In order to achieve excellence in the operation of terminals and the care of the environment in the locations where activities are carried out, the Pipelines and Terminals Committee of the Regional Association of Oil, Gas and Biofuels Sector Companies in Latin America and the Caribbean (ARPEL) has launched an update of the Reference Manual for Terminals Operation Management.

This document was prepared with the objective of providing general guidance to ARPEL member companies and other operators in the oil and gas sector so they can check their own management and apply the best practices that ensure the integrity of the operation and maintenance of their marine and river terminals, and tanker trucks for gas, liquid hydrocarbons and biofuels.

For the drafting of this new edition of the Manual, the experience gained from the use of the document by ARPEL member companies during the first two year as well as of the first four cross checks between terminals conducted in 2013 and 2014 in Colombia, Brazil and Chile were taken into account.

The authors of the Reference Manual for Terminals Operation Management maintain that most of the work to ensure the integrity of terminals can be planned.

"Improving the productivity and the added value of the work of the terminal depends mainly on the proper management and planning of activities,” they highlight, adding, "planning includes preparation of work plans and other resources that will help the staff of the terminal to do their work more quickly and more efficiently, observing the superficial part and underwater structures".

This Manual contains a set of referential instructions and procedures that may be modified to adapt them to the specific situation of each company and to the applicable legal or corporate regulations.

Moreover, the document is accompanied by an Excel file with the checklists that are described in the various chapters of the Manual. The electronic file allows the user to make a printout for his/her fieldwork as well as to include comments and to distribute it by mail among the professionals responsible for the integrity program of the company. 

ARPEL members can download the Reference Manual for Terminals Operation Management from: Https://arpel.org/library/publication/407/.