PROFILE: Managing P&IDs from Studies to “As-Builts”

2008–2009       Borger Gasoline Benzene Reduction

Systems Area Lead for multiple units, including major heat integration,  P&ID responsibility for PHA comments into IFD release, updating with LOPA/SIL decisions. I was also responsible for “Management of Change” through to IFC

 

2006–2007       Amoco Yorktown and Marathon Garyville

• Senior Systems Engineer for S-Zorb Unit – competitor to ExxonMobil ScanFiner technology.
• P&ID Lead for FEL2 to FEL3 on Hydrocracker and Kerosene Hydrotreater through to IFD.

 

2005–2006       BP Cherry Point

Senior engineer in “Design to Capacity” de-bottlenecking of coker plus technical specs for merchant hydrogen plant. Set up link to the refinery for hourly average “PI” baseline data”. Our studies created PFDs and updated P&IDs.

 

1990-1992       Mobil R& D Corp

Part of the group in Princeton responsible for FCC technology licensing (e.g. Atomax nozzles). My first task was in validating competing versions of in-house proprietary “MAPS” which predicted refinery yields for e.g. cracking and reforming units, given only a slate of crude oil assays. My second role was Team Lead over engineers writing yield optimization routines for catalytic processes e.g. CCR,  semi-regen, fluid crackers and hydrotreaters. The data was pulled from a refinery’s “ProMIS” system - combination of “PI” and LIMS, standardized across Mobil plants.

 

1985–1989       N.Z. Synthetic Fuels Corp

Supervised a nine-person group to create “as-built” of all P&IDs for all units at N..Z SynFuel: a $1.2 billion NZ Government/Mobil “Gas-to-Methanol-to-Gasoline” project. The MTG unit used Mobil’s ZSM-5 catalyst to synthesize high-octane C5-C6 hydrocarbons as blendstock.

 

Mobil’s Startup Manager & Bob did Utilities unit’s performance tests. Became supervisor of Process Computer system’s staff for performance diagnostics, plus the CAD group doing P&ID revisions, plus managing 25,000 CAD drawings.

 

1982 -1984      University of Auckland

Bob returned to the University due to impact of Iran-Iraq war on N Z Refining Corp’s light, sweet crude supply. Taught Process Analysis & Synthesis plus Senior year Design Project. This included developing scoping-level technology design, given a topic choice from relevant industries. Teams of four had to develop Block Flow, Process Flow, Stream Summaries, Materials Selection (an approach being adapted now by Rice University, in my latest role as Design Course Advisor)

 

1978      Ergon Refining, Vicksburg MS

Commissioned major refinery capacity expansion, including P&ID verification against Control Logic

 

1974, 1976      Gladieux Refinery, Ft. Wayne IN

• Redesign for mixed crude slate (26º to 38º API),  then upgrade to make JP-5 military jet Fuel
• Shared unit checkout responsibility, including all as-builts, then unit engineer during startup.