The Team

Background

  • Richard has over 20 years experience in oil and gas spanning from design to portfolio leadership
  • He has significant experience taking on challenging projects and leading them to a successful outcome.
  • Unlocks the value of simplifcation, looks beyond status quo to bring why? And why not?, to a tangible outcome of innovation.

Professional Experience

BP Trinidad & Tobago Limited 2005 – 2020

BP TAR Lead 2018 –2020

  • Delivery of TARs within the Trinidad Region.
  • Led local development and implementation of a real time reporting app for Turnarounds and Projects.
  • Led delivery of the first low pressure ready site for the Cassia C compression project 2 years ahead of schedule by synergizing the TAR anomaly repair scope with the future project needs and convincing stakeholders to fund the initiative.
  • Re-visited Select Stage to add an alternative option and influenced and supported the project team to deliver that option resulting in cost savings and lower exection risks.
  • Utilised a composite deck repair to remove an extensive hotwork from the Immortelle 2018 TAR.

BP TAR Manager 2014 – 2017

  • Accountable for the strategy, delivery of TARs, and Special Projects within the Trinidad Region.
  • All facilities put in range of 1.4 to 2.8 TAR days per annum.
  • Delivered consolidated portfolios of work consisting of TARs, projects, campaign and maintenance works utilizing highly motivated niche companies from across the globe.
  • Led the Vent Boom Relocation Project at Amherstia, addressed the fear of dropped objects by stipulating a net bouyant boom design
  • Concept to the delivery of a topside bypass done in the same planning cycle of the TAR (90 weeks) for the Mahogany B TAR 2016.

BP Projects & Modifications Manager – Offshore 2010-2013

  • Accountable for development and performance of a new Engineering and Project Management Services contract with Worley for brownfield offshore projects up to 50M USD.
  • Led design and delivery of The 48” Modifications Project at Cassia B. Project involved the addition of a 48” DEG gate valve to the Cassia B facility with a new launcher and topside bypass that would allow the NUIs’ – Mango, Cannonball, Serrette to flow without the Cassia B hub being in service.
  • Brought closure to non-value adding legacy projects. Demonstrated to Project Sponsors that TRL levels were not sufficient at the time to realise a viable outcome – Cannonball Inline Compressors. Handed over projects where better positioned entities could execute at lower cost and risk – Galeota Jetty Decommissioning.

Innovative solutions

V 603 Cone Based Tank Repairs – BP Galeota

  • Foundation walls were beyond repair and the base was filled with oil contaminated sand. I re-designed the base wall to address the original design’s sub-optimal placement of reinforcement, concrete specification and replace the oil contaminated sand with same density foam concrete to keep the loading on the piles constant. This removed the construction dilemma of getting in compacted shaped in a cone below the existing tank cone. All of these works were done with the Tank jacked and supported in situ. The refurbuised tank safely completed another 10 years in service without any structural or mechanical issues.

Crude Oil Storage Tank #2 Stair Case Replacement – BP Galeota

  • Designed and implemented a new tower staircase in lieu of tank emptying, cleaning and hotwork to repair the exisitng integrated staircase which facilitated roof access for operations. Savings in excess of 2M USD without any service interruption.

Galeota Jetty Life Extension

  • Developed and implemented low cost repair to extend the service life of a Jetty. The jetty was beyond the design life but was needed in service for a few more years. While all consulted experts recommended only full sheet pile replacement, I reviewed the failures, determined root causes and designed repairs to address the at risk components such as tie wall connections and used UW concrete to address toe/mudline issues. Jetty remained safely in service until decommissioning date was reached. Major capital investment of over 50M USD was avoided.

V409 – TSP Pigging infrastructure

  • Re-designed foundation stipulated by EPC contractor to use driven piles in an operating facility. I replaced the driven piles with augered piles, used a small local contractor to execute and got it done at a small fraction of the original cost and schedule.

TSP Metering Skid Foundation

  • Late in planning the environmental team raised concerns of potentially contaminated soil at the site of the newly proposed infrastructure within the existing crude oil plant. Coupled with the known unknowns of buried cables and pipes any ground disturbance could derail the tight project schedule. I re-designed the foundation details to sit on top of the existing concrete slabs and updated all impacted piping drawings necessary to deliver. Project delivered on schedule, on budget with all stakeholder requirements satisfied.

Caisson dropped risk at Amherstia and Caisson life extension across field

  • Developed and executed a splash zone (below MSL) cassion clamp repair from the topside without putting men in the water. Sacrificed a few bolt torquing equipment heads. Risk identification to risk removal in few weeks at low cost. Simultaneously sourced and deployed Oilstates to install swaged cold work sleeve repairs from the topside for other at risk caissons across the field.

Earlier Career Summary

Trintoplan Consultants

  • Feasability studies
  • Site management of various infrastructure development projects
  • Civil & structural design

Education

BSc. (Hons) Civil Engineering (University of the West Indies)

Professional Development

Engineering Management (BP)- University of Manchester

PMP (expired)