Petroleum Committee Volunteers Receive CGSB Certificates of Merit for Outstanding Contributions

By Robert Charest, Team Leader, and
Mark Newman, Standards Specialist, Standards Division

The Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) currently manages five active petroleum committees: Aviation Fuels, Gasoline and Alternative Automotive Fuels, Middle Distillate Fuels, Petroleum Test Methods and Petroleum Co-ordinating. The committees meet twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall, and comprise numerous dedicated volunteers representing many organizations from across the country. The contributions of the volunteers and their supporting organizations are greatly appreciated by the CGSB and are critical to the development and maintenance Canadian petroleum standards.

At the 43rd meeting of the Gasoline and Alternative Automotive Fuels Committee held on Wednesday May 19, 2004, five individuals received CGSB Certificates of Merit to recognize their outstanding contributions to the development of National Standards of Canada for petroleum fuels. The recipients were Robert Falkiner (Imperial Oil), Jacques Jobin (Ultramar Ltée), Dr. Win Lee (Natural Resources Canada), Brian Rebus (Alberta Research Council) and Dr. Andrew Pickard (consultant and former Petro-Canada employee). And as a thank you for their support, three of the organizations - Ultramar Ltée, Natural Resources Canada and the Alberta Research Council - received plaques. Imperial Oil and Petro-Canada were previously honoured in 2001.

Congratulations to all on your outstanding contributions to the Canadian General Standards Board.

Award Recipients (Left to right): Dr. Andrew Pickard, consultant and former Petro-Canada employee; accepting for Brian Rebus, Daniel Wispinski, Alberta Research Council; Dr. Win Lee, Natural Resources Canada; Robert Falkiner, Imperial Oil; and Jacques Jobin, Ultramar Ltée.

Robert Falkiner

Mr. Robert Falkiner, of Imperial Oil in Toronto, received a Certificate of Merit in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development of National Standards of Canada for petroleum fuels.

In 1979 Mr. Falkiner became a voting member of the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB)'s Aviation Fuels Committee. From 1985 to 2001, he served on the Gasoline and Alternative Automotive Fuels Committee. He regularly attended meetings and voted on ballots, bringing a high degree of knowledge and technical expertise to the deliberations.

On the Gasoline Committee, Mr. Falkiner worked diligently between meetings to provide the scientific explanations and data that helped support the work of the committee and its working group. His proposals have resulted in major improvements to the gasoline and alternative fuels standards:

• Weather data analysis and volatility requirements from the 1981 weather data base, and negotiating the funding and Environment Canada contract for the current data-base update
• Clauses prohibiting the adulteration of gasoline with harmful substances
• Sampling practices defining the requirements for sampling gasoline and alternative fuels with the Canadian refining industry, including requirements for on-line sampling, testing and statistical quality control
• Vapour pressure requirements for northern areas ensuring CGSB gasoline standards are suitable for use under extremely cold temperatures

These improvements were instrumental in having CGSB's gasoline standards adopted in several provinces and referenced in a number of federal environmental fuels regulations. For instance, Canada is the only country to allow on-line certification of reformulated gasoline and vapour pressure.

As well, Mr. Falkiner played a key role in the development of CAN/CGSB-3.1000, the CGSB standard for the operation of gasoline vapour recovery systems, and in the rewriting of CAN/CGSB-3.14, the propane standard, which also fall under the responsibilities of the gasoline committee.

Mr. Falkiner has been an equally strong contributor on the Petroleum Test Methods Committee. The development of CAN/CGSB-3.0 No. 14.3, Standard Test Method for the Identification of Hydrocarbon Components in Automotive Gasoline Using Gas Chromatography, is just one of his many contributions over the years. Mr. Falkiner was one of the main players involved with its technical development. His efforts helped ensure the availability of supporting technical data so that the field of application would be widely accepted once the method was approved as a national standard. Specifically, one of his main contributions, Equation of State calculations, demonstrated that any evaporation during sampling, storage or testing would cause the benzene concentration to initially increase. This led to the acceptance of the producers using the sealed retain system for meeting the benzene yearly pool average regulatory compliance. Today, the CGSB method is referenced by Environment Canada in the Benzene in Gasoline Regulations, the Sulphur in Gasoline Regulations, and the British Columbia Cleaner Gasoline Regulations for benzene, total aromatics and the benzene emission number (BEN).

In addition to the CGSB, Mr. Falkiner has made a significant contribution through his work with ASTM International. He has generously given of his time to support standards development by serving on various aviation, gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) ASTM committees, and as chairman of SC8D on vapour pressure and volatility test methods. In December 2003 he received the ASTM Award of Excellence for co-chairing a task group that rewrote the D 3700 LPG sampling method. He co-authored and edited the LPG and gasoline chapters in the new ASTM Fuels and Lubricants Handbook.

