Petrochemical Plant Heavy Lift Planning and Execution Expert

Expertise

• 30 years of experience in refinery plant engineering and heavy lift project management.
• Heavy lift planning and execution, project development and management services, preparation of construction specifications, management consulting, and development of innovative solutions to solve complex construction problems.
• Published author and frequent presenter at crane safety conferences.

Experience

Undisclosed Company, Project Development Manager Present

• Assist major international petrochemical clients in early development of heavy lifting and transport.
• Work with local teams along the U.S. Gulf Coast to expand into new market areas.
• Represent company at industry conferences including Coking.com and American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturing (AFPM, formerly National Petroleum Refiners Association, NPRA).

Becht Engineering Co., Gulf Coast Division, Division Manager, 2003 - 2012

• Conducted lift planning studies for ExxonMobil and other major petrochemical clients.
• Served as lead investigator of a crane accident resulting in four fatalities involving one of the largest cranes in the world.

Hydro Consultants - Carmagen Engineering, Consultant, 2000 - 2003

• Developed concept and participated in design of four-derrick delayed coker lift.
• Utilizing Deep South TC-36000 crane to lift a load of 1,475 Kips.
• Receiving award for development of a novel concept that saved $1.8M during turnaround.
• Developed plans and lift manual for Manitowoc M-888 Ringer Crane for ExxonMobil.
• Reviewed planning for setting of 1,200 ton reactor using jacking towers with strand jacks, making the heaviest lift in Beaumont Refinery history.

ExxonMobil, Project Manager, 1966 - 2000

• Managed demobilization operations for Valdez Oil Spill Cleanup Operations, which involved 1,200 vessels and over 10,000 personnel.
• Engineered and supervised the lifting of smaller ships onto large seagoing barges for transportation from Valdez, Alaska to the US Gulf Coast.
• Planned all lifting activities for horizontal dual media filtration vessels at large wastewater treatment plant in Bayway, New Jersey.
• Developed concept for lifting head and cyclones from Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU) at a refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
• Utilizing CB&I S-70 Derrick Crane for first type of lift.
• Author of comprehensive lift manual for all operations.
• Utilized Lampson LTL-1200 crane to remove head and reactor for PCLA-2 process unit at a refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
• Designing concrete floating slab measuring 130 'x 160' x 5' for crane foundation, a first in ExxonMobil's history.
• Participated in planning and execution of 12 catalytic cracking unit head and cyclone lifts for global operations.
• Developed comprehensive Lift Manuals for each operation.
• Participated in the review of all development work for Lampson LTL-2600 cranes for Esso Australia Pty. Ltd.
• Setting a lift world record at 1,425 metric ton.
• Participated in the development of the "Exxon Crane Guide Lifting Safety Management. System", a globally printed manual that was accepted as the basis for all safe crane operations by Alberta, Canada.
• Led four crane accident investigations for ExxonMobil.
• Developed industry-first concept to remove FCCU reactor through "cut out", where an old vessel is removed in three sections and a new vessel installed in three sections.
• Reviewed and participated in the challenging and complex lift operation for an FCC unit using a Lampson LTL-11 00 crane at Benicia Refinery, including the development of comprehensive lift manual.
• Developed basis for current ExxonMobil standard of reviewing and managing all heavy lift operations for a refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Honors & Publications

Credentials

• Registered professional civil engineer in Louisiana, New Jersey, and Texas.

Academic and Professional Affiliations

• Life Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers

Publications

• North American writer for the magazine International Cranes and frequent speaker at national conferences on the topic of crane safety and operations.

Education

• B.S. Civil Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC