Pinnacle Asset Integrity Services Provides Corrosion Training at Del Mar College

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas-(Business Wire)-September 24, 2009 - PinnacleAIS, the leading provider of services and technology specializing in improved asset integrity for the refining and chemical industries, recently provided a training class at Del Mar College to better acquaint the students with the effects of corrosion in the real world. The presentation covered topics including strategic corrosion tracking for equipment and piping in the refining industry, the proper identification of applicable corrosion mechanisms, and the manner in which those mechanisms drive a dynamic inspection program.

The students in the corrosion class, taught by professor Gwynell Westervelt, consisted of Army Depot employees who are currently pursuing their Associate degrees in Applied Science in Electroplating Technology. The semester long class aims at providing an overview of different corrosion mechanisms, their effects, and strategies for mitigation. Ms. Westervelt, seeing the need for the students to link their knowledge to a real world application, invited PinnacleAIS to present an overview of the role of corrosion in the refining industry.

Ms. Westervelt’s decision to bring Pinnacle into the classroom was spurred by the service company’s presence at Valero’s Bill Greehey refinery in Corpus Christi. She commented, “I had been discussing the different types of corrosion and the steps necessary to stop or slow the process for several weeks when I asked Valero Refining to send someone to talk with my class about corrosion and what Valero is doing to manage it.” The proximity of Pinnacle’s satellite office and the school made it relatively easy to leverage Pinnacle’s knowledge in the classroom. Pinnacle engineers working at the Bill Greehey site were excited to extend their expertise to the students. The presentation engaged the associates and provided an effective context for corrosion in the industry. Selah Parra, one of the presenting engineers reflected, “It is always very rewarding to connect with people, but it means even more when students resonate by responding with questions that demonstrate genuine interest. They seemed to truly appreciate the chance to associate a real world application to their current corrosion studies and how that would help them in industry.” Pinnacle continues to possess a focus on giving back to the educational industry by not only advocating the importance of its services but also the role of engineering in society. As Ryan Sitton, founder and CEO of Pinnacle, explained, “We appreciate the opportunity to work with Del Mar College and engage these students. Since Pinnacle has established a track record of hiring and rapidly training new, innovative personnel into the energy industry, giving some of that training back to the educational institutions is particularly rewarding. We look forward to further extensions of our expertise to help develop new talent.”

The PinnacleAIS Solution

PinnacleAIS provides its customers with unique, integrated technologies and services for asset integrity, reducing the need to hire multiple contractors by streamlining projects to ensure that all initiatives are completed at the same time. The company’s integrated solutions span four key areas: Mechanical Integrity, Process and Operational Integrity, Compliance/Process Safety Management and Business Improvement, which can be interwoven to provide a complete model that fully optimizes asset integrity.

PinnacleAIS provides the following solutions for its customers:

Ensures the most strategic use of inspection resources
Guarantees compliance with state and federal regulations or codes
Assesses degraded equipment and reports on the remaining useful life of each asset
Evaluates safety and minimizes business risks associated with asset integrity
Develops programs that reduce costs associated with managing the reliability of assets
Provides unsurpassed customer service

About PinnacleAIS

Based in Houston, TX, PinnacleAIS is a leading technology and services provider, specializing in wholesale improvements in asset integrity for the petroleum and chemical processing industry. Through innovative technology and world class services, PinnacleAIS offers a unique approach to asset integrity, helping operating companies realize substantial improvements in compliance and safety while simultaneously reducing costs and business risks. PinnacleAIS is a member of numerous trade organizations including The American Petroleum Institute (API).

PinnacleAIS was founded in 2006 and is privately held.

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