In his work at Imperial Oil, Mr. Falkiner handles Fuels Quality Assurance, Operations and Development. This is a significant change from his previous role as a technical specialist for gasoline, liquid petroleum gas and crude oil. Mr. Falkiner's activities now include all fuels, which have brought new problem-solving and research and development (R&D) challenges from the refinery and the distribution side of the petroleum business. He still spends a great deal of his time on Canadian ultra-low sulphur gasoline and ultra-low sulphur diesel projects. Before undertaking his new duties, he worked closely with the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute, on behalf of the petroleum industry and as a representative of Imperial, to help establish an auditable self-certification program acceptable to regulators. Thanks to individuals like Robert Falkiner, the federal regulations for benzene in gasoline and sulphur in gasoline , and various provincial regulations have come to rely upon the CGSB test methods and the Alberta Research Council's Inter-laboratory Cross-Check Program.

Mr. Falkiner holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree from the University of Saskatchewan, as well as a master's degree in Analytical Chemistry and bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from McMaster University.

Jacques Jobin

Mr. Jacques Jobin, Manager for Corporate Quality Assurance at Ultramar Ltée in Montréal, Quebec, has been awarded a Certificate of Merit in appreciation for his efforts in maintaining the quality, utility and relevance of the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB)'s petroleum standards.

Mr. Jobin's association with the CGSB began in 1987 when he became a voting member of the Gasoline and Alternative Automotive Fuels Committee. He quickly found himself representing Ultramar as a voting member of the Middle Distillate Fuels, Petroleum Test Methods, and Petroleum Co-ordinating Committees. In 1997 when Ultramar's production included aviation fuel, he joined the Aviation Fuels Committee as a voting member. Since 1987 he has consistently demonstrated strong support for and commitment to the work of the petroleum committees, and for the development and use of Canadian national standards.

Over the years Mr. Jobin has devoted a great deal of time and effort to the development of petroleum standards. He has attended most petroleum committee meetings, including working group meetings, since his first involvement with the CGSB. He is one of the core participants of the Gasoline and Middle Distillate Fuels Working Groups. His contributions to the discussions are always well thought out, with the overall aim of producing appropriate national standards for petroleum products. Mr. Jobin always strives for consensus in discussions, even while defending points of view that are of special interest to Ultramar. He is more than willing to share his own experiences as well as those of his company that are relevant to the discussions.

Mr. Jobin has been a leader in promoting CGSB standards within the province of Quebec and has acted as a liaison with the Government of Quebec. He has raised awareness of these standards among users and approached the Quebec government to harmonize Quebec's standards with those of the CGSB. His actions are largely responsible for ensuring a Quebec presence on the CGSB committees and for ensuring Quebec authorities have an awareness and interest in the work of the CGSB committees. To spark interest among new groups and stakeholders, Ultramar hosted the CGSB meetings in the cities of Québec and Montréal to ease attendance and participation of regulatory authorities in the standardization process.

As an advisor on the French versions of the petroleum standards, he has helped ensure that the terminology used meets the normal standard of language usage in Quebec.

Since joining Ultramar 33 years ago, Mr. Jobin has held many important positions. He started his career as a unit operator, since Ultramar's philosophy was to give new employees an exhaustive training in refining. Quickly, he took on responsibilities for short-, medium- and long-term planning. Before assuming his current responsibilities in Montréal, he was the Manager for Production Control at Ultramar's Quebec refinery. Mr. Jobin handled the implementation of ISO 9000 at the Quebec refinery and is still responsible the refinery's internal audits.

Mr. Jobin holds a bachelor's degree in arts or "Cours Classique" from the Séminaire de Québec and an honours degree in Chemistry from the Université de Laval. He has the remarkable distinction of receiving these two degrees written in Latin.

Dr. Win Lee

Dr. Win Lee, a senior research scientist at Natural Resources Canada in Ottawa, received a Certificate of Merit for the leadership she has shown in the development of National Standards of Canada for petroleum fuels.

Dr. Lee joined the Canadian General Standard Board's Middle Distillate Fuels Committee as an alternate member in 1984 and became a voting member in 1986. Since that time she has contributed scientific data resulting from her research on combustion and emission characteristics for various heating fuels. In particular, she launched a major research program to investigate the impact of fuel oil quality on the combustion performance of stationary fossil fuel-fired combustion equipment. Dr. Lee has also participated and provided scientific input to several working groups in supporting the development, revision and publication of standards for mining diesel fuel, heating oil, low-sulphur diesel, and diesel fuel for locomotive-type engines.

