Ep 5: Oil's Invisible Strings in Daily Life

In this episode of Fueling Conversation, Adam Ragsdale and Allie Sylvester explore how oil-based materials are integral to everyday items, from kitchenware and furniture to medical devices. Allie highlights the unseen role of petrochemicals in daily life and the environmental challenges they pose. The discussion also touches on Flogistix's efforts to optimize oil production while reducing emissions, emphasizing the industry's role in innovation and responsible resource management through vapor recovery and vapor recovery units (VRU).

Transcript
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Adam
Welcome back to Fueling Conversation, I'm Adam Ragsdale, Manager of Creative Solutions here at Flogistix. Over the past few episodes, we've tackled topics like EPA's new methane rule, our innovative VRX series and vapor recovery technologies, and the ins and outs of Flogistix emissions calculator. On this episode, we're going to do things a little differently and shift our focus to something quite pervasive yet often overlookedthe presence of oil based components in everyday items.

Today we have with us Allie Sylvester, Director of Business Solutions here at Flogistix to discuss how oil isn't just powering our vehicles, it's in almost everything around us. Thanks for joining us, Allie.

Ali
Thanks for the introduction, Adam. We're going to keep this short and simple, but the last several episodes have been pretty detailed, right?

Talking about what Flogistix is doing, some of the solutions and technologies that we have, but we're going to talk about the why for a minute. We're going to start by quickly taking you through a tour of a typical home. Let's start in the heart of the home, the kitchen. Just take one moment and think about what's in there.

Let's start with what's most important to me, the coffee pot. But more than that, the drinking cups, egg cartons, cooking utensils, refrigerator shelves, dish sponges, trash bags, your plastic containers, the nonstick coating on your pans, and even the lining of your cereal boxes. These are all made from petrochemicals derived from oil.

It's pretty amazing, isn't it? And these oil based products are essentially in everything, and they're all a part of modern convenience, yet they remain largely unseen.  All right, moving on from the kitchen to the living room, we're going to take a closer look at those surroundings, the synthetic fibers in your carpet, your curtains, and even that comfy sofa that you love to sink into at the end of a long day.

Many of these things are made from materials derived from oil as well. This aesthetics or comfort, it's about functionality, and that's brought to us by the versatility of these oil based products. Now, if we stroll into the bathroom, you'll see this theme continues, right? Shampoo bottles, toothpaste tubes, lotions.

Many of their containers are plastic, which, you guessed it, comes from oil. Even the aspirin in your medicine cabinet likely sits in a bottle made from oil derived plastics. The reach of oil in our everyday lives extends further than many of us realize. But the reality of hydrocarbons are all around us, and it's beyond the home.

Without the use of petroleum derived materials and various products, many of our favorite activities, or really the activities of our children, would be impacted. Items such as ballet tights, sports balls, bicycle tires, sneaker soles, tennis rackets, diving boards, swimming goggles, musical instruments, literally guitar strings, these all incorporate these materials.

And furthermore, these petroleum products are integral in sustaining life, playing a critical role in the production of many essential supplies. Items such as disposable syringes, IV bags, sterile packaging, and various types of medical tubing all rely on these components derived from petroleum. Not to mention advanced medical devices such as artificial hearts, take that in for a second, artificial hearts, prosthetic limbs, hearing aids.

These are made from natural gas and oil products and these materials are vital for ensuring the safety and quality of medical care and generally improving lives. I mean with oil so deeply embedded in our daily routines, it's really important to think about the environmental impact. The convenience of these oil based products comes with challenges.

Especially in terms of pollution and waste. And that's where technology and innovation step in, right? Companies like Flogistix are at the forefront of maximizing profit at the wellhead while eliminating emissions at the point of production. We combine technology and proven machinery for data driven solutions that are going to optimize oil and natural gas sites.

At Logistics, cutting edge technology is used to ensure that oil production is optimized in the most efficient way possible. And really, this is just a stellar example of how industry has and will continue to allow innovation to lead more responsible resource management.  Like I said, I was just going to keep it short and sweet, and this really is just a snapshot of how hydrocarbons are deeply integrated into our lives, and most people really don't even know.

I look forward to how Flogistix is going to continue this conversation. I know that we have a lot on the horizon as far as technology and innovation goes, but really more just about conversation. So thanks for having me today, Adam.

Adam
Thanks, Allie. That's so fascinating. And that wraps up our quick look at the hidden role of oil in our daily lives.

And as Allie stated, this hardly scratches the surface. Thanks for joining us on Fueling Conversation. Make sure to subscribe for more insights and follow along with us on all of our socials at Flogistix. We'll see you next time.