The Mid-South is crisscrossed by major interstate pipeline infrastructure moving Gulf Coast production to national markets. Alabama and Mississippi have active onshore production in the Black Warrior and Interior Salt basins. Louisiana is one of the nation's top oil and gas producing states. The region also supports significant offshore Gulf of Mexico operations through onshore infrastructure in southern Louisiana and coastal Alabama. Memphis Control Center has been supporting Mid-South industrial facilities — including oil and gas operations — since 1967.
From onshore production fields in Alabama and Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico offshore support infrastructure along the Louisiana and Alabama coasts, the Mid-South is home to significant oil and gas activity and the pipeline corridor that moves it to market.
Major interstate pipeline systems pass through or originate in the Mid-South. Kinder Morgan operates the Tennessee Gas Pipeline running through Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama, and the Southern Natural Gas system — approximately 6,900 miles of pipeline extending from supply basins in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Gulf South Pipeline (Boardwalk Pipeline Partners) operates a 7,260-mile system through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The Energy Transfer Mid-Valley crude oil pipeline runs through Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. These systems have compressor stations, metering facilities, and control infrastructure throughout our service territory.
Alabama has onshore oil and gas production in the Interior Salt Basin and the Black Warrior Basin, which extends into northern Mississippi. Louisiana is consistently ranked among the top oil and gas producing states nationally, with both active onshore production and extensive offshore Gulf of Mexico support infrastructure. Memphis Control Center supplies instrumentation, controls, and industrial electrical components to these operations from our Memphis headquarters.
From pipeline compression stations to onshore production controls and fired heater instrumentation — the full scope of controls service we support in oil and gas facilities across the Mid-South.
Interstate and intrastate pipelines depend on accurate pressure, flow, and temperature instrumentation at metering stations, block valve sites, and compressor stations. SCADA systems gather this data across hundreds of miles of pipeline.
Natural gas compressor stations run continuously to maintain pipeline pressure. Controls failures at a compressor station can affect gas deliverability across a wide area. Reliable instrumentation and control system service is critical.
Fired heaters at gas processing plants, pipeline terminals, and refinery facilities require reliable burner management systems and combustion instrumentation. Heater tube failures from runaway temperature are among the most expensive events in these facilities.
Oil and gas facilities have extensive classified electrical areas where flammable gases, vapors, or liquids may be present. Equipment in these areas must be appropriately rated per NEC Article 500 — Class I Division 1 and Division 2 classifications are standard throughout these facilities.
Oil and gas facilities depend on safety shutdown systems to automatically bring processes to a safe state when dangerous conditions are detected. ESD valve actuators, pressure safety valves, and SIS components all require proper specification and maintenance.
Onshore production, gas processing, and pipeline facilities all depend on accurate measurement of pressure, temperature, flow, and gas composition. Instrumentation failures affect both operations and regulatory compliance.
Oil and gas facilities in the Mid-South operate under specific federal and industry standards that affect how controls, instrumentation, and electrical systems are specified, installed, and maintained.
| Standard / Regulation | Authority | Relevance to Controls & Instrumentation | Key Implication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49 CFR Part 192 | DOT / PHMSA | Transportation of Natural and Other Gas by Pipeline — covers pipeline integrity, pressure testing, MAOP, control room management, and leak detection. Instrumentation supporting these functions must be maintained and calibrated | Instrumentation supporting pipeline integrity management and control room operations must meet 49 CFR Part 192 requirements |
| 49 CFR Part 195 | DOT / PHMSA | Transportation of Hazardous Liquids by Pipeline — covers crude oil and petroleum product pipelines. Similar controls and instrumentation requirements to Part 192 for liquid pipelines | Liquid pipeline control system maintenance and testing must meet Part 195 requirements |
| NEC Article 500 | NFPA / AHJ | Classifies hazardous locations in oil and gas facilities (Class I, Division 1 and 2; Groups A-D for flammable gases) and defines equipment requirements. Nearly all production, processing, and compression facilities have classified areas | All electrical and instrumentation equipment in classified areas must be properly rated — using non-rated equipment creates explosion risk |
| OSHA PSM — 29 CFR 1910.119 | OSHA | Process Safety Management applies to facilities handling highly hazardous chemicals above threshold quantities — including many gas processing plants and facilities handling H₂S, flammable gases, or other listed chemicals | PSM-covered facilities must maintain mechanical integrity programs covering instrumentation and controls |
| API 14C / 14E / 14F | API | API Recommended Practices for surface safety systems on offshore and onshore production platforms — API 14C covers surface safety systems, 14E covers piping systems design for offshore production platforms, 14F covers electrical design in offshore production facilities | Production safety system design and instrumentation must follow API RP 14C guidelines |
| IEC 61511 / ISA 84 | IEC / ISA | Functional safety standard for safety instrumented systems (SIS) — applies to SIS systems at gas processing plants, compression stations, and other facilities with defined safety functions | SIS components must match the required SIL level and be maintained and proof-tested on schedule |
Note: This table is a general reference. Specific regulatory requirements for your facility depend on your commodities, throughput, permit conditions, and applicable state and federal requirements. Always coordinate controls and instrumentation work with your facility’s operations, safety, and regulatory teams. Memphis Control Center supports the parts and service coordination side — we are not oil and gas regulatory consultants.
The most common controls and instrumentation issues we support in oil and gas production, pipeline, and processing facilities.
Reference for instrumentation and controls technicians. Always follow your facility’s permit-to-work, hot work, and gas testing procedures. Work in classified areas requires appropriate precautions and properly rated equipment.
Our technical guides cover boiler controls and steam system components used in oil and gas processing and pipeline facilities.
KDM fault codes, lockout diagnosis, flame amplifier selection for fired heater and process heater applications
Series 450, 1000, 2000 for high-pressure utility boiler and process steam applications
Hazardous area controls and SIS expertise shared between oil/gas and chemical processing
PLC, VFD, and control panel service for compressor and facility balance-of-plant systems
We support oil and gas controls and instrumentation service throughout the following areas — along major pipeline corridors, at onshore production areas, and at Gulf Coast support infrastructure.
El Dorado and Smackover AR are in one of Arkansas’s oldest oil-producing regions. Chatom AL is in the Interior Salt Basin production area. Conway AR is the origin of the Fayetteville Express Pipeline system. Natchez MS is a historic oil and gas hub in the Interior Salt Basin.
Tell us your facility type, what’s happening, and where you are. Pipeline, production, or processing — we understand the environment.
Memphis Control Center has been supporting oil, gas, and industrial process facilities across Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana since 1967. Tell us what you need — we understand the environment and we’ll get you taken care of.
For emergencies, outside of business hours, call #901-604-7069
