A Chance to Expand: Growing International Gas Odorization Equipment through Learning & Teaching

Jimmy Teo, Asia Pacific Business Development Manager of YZ Systems, works with our international team to grow and develop business in Southeast Asia. He leads projects in a number of places including Thailand, India, Singapore and China. We asked him to share his experience expanding YZ Systems’ gas odorization and sampling equipment into these areas and the value it has brought customers.

What is your professional background? Have you always worked in the gas and oil market?

I graduated with a Finance degree, but have been in the hydrocarbon world since I started my first job with Air Liquide back in 2004. I worked in the lab environment, collecting various types of samples from non-toxic to toxic gas/liquid for analysis in a Gas Chromatograph (GC). Back in those days, there was a lot of gas detection research being done with GC because we were supporting all of Southeast Asia’s supply on the span gas calibration standard.

I have moved around since that job, but I’ve stayed in the industry as a sales rep. With my current role, I’m involved in the supplying of analyzers and detectors for oil and gas customers.

What brought you to YZ Systems?

I love challenges and the company was really focused on growing their market share internationally. They give clarity, drive, and most importantly, job satisfaction. After my interview with the GM of Singapore, I ran through the YZ Systems website and downloaded the operational manual to understand more of the products and the company’s opportunity. Both odorizer and composite sampling was pretty new to me at the time, but I was excited to take on this role, especially knowing YZ’s reputation in the States. The results have been encouraging, and our installation base is increasing every year.

Can you speak to YZ’s commitment to safety through their technology and what that means for communities?

Our goal is keeping families safe. I was recently reminded of the importance of this two years ago when I had a gas leak at my home. My child, who was under 2 years old, and my wife were home. My family was lucky that the gas network had been properly odorized to alert them. The odorization process and the equipment used is meant to keep us safe. I ask all industry professionals – don’t you want your home to be safe?

We achieve this in odorization applications by emphasizing safe and accurate measurement—the safety of the communities will depend on the safe use of natural gas. Our equipment ensures accurate and continuous injection in networks at a desired, regulated rate. Additionally, the system operates odor-free during normal operation to prevent any false alarms on-site.

Reliability is also important for our sampling applications. They are used as a cash registry between a buyer and seller. Readings must always be accurate.

What challenges or questions do you address for customers?

It’s not just the equipment we sell to our customers; we also provide additional value through Engineering Procurement Consultations (EPC). I spend a lot of time at customer’s offices sharing best practices based on international standards or discussing our expertise on a complete odor-free environment for odorant injection skid system. In some cases, we even become involved in Hazard and Operability (HAZOP), exploring how our piece of equipment fits in to HAZOP for the whole plant. YZ contributes and shares as much as we can to make things easier for our customers.

It seems like you have the opportunity to support as well as educate your customers. Do you think this adds additional value to the end user?

Yes, I think it helps gains trust and confidence in our team when we can add that type of value. I also think that it helps ensure safety and reinforce quality. One statement we commonly hear from customers is that it’s “normal” for odorization stations to smell. However, the basic principle of odorization is adding odorant into natural gas or LPG to warn communities of a potential “gas leakage”. In normal operating condition, the odorizer should never smell. It will actually create a false alarm on-site. We’ve seen a lot of locally made systems already in place — typical chemical injection system at our customer’s sites — that smell badly and have no audit trails or proven technology to dose according to requirements.

YZ uses industry and technology expertise to work with and educate our customers.

What projects are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on a few LNG terminal projects in Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore, as well as large-scale distribution network projects in India, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Malaysia. For additional growth, I’ve placed a large focus on growing the Chinese market.

The opportunity to learn is never ending for the YZ brand. We are always listening to customer feedback to improve on ourselves and fuel new advancements. For example, our upcoming new product is based on the input from customers worldwide, and that motivates and drives me.

What trends do you see in the market?

In Asia, we are facing a shortage of natural gas. The import of LNG has grown significantly over the last few years and will continue to grow for the next few years. Government initiatives play important roles in this growth. Here are a few geographic examples:

1. India/Pakistan–The government is building more natural gas networks to supply gas to residences and industries.
2. Indonesia – Natural gas is being used to substitute LPG/kerosene.
3. China – Clean energy is becoming a significant tactic in fighting pollution.
    

What is your favorite part of working at YZ systems?

I really enjoy being part of the YZ team. I have the privilege of working with experienced engineers and managers within the organization, and we all have the opportunity to learn from one another on the best practices worldwide. There is nothing that cannot be discussed, and there is always help when needed.

When it comes to working with customers, over the years we have developed a lot of good friendships rather than just a customer-vendor relationship. This couldn’t have happened without our constant close contact with the customer – sharing our expertise and guiding them.

To learn more about the YZ Team and products in your area, find a distributor.