Reporting on the business and technologies
driving today's global industrial gas industry

Current news for the industrial gas market continues to indicate liquidity problems from the original sub-prime mortgage defaults, to commercial loans, to auction rate preferred stocks. Fred Siemer looks at the market from the gases industry perspective, though, and sees that so far, the financial crisis seems to have had little impact. He discussed the reasons why this has been the case and why it is likely to continue. The feature provides financial ratios and yearly EPS comparisons for Airgas, Air Products, Lincoln Electric, and Praxair, capital spending figures for some of the above plus Air Liquide, plus looks at each of those companies, plus Linde and Harsco, individually.

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This CryroGas International article looks at the ASU market today, with Taiyo Nippon Sanso, Matheson Tri-Gas, Chart, Air Liquide, and Air Products all contributing their vast knowledge and updating us on their varied experience in this market. Projects are reviewed in light of high energy prices including details on customer decisions to own or operate ASUs. The contributors explain ways in which the projects seek to increase energy efficiency per unit of production while reducing environmental impacts.

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This feature reviews trends in oxygen combustion and coal plants and gasification along with other processes. The growing demand for electricity combined with rapidly escalating natural gas and oil prices puts pressure on power producers to burn more coal both here and abroad. Minimizing carbon emissions from burning coal is important as electrical generation is responsible for a bout 32 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States with 50 percent of that electricity being generated using coal. Companies such as Air Liquide, Air Products, Praxair and BOC Linde are making innovations in this area at the plant and technology levels.

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This feature discusses the current market trends driving the development of ASUs as well as emerging and growing applications for oxygen and nitrogen in energy markets. Globally we continue to witness the increase in oxygen and nitrogen production offshore to meet demands created by the industrialization of these growing economies. The need to service the growing demand for oxygen and nitrogen makes the potential for growth in the use of large-scale oxygen plants strong. Major gas producers have been concentrating on on-site oxygen and nitrogen for new large volume applications. The primary drivers for demand in the US are coal gasification, oil well workovers and healthcare services. These sectors broaden the applications of oxygen and nitrogen and their expansion bodes well for growth in their markets, even in an economic slowdown.

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In this article, Bob Yeoman reviews current changes to medical gas regulatory requirements and notes the slowdown of activity in this area when compared to 2005 and 2006. The number of proposals for new or changed medical gas regulatory requirements was down in 2007, but the first several months of 2008 indicate the year will be busy. He discussed the role GAWDA and CGA play in helping to set regulatory standards in this field and related projects that they are currently involved with. Yeoman also notes the obstacles the gas industry must overcome when faced with distributing products classified as drugs. The industry’s ongoing relationships with the FDA and the National Board of Pharmacies is looked at.

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In 2002 CryoGas International published a comprehensive article on the main associations relevant to our business. This article looks at where these organizations are today. Included are profiles of CGA, GAWDA, EIGA, AIGA, AIIGMA, CIGIA, JIMGA (formerly JIMA), and IOMA. Today the organizations define and track legislation and sets safety regulations for our industry, and their work is as important as ever. Find out where eachis located, how to contact them, and how to join and participate in any of them.

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