CHEMICAL DIVISION Newsletter – Issue 2; May, 2012 › home › images › stories ›...

Contents

1 …… Message from President 2 …… Editorial 3 …… Industry News‐Atlantic LNG 5 …… APETT 2012 AGM 6 …… APETT Strategic Plan 8 …… Governance Matters ‐ TT EITI 10 .…. Research It – Modeling Oil Spills 11 …… Benefits of APETT Membership 13 …… People News 13 …… Engineers’ Corner 15 …… Upcoming Activities

Message from President, APETT, Eng. Narine Singh Greetings, fellow Engineers. First of all, let me thank the membership of APETT for the confidence you have placed in me, by allowing me to serve the Association for the 2012‐2013 term. We continue to focus on matters to promote the profession in general, the individual engineer’s achievement of his value, and our responsibility to protect and enhance the quality of life of the public. I have chosen as the theme for my year of service to you: APETT, A Value Proposition – Realization of the Engineer’s Value. This is in fact a natural progression from the previous themes – Bridging Engineering and the Society (2010/2011) and Becoming more Relevant (2011/2012). Continued on page 2 …

Editor: Eng. Dr. Haydn I. Furlonge Editorial Team: Eng. Lydia Lee Chong, Eng. Neil Bujun; Eng. Farad Boochoon; Eng. Dr. David Alexander Support provided by the following persons is gratefully acknowledged: APETT’s Executive Council Members; Eng. Dr. Gail Baccus‐Taylor, UWI; Eng. Kevin Granger. For more information on the Division, or if you wish to contribute to APETT’s activities, please contact us: Phone: 766 1682; 627 6697 Email: [email protected] Web: www.apett.org Address: The Professional Centre, 11‐13 Fitz Blackman Drive, Port of Spain Copyright © 2012 by APETT. Reproduction of this publication or part thereof is permitted for educational or not‐for‐profit purposes, provided that acknowledgement of the source is made.

CHEMICAL DIVISION Newsletter – Issue 2; May, 2012

THE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Realization of the Engineer’s Value

APETT CHEMICAL DIVISION NEWSLETTER, ISSUE 2; MAY, 2012

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… APETT President’s Address Cont’d This theme came about based on discussions with both young and experienced engineers, exploring the issues which influenced their becoming members of APETT, and indeed sustaining their continued participation. The question I was regularly asked, though in different contexts, was “What is the VALUE proposition of APETT?” How is being a member of APETT, as opposed to say BOETT, or any another international institute e.g. ICE, IStructE, ASME, IEEE, ICHEME, etc., adding value to me? These questions, and other issues which are seemingly perennial in nature, engaged my mind as I prepared to assume office and has culminated in my theme as stated above. I have decided to adopt a Business Performance Management Model – The Balanced Scorecard, to address these matters, and so gauge the successful implementation of the strategies to realize the theme. [Details are provided on page 6 of this Newsletter.] The strategic objectives are admittedly quite ambitious, but I am confident that with the participation of the full membership of APETT, these objectives will be the basis of a continued and sustained effort to realize the Value of the Engineer. Eng. Narine Singh (MAPETT) President Contact: [email protected]

Editorial

Yes, we managed to do it again! After the launch of our inaugural Chemical Division Newsletter, we are pleased to publish the second issue for 2012. We can report that feedback has been positive and encouraging. We have a readership of about 1000 Engineers and professionals in related fields, and we are constantly expanding our reach, having placed the Newsletter on www.apett.org.

The Chemical Division of APETT represents the community of Engineers and related professionals who are engaged primarily in the chemical, process, manufacturing and energy sectors in Trinidad and Tobago. Nationals working or studying in T&T and those abroad, as well as non‐nationals working in T&T are welcome to participate in and contribute to the Division’s activities and initiatives.

This second issue of the Newsletter begins with an address by the new President and his plans for taking the Association to new heights. Next, we highlight process engineering developments at one of the largest process plant facilities in T&T ‐ Atlantic LNG. We have an introductory piece on T&T’s thrust to advance governance and transparency in the energy sector. The research segment in this issue focuses on formulation of a model for simulating and treating with oil spill in open sea. We also report on the 2012 AGM of APETT and people matters. Our LinkedIn Discussions Group has passed the 100 members mark, and the range and depth of exchanges are interesting and pertinent. A snapshot is provided here.

