[ End-User Interview ]
[ End-User Interview ]
Fluor ’ s corporate headquarters in Irving , Texas .
practice of copying parts from earlier projects to speed up the process , as it saves a lot of time with regards to engineering design and procurement . Depending on the demand , the FAST LNG project could see any number of other smaller constructions in the future . The goal for now is to go to market and to start producing . Claire and her team are currently mainly monitoring these smaller projects and making sure everything proceeds according to plan . Fluor is also working on the Cedar LNG project , the first indigenous-majorityowned LNG export facility in Canada . It will be a near-shore , permanently moored floating liquid natural gas ( FLNG ) facility . The natural gas will be transported through an approximately eight-kilometre-long pipeline , which is connected to the Coastal GasLink pipeline . The natural gas will be liquefied at the project site and stored onboard the FLNG , after which it will be loaded onto an LNG carrier . “ It is a near-shore , all electric drives , self-sufficient facility which utilises existing infrastructure and thus minimises impact on the local environment . Such an FLNG facility is quite a popular concept and , with some modification , can be deployed in different locations close to the gas and power sources .”
Responsibilities and materials Claire ’ s responsibilities as a Lead Piping Materials Engineer means that she can work on multiple projects at the same time . She spends a part of her time on the Cedar LNG project and is always ready to help with anything that might pop up in the other projects , for which she readily offers suggestions and recommendations . “ The majority of my work revolves around manual valves . Control valves are handled by a different group . We ’ re also responsible for all the piping for manual valves : anything having to do with selection , standards , and codes . About half my work revolves around valve selection , procurement , and writing specifications for valves and other materials .” Piping materials include pipe , fittings , gaskets , strainers , and flanges . One of the main issues to watch out for regarding materials is corrosion . To combat those effects , Claire explains that Fluor is often trying to source the higher alloys , but they ’ re always a challenge to find . “ I haven ’ t seen any improvement over the last couple of years . Instead , it seems the industry is trying to catch up with all the newer technology . Renewables seem to be a lot more corrosive . Another hot topic is the rise of carbon capture , for which Fluor has the technology but the industry economics have historically been challenging . We ’ re starting to see these projects come to fruition due to recently passed legislation in certain regions . And now , hydrogen has just started to take off . Liquid hydrogen is the more critical of the lot because we do not have much experience with the lower temperatures . We haven ’ t seen much of it , but we know it ’ s there . With regards to the limited availability of products and materials , Claire notes that projects will have to be aware that the delivery times will take longer . “ The schedule has to allow for that ,” she says . “ It ’ s not something people involved want to hear , because they ’ d prefer everything to go quickly . The thing to do is to identify these challenges at the beginning of the project – different materials that are going to be more difficult to procure . Your goal is to order them as soon as you can .” In addition to the struggle with materials , Claire also finds that there can be massive delays with valves , some of which are over a year late . It ’ s a challenge to use these experiences and learn from them ; hopefully being able to minimise any delays for future projects , though not everything can be anticipated . “ Generally , the more manufacturers you have , the better off you are . That , as well as the costs , are things you need to weigh up at the beginning . You try to make decisions based on the market and the number of suppliers available .”
Sustainability The industry is moving towards greener energy , and one way Claire notices this is because Fluor is working on more projects in support of the energy transition toward a more sustainable future . “ You can see that Fluor spends a lot of time going to different conferences , and presenting at lots of business forums . Right now , Fluor is very hopeful about the future and where we ’ re heading . It ’ s crucial to stay ahead of what ’ s to come and to have the expertise to deal with all those changes .”
About the company
Fluor Corporation is building a better world by applying their expertise to solve its clients ’ greatest challenges . Fluor ’ s 40,000 employees provide professional and technical solutions that deliver safe , well-executed , capitalefficient projects to clients around the world . In 2022 , Fluor was ranked 259 among the Fortune 500 companies . With headquarters in Irving , Texas , Fluor has provided engineering , procurement and construction services for more than 110 years .
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