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GAINING SPEED: LIBERTY ENERGY SERVICES MOVES BEYOND INSPECTION

Liberty Energy Services joined forces with Safety Management Systems over a year ago and the partnership is gaining incredible speed. Liberty Energy is starting to offer services outside of inspection such as railcar loader support for companies like MarkWest and SMS is offering comprehensive operational support for customers such as Shell. It is through the partnership between SMS and Liberty that these expansions are possible. MarkWest came to Liberty with a need to provide railcar loader personnel in support of their Hopedale Fractionation Facility and Railyard Terminal near Jewett, Ohio. Subsequently, Liberty has started providing railcar loaders at another MarkWest facility, Houston Processing and Fractionation Facility near Houston, Pennsylvania.

A Trusted Source

Such requests don’t come out of left field. Liberty and MarkWest have built a stable partnership and the project came out of trust in our abilities. Since 2014, we have provided consulting and new construction inspection services, which provided a platform to network within their organization on other offerings. As with other clients, when we deliver our product effectively, we are sometimes approached with other projects. This assignment reflects that our services are not exclusive to just the pipeline industry, but can be effectively applied across other industries within the oil and gas market.

The Project Scope

Our scope includes providing experienced or new railcar loader operators who are trained to safely load tank cars designed to transport liquid natural gas. Responsibilities include conducting pre-check steps, operating loading equipment, verifying tank car numbers, monitoring product movement, sealing and verifying outlet valves and covers, and overall ensuring rail tank cars are ready for safe transportation. Since these operations are conducted 24/7, our operators work 12-hour shifts in all types of weather conditions. We currently have 19 loaders assigned at the Hopedale facility and four loaders at the Houston facility. Our railcar loaders are highly dedicated professionals and enjoy their assignments. We recruit, screen and interview local people for these assignments, which strengthens local economies and aids employees’ families with excellent benefits and compensation. In turn, we have a very low turnover rate.

As with any new project, it does not come without its challenges. Due to the handling of highly volatile liquids, railcar operations are tightly regulated. They require a special focus on safety and multiple checks. Our employees undergo multiple training activities coupled with specific DOT railroad certifications to meet these requirements.

Growth Results for Both Companies

Our continued personnel support has resulted in MarkWest reaching significant railcar loadout volume records, leading to expansion into other railcar terminals. More importantly, MarkWest has hired a number of our employees full-time, which we have supported. As we all know, attracting and retaining good employees requires investment in time and effort, and our results are reflected in our low turnover rates. We recently had another client approach us with an opportunity to provide similar services in Texas, which we are prepared to fulfill, thanks to MarkWest.

To learn more about rail car loader services, please contact Mike Fuentes at michael.fuentes@libertyenergyservices.com