Drawing on experience across upstream, midstream, downstream, and chemical operations, Swapnil and Ben share practical perspectives on what it takes to translate digital strategy into measurable operational results. While artificial intelligence continues to dominate industry discussions, the conversation explores why success often depends less on the technology itself and more on understanding operational workflows, improving data quality, and creating alignment between people, processes, and systems.

The discussion examines how operators are using AI to improve decision-making, accelerate analysis, and unlock greater value from existing data. From maintenance and reliability programs to production optimization and capital projects, the guests explain where AI is creating tangible benefits today and where organizations are still working through challenges related to trust, adoption, governance, and execution.

Casey brings a field operations perspective to the conversation, sharing examples from pipeline and gas plant environments where technology initiatives frequently encounter real-world obstacles. Together, the group explores the importance of usability, frontline engagement, organizational buy-in, and connecting insights to actions that operators can actually execute.

The episode also dives into the future of human and AI collaboration, discussing confidence levels, risk management, decision orchestration, and the evolving role of operations leaders in driving transformation efforts. Rather than replacing people, the discussion highlights how AI and digital technologies can help organizations focus resources on higher-value work while improving safety, productivity, and operational performance.

Ultimately, the conversation reinforces a simple principle: digital transformation only creates value when it becomes part of how operations actually run.

Host
Casey Thames

Guests
Swapnil Bhadauria, Digital Operations Leader, EY
Ben Williams, Global Industrials & Energy Consulting Leader, EY

Learn More
EY Energy & Resources Consulting
https://www.ey.com/en_us/energy-resources

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Sponsored by Tracerco – Direction, Measurement and Diagnostics Solutions
Learn More at tracerco.com

The refinery isn’t broken… it’s trying to tell you something. The question is whether you can see it before it costs millions.

In this episode of Refining Reality, hosts Brian Pieri and Bill Shanahan sit down with Fabio Pires from Tracerco to uncover how modern refinery and petrochemical operators are using advanced diagnostic technology to see inside their plants without shutting them down.

The conversation explores how refineries operating near peak utilization rates can improve throughput, reduce downtime, and avoid expensive surprises during turnarounds. Fabio explains how Tracerco acts like a “plant doctor,” using scanning, tracer technologies, and real-time diagnostics to identify hidden process problems before they become multimillion-dollar failures.

Brian, Bill, and Fabio also dive into a fascinating question: What is the true cost of inefficiency? Because in a world where refinery downtime can cost hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars per day, operating at 60% when you could safely run at 90%+ is like leaving stacks of cash on the control room floor.

Inside this episode:

Why refinery utilization and uptime matter more than ever
How Tracerco technology diagnoses problems without shutdowns
The “plant doctor” analogy that changes how you think about diagnostics
Preventive maintenance vs. reactive maintenance economics
Real-world examples of avoiding unnecessary shutdowns
How real-time diagnostics can increase throughput and improve margins
Why data-driven operations may unlock millions in hidden value

Whether you’re a process engineer, refinery manager, operations leader, reliability specialist, or energy executive, this episode pulls back the curtain on the science of keeping plants running at full potential. Tracerco technologies help operators troubleshoot production problems, identify process issues, and optimize plant performance while assets remain online.

Sponsored by Tracerco: https://tracerco.com/
Hosted by Energy Rogue®: https://energyrogue.com/

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We’re coming to you live from Houston, Texas at the Shutdowns & Turnarounds Super Conference 2026, where the people who keep the world’s industrial plants running gather to share what’s new, what’s broken, and what’s next. This episode features seven guests spanning workforce lodging, global energy services, contractor spend software, confined space safety, artificial lift technology, safety equipment, and critical-path logistics. Whether you’re a turnaround manager, a service provider, or just trying to understand what it takes to safely shut down and restart a plant, these conversations will give you a front-row seat to an industry most people never see.

