● ASTRON ENERGY
TECHNICAL LEAD (Aug 2022 to date)
As a technical lead I am accountable for the Technical Functional excellence delivering quality technical support to the Business Team consistent with SHE, Reliability and profitability objectives. My other functions include:
- Drive Process Safety excellence by providing technically sound input to risk assessments and HAZOPs;
- Drive reliability and predictability through high quality unit monitoring (unit health) and asset strategy input
- Drive profitability through high quality unit monitoring (unit capability) and constraint analysis
- Drive long term constraint busting through adequate technical assessment and development of cost-effective plans/strategies
- Advance long term production strategies for unit profitability
● ASTRON ENERGY
LEAD PROCESS ENGINEER (Oct 2019 - Jul 2022)
As a lead process engineer my primary purpose was to supervise and lead a team of process engineers and in-service trainees. Notable projects/activities include the following:
- Led process engineering input into Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) and HAZOPs
- Led and managed turnaround process engineering inspections for Crude Unit, Vacuum Unit, Jet Merox, Utilities (water treatment and boilers) and Diesel Blending Units
- Implementation of key field projects during turnarounds which are required for start-up;
- Identify and drive repair recommendations on equipment during turnarounds on Crude Unit, Vacuum Unit, Jet Merox, Utilities (water treatment and boilers) and Diesel Blending Units
- Led process engineering input into risk assessments for plant modifications which include Crude & Vacuum distillation, Utilities (water treatment and boilers), Jet Merox, Catalytic Polymerization & Visbreaker Units
- Providing and supervising process engineering support to various growth projects in the refinery
Provide process engineering input in major hazard installation (MHI) risk reviews for on Crude Unit, Vacuum Unit;
- Leading reliability reviews for areas which include Crude & Vacuum distillation, Utilities (water treatment and boilers), Jet Merox, Catalytic Polymerization & Visbreaker Units which includes formulation of projects and plant modifications
- Supporting various refinery initiatives in preparation of 2022 refinery start-up which includes preservation of units, development and review of start-up procedures, operating guidelines and operator training guides, review of mass balance procedures, project execution
- Project scope and execution of optimizing energy efficiency of refinery fired heaters (furnaces and boilers);
- Process project support to implementing motorized steam trap to reduce steam/condensate loss in refinery;
- Process project support to rectify fired heater defects for safe refinery start-up;
● ENGEN
SENIOR PROCESS ENGINEER (Jan 2013 - Sept 2019)
My primary role was to provide process engineering solutions to refinery for various process units including Visbreaker, Fluid Catalytic Cracking, Minalk and Paraffinic Isomerization. As a senior process engineer, I also had the opportunity to mentor and guide younger engineers in the refinery. Notable projects/activities include:
- Compiled project feasibility study for modifications on Visbreaker unit to ensure bunker fuel oil compliance ahead of IMO 2020 specification changes which included hydraulic studies, economic calculations, operating/control philosophy and commissioning plan;
- Compiled engineering scope of work for Solvent Deasphalting unit, Fluid Catalytic Cracker, Visbreaker and Bitumen Blending unit for IMO 2020 compliance;
- Completed volume balance on all black oil units including Crude Unit, Vacuum Distillation unit, Visbreaker, Fluid Catalytic Cracker, Solvent Deasphalting Unit and Bitumen Blending unit;
- Led process engineering input into the Lean Naphtha project and testrun which included conducting a job safety analysis, compiling basis of design, installation of sample points, conducting a testrun and compiling a post-audit report;
- Process engineering support for HAZOPs and Bowtie analysis for units – Visbreaker, FCCU, USGP, Isomerization units;
- Process Hazard Assessments and Reviews for the FCCU and the Visbreaker unit;
- HAZOP facilitation for the Isomerization unit PSV installation;
- Troubleshooted sulphates exceedances in refinery effluent, compiling technical memorandum and presentation to senior management team;
- Troubleshooted the Merox sweetening reactor high dP and off-specification product, compiling technical memorandum and resolving system inefficiencies;
- Process engineering lead/manager during refinery turnarounds;
- Troubleshooting Minalk high air dosing rates and control valve sizing;
- Process Safety Valve sizing for Isomerization recycle gas using API 520/521 guidelines;
- Led and conducted the testrun on Visbreaker to produce bitumen blend-stock for IMO 2020 compliance;
- Led the testrun on Solvent Deasphalting Unit to increase bitumen production from the unit;
- Completed engineering scope and economic calculations for new plant modifications;
● ESKOM
CHEMICAL ENGINEER (Jan 2010 - Dec 2012)
My role was to provide process engineering solutions to the power station on raw water treatment plant, demin water treatment plant, cooling water treatment plant as well as sewage treatment plant. Notable projects include:
- Compiled Scope of Work and engineering contracts (in accordance with NEC3) and subsequent evaluations of tenders for engineering projects;
- Led the mechanical refurbishment of various refurbishment projects which includes the Water Treatment Plant and caustic dosing plant;
- Conducted a Root Cause Analysis investigation into maintenance challenges on Sewage (waste water) treatment plant and compiled engineering scope as well as cost/benefit analysis of alternatives considered;
- Completed a process design to upgrade of the sewage (waste water) treatment plant to include membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology to ensure the effluent complies with Special Limits as per government effluent specifications (Regulation 991 of 1984);
- Led the installation and commissioning of sulphuric acid storage tanks and dosing mechanisms for Cooling Water Treatment Plant project;
Design and installation of a brine dosing system for organic removal on anion resin;