From 1990 to 2003, Dr. Lee chaired the Petroleum Test Methods Committee. During that time, she oversaw the development, revision and publication of 30 test methods. During the past 13 years under her leadership, the committee has developed such test methods as the detailed gas chromatographic analysis of gasoline and diesel fuel to low concentration levels. She was instrumental in the development of a new test method for determining aromatics in petroleum distillate fuels, CAN/CGSB-3.0. No. 15.0, based on her 1987 published report.

Dr. Lee also serves as a voting member of the Petroleum Co-ordinating Committee and as an alternate voting member of the Gasoline and Alternative Automotive Fuels Committee, representing Natural Resources Canada.

An active member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)'s Technical Committee on Air quality (TC 146), Dr. Lee chairs the Subcommittee on Stationary emission sources (SC 1). Her contributions have led to the recognition of Canadian methods within ISO methods, specifically ISO 11338 Parts 1 and 2: Stationary source emissions - Determination of gas and particle-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. She is participating in a working group to adapt the particulate measurement methodology that she developed into an ISO PM₂₅ measurement standard, an effort that Canada is leading.

At Natural Resources Canada's CANMET Energy Technology Centre, Dr. Lee's primary areas of research are combustion, fuel oil quality and the development of new emission measurement technologies. However, her activities also include consultation and management of applied research and development (R&D) projects for other governments and private industry, as well as participation on various national and international scientific committees. Of special note is her recent work for Environment Canada's Notice of Intent on Cleaner Vehicles, Engines and Fuels, which will impact future Canadian sulphur requirements for heating fuels. Internationally, her work includes the combustion assessment of several crude, heavy oils and coal blends for electrical power generation. She is the author of over 150 scientific publications.

Dr. Lee holds an honours degree in Chemistry from the University of Rangoon and a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from McMaster University in Hamilton.

Dr. Andrew Pickard

Dr. Andrew Pickard, a fuels and technology consultant, received a Certificate of Merit for his valuable contributions to the development of National Standards of Canada for petroleum fuels.

In 1982 Dr. Pickard became a voting member of the Canadian General Standards Board's (CGSB) Petroleum Test Methods Committee, representing Petro-Canada. His technical expertise, interest and efforts in the work of the committee were soon recognized and respected. When a negative stood in the way of moving forward, Dr. Pickard was adept at bringing consensus among committee members while not compromising the science. Between meetings, he was committed to undertaking the necessary research and reviews to update and improve the test methods.

Dr. Pickard was appointed committee chair in 1985, a position he held until 1990. During his tenure, he handled the development of CAN/CGSB-3.0 No. 0, Prologue to the Petroleum Test Methods, CAN/CGSB-3.0 No. 140.1, Low Temperature Flow Test (LTFT) for Diesel Fuels, and CAN/CGSB-3.0 No. 18.5, Test for Ethyl Mercaptan Odourant in Propane, Field Method. Dr. Pickard, in particular, provided considerable expertise in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and propane odourization issues, having participated as the Propane Gas Association of Canada's representative on a joint tripartite industry-odourization task group in the U.S.

Dr. Pickard's contributions also extended to the CGSB's Gasoline and Alternative Automotive Fuels Committee and the Middle Distillate Fuels Committee, though he was not a voting member of either. He regularly attended meetings and assisted with the development of standards between meetings. His contributions included

• providing insight into petroleum supply-side issues through his in-depth knowledge of the petroleum industry;
• bringing customer concerns and field problems about fuels to the table;
• using his skills as an editor and as a proofreader to assist in the writing and development of a number of fuel standards;
• playing a key role in the development of CAN/CGSB-3.14, the liquefied propane gas (LPG) standard, through his considerable expertise in that area, including his participation on international bodies dealing with LPGs.

Two years ago, Dr. Pickard changed his status in the Gasoline, Middle Distillates and Aviation Fuels Committees from information to voting member. His primary areas of concentration remain the propane standard and fuel cleanliness issues, including microbiological contamination. As a consultant on the Middle Distillates Committee, he is advancing the development of a proposed new national standard entitled Automotive Low-Sulphur Biodiesel Fuel Blends (C**/CGSB-3.520).

Outside the CGSB, Dr. Pickard was an interested and supporting member for a number of years, when support was lean, of the Canadian Advisory Committee to the International Organization for Standardization's Technical Committee on Petroleum products and lubricants (CAC/ISO/TC 28). As a member of ASTM International's D02 Committee on Petroleum Products and Lubricants, Dr. Pickard has helped develop a number of test methods including those for micro-carbon residue and vacuum distillation, as well as fuel standards. Recently he co-chaired a task group that carried out a major rewrite of the D 3700 LPG sampling method. He has also volunteered his time and expertise to the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute (CPPI), helping to develop the CPPI fuel "Change of Load Guidelines" for loading trucks and rail cars.

