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PHILLIPS 66
PROJECT ENGINEERING INTERN RODEO, CA (JUN – SEP 2013)
Supervisor: Derek Lofquist
Mentor: Eric Reynolds
When I joined Phillips 66, I had never worked professionally in engineering
and had minimal knowledge of refinery technology & processes. After a
couple of weeks, I had been assigned projects involving different types of
fixed equipment design and entirely unfamiliar topics.
My first steps were to connect with individuals associated with the projects
and determine what goals needed to be accomplished. I communicated with
drafters, maintenance, and operation personnel to make sure drawings were
being created accurately and that all possible issues were investigated. On
one of my projects, I calculated the minimum pipe thickness allowed for a
corrosive service using a Microsoft Excel tool. Furthermore, I read
literature, spoke with other employees, and studied field equipment to
develop a basic understanding of how the Rodeo Refinery operated.
By the end of my internship, I had completed the construction paperwork
for projects that will have added mechanical valves, heat exchanger cleaning
control, and new pump suction piping by the end of 2015. These additions could save Phillips 66 millions of dollars
in lost profit opportunities caused by refinery upsets & shutdowns as well as environmental fines. Furthermore, I
presented the results of my projects and my internship experience to over 20 people, including refinery leadership.
REFINERY BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT INTERN HOUSTON, TX (JUN – SEP 2014)
Supervisor & Mentor: Pete Roblyer
Project Collaborators: Bhavik Patel, Antonio Seijas, Vance Green, and Clay White
After my 2013 summer internship experience, I was excited and felt ready to take on
the challenges of the 2014 summer. It only took a week to realize that I would need
to communicate with more types of people and further expand my engineering
knowledge. In addition, the internship would be geared towards improving
reliability at over 10 Phillips 66 refineries, not just one.
Similar to the previous summer, I spent the first weeks researching my projects and
finding experts that could mentor me. For my compressor analysis tool project, I
taught myself Microsoft Excel Visual Basic (VBA) once I discovered that no
company employee was proficient in the language. During a business trip, I spoke
directly with engineers and maintenance individuals to listen to their opinions on my project topics. Whereas I
developed novel solutions in 2013, this summer proved to be more about communication and organization to
achieve the projects’ end goals.
By the end of the summer, I had completed four projects, including a compressor performance analysis tool, a case
study on rope access utilization for inspection & maintenance, reliability software implementation, and a modified
refining bolting best practice. The compressor analysis tool could save the company over $10,000 per analysis, delay
overhauls that average $500,000 each, and increase energy efficiency by 5% per compressor. The rope access case
study identified a gap of over $10 million. Once again, I presented on my projects and my internship experience to
around 20 people, including the company’s subject matter experts.
Figure 2. Phillips 66 Logo.
Figure 1. Me & a 3000-Horsepower Pump.