We speak with
Jacob Tapp — VP of Operations US, WSG Energy Services
Andrew Kruschell — Frontier Lodging Solutions
Chrissy Jacobson — Account Executive, Management Controls Incorporated
Glenn Suggitt — Business Development, Proveo Global
Jeff Saponja — CEO, OiliFy
Jessica Woodward — Account Manager, Select Safety Services
Keenan Brugh — Director of MTMS, Cap Logistics

https://www.frontierlodging.com
https://www.wsgenergyservices.com
https://www.managementcontrols.com
https://www.proveoglobal.com
https://www.oilify.com
https://www.selectsafetyusa.com
https://www.caplogistics.com

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This episode explores the critical role of Texas 811 in underground asset safety, emphasizing the importance of calling 811 before digging, the process of locating underground utilities, and innovative safety tools like Guardian to prevent damage and accidents.

Texas 811, underground utilities, damage prevention, safety, call before you dig, pipeline safety, excavation, asset management, Guardian tool

Guest names: Bill Ott and Christian Prado

Texas 811 Official Website – https://texas811.org/
Breaking Ground with Texas 811 Podcast – https://www.youtube.com/@BreakingGroundTexas811

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-ott
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianprado

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Sponsored by IFS – Purpose-built industrial AI

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In this special episode, Ben Seligson of the Energy Trade Show and Deirdra Tindale of the Mining and Minerals Show team up to sit down with Andrea Crook, CEO of OptiSeis, and Dr. Geneviève Marquis of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to explore a new pilot project that could reshape how Canada finds critical minerals. The conversation unpacks how new technology is being applied in Sudbury to image underground mineral pathways with unprecedented detail. They discuss why Sudbury is the ideal testing ground, how the project could help de-risk mineral exploration for copper, cobalt, and gold, and what this means for the future of mining in Canada.

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Sponsored by ABB – Helping industries outrun leaner and cleaner.

Summary
In this episode, Joe Batir explores Canada’s potential as a leader in next-generation geothermal energy, with industry experts Emily Smejkal (Policy Lead at The Cascade Institute), Jeff Messner (President and Co-Founder, Novus Earth Energy Operations, Inc.), and Matt Hogg (Founder and CEO at GeoGen Technologies, Inc). They discuss the history of subsurface energy in Canada and how this leads to the future of geothermal energy development, specifically focused on technological innovations, policy challenges, and strategic opportunities in the Canadian geothermal sector.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to the Canadian Geothermal Industry
05:54 The Historical Context of Geothermal in Canada
08:59 SAGD: A Key Technology, with transferrable knowledge to Geothermal
12:03 Geothermal Resources and Opportunities in Canada
17:59 Challenges and Opportunities in Geothermal Development
21:13 The Role of Policy and Market Dynamics
27:00 Future Prospects for Geothermal in Canada
36:08 Learning from Other Industries
39:02 The Importance of Test Centers
41:56 Collaboration and Industry Alliances
50:01 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Book Recommendations:
Emily: Walking the Big Wild by Karsten Heuer – https://a.co/d/07NcZxXG
Matt: Moonshots by Naveen Jain – https://a.co/d/0d1pyaRF
Jeff: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman – https://a.co/d/01ROsLUk

Useful Links:
Emily’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esmejkal/
The Cascade Institute: https://cascadeinstitute.org/
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt13hogg/
Geogen: https://www.geogen.com/
Jeff’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-messner-24a99532/
Novus Earth: https://www.novusearth.ca/

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Sponsored by TeamViewer – The Digital Workplace Platform

Picture this: It’s 6:30 a.m. on a fast-moving BMW assembly line. A worker fumbles for a heavy handheld scanner, breaking stride again and again—until he slips on a lightweight ProGlove scanner that keeps both hands free and turns every scan into a natural gesture.

In this episode, Stefan Lampa, former CEO of ProGlove, joins me to reveal how his company is transforming frontline work with wearable scanners, back-of-hand computers, and AI-powered digital twins that remove friction, boost ergonomics, and deliver real-time guidance on the factory floor.

From his roots in a Swedish mining family to decades leading industrial giants like ABB and KUKA, Stefan shares why human-centered design must come first—and how physical AI and connected wearables are empowering blue-collar workers while driving measurable gains in productivity, safety, and job satisfaction.

If you’re in manufacturing, warehousing, or any frontline operation, this conversation will change how you think about technology’s role in the future of work.

Show Links:

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Sponsored by NavVis – Laser Scanning Solutions & Digital Twin Technology

BP shares fall after board removes chairman Albert Manifold over ‘serious’ conduct concerns
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/26/bp-chair-albert-manifold-removed-conduct-governance-issues.html

Oil prices dip amid reports of tentative US-Iran deal
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/oil-prices-dip-amid-reports-of-tentative-us-iran-deal/ar-AA24iVeH?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6a18bd57d3d2498eaab1271297c9c482&ei=28

Brazil sets clock for next two oil and gas bid rounds
https://www.upstreamonline.com/exploration/brazil-sets-clock-for-next-two-oil-and-gas-bid-rounds/2-1-1994001

ExxonMobil close to deal to return to Venezuela: report
https://www.upstreamonline.com/field-development/exxonmobil-close-to-deal-to-return-to-venezuela-report/2-1-1993394

US oil and gas lease sale in New Mexico and Texas raises more than $4bn
https://www.offshore-technology.com/news/us-oil-and-gas-lease-sale-mexico-texas/

LNG exports vs. data centers: The fight for Gulf Coast natural gas is here
https://www.bicmagazine.com/industry/natgas-lng/lng-exports-data-centers-natural-gas/

The biggest obstacle to the refinery of the future is a mindset shift
https://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/news/2026/05/digital-exclusive-the-biggest-obstacle-to-the-refinery-of-the-future-is-a-mindset-shift/

UAE to accelerate oil pipeline project to bypass Strait of Hormuz
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/15/uae-to-accelerate-oil-pipeline-project-to-bypass-hormuz

ADNOC deploys heavy-duty inspector robot for hazardous environments
https://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/news/2026/05/adnoc-deploys-heavy-duty-inspector-robot-for-hazardous-environments/

Chevron introduces next-gen Techron in U.S. Chevron and Texaco gasolines
https://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/news/2026/05/chevron-introduces-next-gen-techron-in-us-chevron-and-texaco-gasolines/

Phillips 66 greenlights new gas plant and fractionator projects, advancing integrated wellhead-to-market strategy
https://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/news/2026/05/phillips-66-greenlights-new-gas-plant-and-fractionator-projects-advancing-integrated-wellhead-to-market-strategy/

Navigating the new energy landscape: Technology, talent and demand
https://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/magazine/2026/april-2026/trends-and-resources/executive-viewpoint-navigating-the-new-energy-landscape-technology-talent-and-demand/

Diamondback Energy and syGlass Join Forces to Ignite STEM Education in Midland, Texas
https://www.syglass.io/blog/diamondback-energy-and-syglass-join-forces-to-ignite-stem-education-in-midland-texas

★★★★☆
Commander-in-Chief
Mark and Paige,
I’m a long-time listener and occasional commenter. I’ve learned a great deal from you about how the industry actually operates as a business, rather than through politics.
I’m writing in response to Episode 400 and your discussion of the recent review. While I agree that the President is Commander-in-Chief, the founding fathers intentionally built checks and balances into our system so that no single person could unilaterally take the country to war. Iraq, Korea, and Vietnam all had various forms of Congressional approval or authorization.
Regarding President Trump, you mentioned The Art of the Deal and said there’s a strategy behind everything he does. I read the book years ago when I started my own entrepreneurial journey. While it has some entertaining stories, I didn’t find it particularly insightful from a business standpoint. Trump highlighted deals like the USFL (a league competing with the NFL) and his Atlantic City casinos—both of which ultimately failed and led to bankruptcy.
Americans elected President Trump for an “America First” agenda: no new wars, and addressing the affordability crisis at home. Unfortunately, the war in Iran appears to be a war of choice. It is proving very costly to Americans, and the administration has not secured any meaningful political concessions from Iran despite numerous declarations of victory. It feels uncomfortably similar to the Iraq situation and the WMD narrative all over again.
-Joseph Brody

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The Weekly Rig Count by Baker Hughes https://rigcount.bakerhughes.com/rig-count-overview 

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