Dr. Pickard's distinguished career began with Imperial Oil in Sarnia, where he worked for ten years. There he held positions in a variety of areas including research and development of industrial lubricating oils and waxes, customer service support, and Esso Chemical's laboratory on petrochemicals and additives.

After leaving Imperial Oil, Dr. Pickard joined Petro-Canada in Calgary and over the next 24 years, contributed to many facets of the company's operations. He began in research and development, managing an analytical laboratory in process research. He then took on the responsibilities of technical services manager for Western Canada and culminated his career as senior advisor for fuels in Western Canada. While at Petro-Canada, he contributed to fuel quality and the understanding of fuel issues by developing over 50 fuel bulletins and through seminars given on fuels and the overall petroleum industry. After his retirement in 2003, Dr. Pickard started his consulting business and is now located on Vancouver Island.

Dr. Pickard holds a bachelor's degree (honours) in Chemistry from the University of British Columbia and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Western Ontario. He has also completed two years of post-doctoral studies at the University of Chicago.

Brian Rebus

Mr. Brian Rebus, who retired from the Alberta Research Centre (ARC) in 2003, was honoured with a Certificate of Merit for his role in maintaining the quality, utility and relevance of the Canadian General Standards Board's (CGSB) petroleum standards.

In 1989 Mr. Rebus became an alternate voting member for ARC on all six CGSB petroleum committees and in 1996, the ARC voting member. During his 14-year association with the CGSB's petroleum committees, he attended most committee meetings, and voted and commented regularly on ballots. Mr. Rebus brought to the committees a high degree of knowledge and technical expertise about the testing of petroleum fuels and the ARC Canadian Fuel Exchange Program. He worked diligently between meetings to review existing exchange data and when asked, to establish and run new fuel exchange programs. He regularly informed the committee members of test method developments in their specific areas of interest and updated them on the Canadian Fuel Exchange Program.

Mr. Rebus was extremely active in the development of several new CGSB test methods. Because of his efforts and the ARC data that he brought to the table, CAN/CGSB-3.0 No. 14.3, Standard Test Method for the Identification of Hydrocarbon Components in Automotive Gasoline Using Gas Chromatography, was developed and approved as a National Standard of Canada. He equally championed the development of energy dispersive X-ray florescence spectrometry (EDXRF) methods for sulphur in diesel fuel and sulphur in gasoline, CAN/CGSB-3.0 Nos. 16.0 and 16.1, as well as the atomic absorption method for lead determination in gasoline, CAN/CGSB-3.0 No. 19.5. It has been through the work of individuals like Brian Rebus that the federal regulations for benzene in gasoline and sulphur in gasoline, and British Columbia's Cleaner Gasoline Regulation have come to rely upon the CGSB test methods and the ARC Inter-laboratory Cross-Check Program.

Mr. Rebus also continued ARC's tradition of support, so important to the Petroleum Test Methods Committee, for precision statements in the test methods. This support included the development of precision statements for new methods and the confirmation of precision statements in existing standards. For example, the compilation and assessment of exchange data on the Grabner vapour pressure instrument indicated a difference in precision between different versions of the same instrument.

Mr. Rebus has also been a leader in promoting the use of CGSB standards within the province of Alberta and Canada's Far North. To spark interest among new groups and stakeholders, ARC has hosted the CGSB's petroleum committee meetings to ease the attendance and participation of regulatory authorities in the standardization process.

Internationally, Mr. Rebus served as a voting member on several ASTM D02 petroleum subcommittees, and managed the ASTM Rocky Mountain Fuel Exchange Program. His participation in both ASTM and CGSB test methods standards development allowed him to provide a very important liaison between the CGSB and the ASTM test method committees.

For over 37 years, Brian Rebus had a distinguished career at ARC where he contributed to many parts of the organization. He started his career in 1966 as a laboratory assistant with the Gasoline and Oil Analytical Laboratory. In 1980 he was appointed senior laboratory technologist and technical co-ordinator. From 1982 to 1995, he served as the deputy chief chemist of the Gasoline and Oil Analytical Laboratory, and was appointed the chief chemist of the Fuels and Lubricants group in 1995. Before his retirement in 2003, Mr. Rebus was the business unit manager of the Fuels and Lubricants group.

Mr. Rebus holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Chemistry from the University of Alberta.

The CGSB Certificate of Merit

From time to time, CGSB committee members are singled out by their peers in recognition of their noteworthy contributions. These are members who attend virtually all committee meetings, usually help in the preparation of draft documents for letter ballot, frequently end up chairing committees or working groups, and always earn the respect of their fellow members. They receive a Certificate of Merit, and their employer, who has supported their committee activity, receives a plaque. More information about the criteria for awarding the certificate is available from the Director of the Canadian General Standards Board by telephone 1-800-665-2472, fax 819 956-5740 or e-mail at ncr.cgsb-ongc@pwgsc.gc.ca.