The Gas Processors Association (GPA) has changed its name to the GPA Midstream Association. The change was approved April 11 during the group’s 95th annual general session in New Orleans. GPA Midstream was selected to more clearly identify the midstream industry that the organization has evolved into in recent years, while keeping the equity of the GPA reference for which the energy association is most popularly
known.

A key consideration of the name change decision was that GPA has become much more visible in Washington, D.C., and in several key energy state capitals as a result of the association’s heightened advocacy efforts. The association opened and staffed an office in Washington in 2015. GPA Midstream Association will now have no abbreviation and no reference to Gas Processors Association. The letters GPA will simply be part of the new name.

“I don’t care if your business is one year old or nearly 100 years like ours, the name change process is neither easy nor fun, but it was necessary for us,” said Mark Sutton, association president and CEO. “Plain and simple, we’re no longer made up only of gas processors and, in reality, that’s been the case for several years now. Our membership today represents every aspect of the midstream industry and it’s time that we made that claim.”

GPA Midstream is the fifth name for the association that was founded in 1921. It originally was the Association of Natural Gasoline Manufacturers. In 1927 its name changed to Natural Gasoline Association of America. Another adjustment came in 1961, to the Natural Gas Processors Association. The name was shortened to Gas Processors Association in 1974.

“Our association has made great strides in being a respected authority in legislative and regulatory arenas in dealing with everything midstream,” Sutton said. “”Government and environmental groups know us as GPA, and GPA Midstream keeps that identity plus bolsters our position as the experts on midstream issues even more.” GPA Midstream represents nearly 100 corporate members of all sizes. Most are U.S.-based companies, but membership does
include some international companies. Members are engaged in the gathering and processing of natural gas into saleable pipeline gas, which are commonly referred to as midstream activities in the energy industry. GPA Midstream’s corporate office is in Tulsa.