[ Epc Interview ]
[ Epc Interview ]
and specialized transportation ; and associated specialty services . As soft craft service providers , they embed themselves in companies as a sole-source contact , offering SIPA as a bundled service to clients . “ When we are nested on a site , we would typically have folks there who support the operations team . This varies in terms of the task at hand and the needs of the client .”
Projects on the go Currently , Sinitiere is involved in downstream operations where transitions in the industry are taking shape . “ Many of these projects are located in areas along the Gulf Coast . There is a lot of work happening within the modification of existing refining footprints to maintain the ones that are still around . Alternatively , some are taking part in the transition to utilize alternate fuels .” Sinitiere ’ s involvement in projects is seemingly never-ending , including his contribution of experience in biofuels , civil engineering , and commissioning . “ The Gulf Coast has a significant quantity of petrochemical projects that are currently underway . These are smaller add-ons or speciality chemicals . We see a lot of speciality chemical projects going all the way up to big mega projects tied into ethylene crackers or debottlenecking projects .” “ We are currently working on a project that is in the offshore wind realm . There is potential to dive more into that . There is a lot of discussion about projects such as hydrogen infrastructure and development , as well as carbon capture . We work on various projects involving the energy producers you see on the Gulf Coast . In addition to performing handson tasks , we collaborate with operators and engineers to validate projects and assess their commercial viability .”
Key drivers and avenues “ Turner has a 60-plus-year history . So , our customers lean on us for our experience and come to us to provide recommendations for equipment ,” said Sinitiere . The vetting process does not stop there . Sinitiere said they look at companies that have some added value , technology , or automation . “ We partake in a lot of automating and digitalization where we can .” He explained that digitalization and automating processes are slowly but
Doug Sinitiere offers support across a spectrum of oil & gas industry services , including construction , fabrication and specialized maintenance . Photo courtesy of Turner Industries .
surely becoming more prominent in the industry , but overall , it needs to happen faster . Many industry experts have experience but have not adapted to the newer applications . Sinitiere said that site turnaround and maintenance areas tend to move at a swifter tempo . He also conceded that capital projects sometimes require a lengthier time commitment . Project processes can sometimes resemble the gathering of newly found puzzle pieces because nobody can afford the luxury of rigidity . “ You have equipment available ; we have people available ,” Sinitiere explained . “ It boils down to looking at the sequencing and timing because sometimes the equipment or materials are out of the control of someone they are relying on .” Sinitiere experienced this when he previously worked in coatings . “ You had to manage the use of raw materials .” He is optimistic that things are moving in a more positive direction as people are now willing to read the market with a more realistic eye . The supply chain is still skittish ; people are not taking for granted that what they need will be available immediately . Sinitiere believes predictability is another key driver because recognizing what is occurring upstream will provide indications of what to expect from the subsequent process .
Populating energy ’ s future The knowledge gap is an issue that is consistent across the industry . “ There is a growing amount of infrastructure that we need to build or maintain , and because of the gap in the industry , there is less expertise , when previously there was the expertise of 20 , 30 , or 40 years in some cases ,” said Sinitiere . He acknowledged that the industry needs to be more proactive in recruiting and retaining more people . “ We have a lot of good ideas for moving forward , including training and apprentice programs , but it can be hard to implement them in a lot of cases because day-to-day , everything is urgent .” Sinitiere , like most industry experts , knows what needs to happen to retain new individuals . “ We have to slow down when we get somebody in , really onboard them , train them well for a while , and make sure that we provide them with as much information as we can . We must keep getting better at that .”
24 Stainless Steel World October 2024 www . stainless-steel-world . net