Finally, the question is aptly asked, what is the value proposition of APETT? We provide a brief answer to this burning question. I simply wish to add that the character, ethical conduct and quality of professionals can best be developed and harnessed by each of us taking individual and collective responsibility, and that the Association of Professional Engineers is a useful and key vehicle to achieve this.

Let’s build this Association together.

Eng. Haydn I. Furlonge (MAPETT)


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Process Engineering Developments at Atlantic By Eng. Canute Hudson (MAPETT), Team Leader – Process Engineering at Atlantic

he purpose of this article is to illustrate the impact of the Process Engineering discipline at Atlantic LNG over the last four years. Subsequent to an organizational restructuring

exercise in 2007, the focus of the Process Engineering Team changed, and greater emphasis was placed on plant ‘production loss events’ and on their resolution using a Defect Elimination Process. This focused approach contributed to the reduction of LNG facility process‐related downtime to approximately 36% based on a 2008 Baseline. Atlantic processes liquefied natural gas (LNG) for export. With a production capacity of approximately 15 million tonnes per year, the company is among the ten largest LNG producers in the world. Atlantic’s plant is located in Point Fortin, on Trinidad’s southwest coast. Natural gas piped to the plant from offshore gas fields is converted into LNG using a liquefaction process developed and patented by ConocoPhillips. The liquefaction process takes place in the four liquefaction units (called “trains”). In the LNG train, natural gas is cooled to a temperature of minus 160 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, it condenses into a liquid occupying a volume that is one six‐hundredths

that of the gas. In this form, it is easily stored and shipped in vessels that are constructed to maintain the low temperature of LNG. Plant Availability – How High Can You Go? One of the key variables in the plant’s operations is “Availability”. Availability is commonly defined as the capacity a facility has available for processing, assuming no downtime. Availability is integral to Atlantic’s objectives to meet production targets and commercial obligations to customers and off‐takers that ship the LNG to markets and destinations around the world. As with all process plant facilities, the “great unknown” at the beginning of every production year is “unscheduled downtime”. Unscheduled downtime is defined as any downtime that has not been previously budgeted for equipment maintenance, or any other activity that leads to the reduction or elimination of processing capacity. Unscheduled downtime impacts production and facility cost, potentially decreasing Atlantic’s advantages in the very competitive global LNG business. Unscheduled downtime could also lead to higher costs to customers and plant owner. After the construction of the fourth LNG Train in 2005, Atlantic focused on maintaining and improving its Availability. Reduction of unscheduled downtime was identified as one of the strategic objectives for the company’s Operations Department. A restructuring of the Process Engineering group contributed to Atlantic’s progress in meeting this objective.

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Figure 1: Atlantic Train 4 Availability and Downtime reduction (historical and planned)

INDUSTRY NEWS


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Historically at Atlantic, Process Engineers fell into two teams, Process Optimization and Process Engineering. The Process Optimization Team was responsible for providing daily support to operations and turnarounds. The Process Engineering Team focused on providing engineering support to Projects and Process Hazard Analyses. In Quarter 4 of 2007 Atlantic centralized the reporting line of all Process Engineers to a Process Engineering Manager. This change created more effective collaboration between the two Teams. One of the first strategies devised under the new structure that led to the reduction in facility downtime was the development of capability to monitor, collate and categorize production loss events. Process‐related losses receive the exclusive focus of Process Engineers. Plans were developed and implemented to reduce such losses. Results of this effort, using 2008 total downtime as the baseline, demonstrates facility losses were reduced to 36% in 2010. It All Depends On People One critical contributor to success was the Process Engineering Team’s ability to be focused on relevant loss events. The combined reporting structure led to the Department’s greater line‐of‐sight of all facility issues requiring support from the process engineering discipline. This allowed effective collaboration of ideas from all Engineers on both teams, as opposed to a “silo” approach which tended to result from the previous organizational structure. A significant outcome from the revised structure was the collaborative work performed by the Teams which resulted in increased Availability for Train 4, making its performance comparable with Trains 1 to 3 (Figure 2), and contributing to the overall reduction of Facility‐wide downtime. The success in reducing Train 4’s downtime was the outcome of investigative and troubleshooting work to determine root cause and implementation of solutions and modifications that

used Project Teams appropriately. Some of the modifications implemented were:

• New Liquid Measurement Technology – Guided Wave Radar

• Replacement of Gas‐Liquid Filter Coalescers • Optimization of Dehydration Regeneration

Cycles • Replacement of Amine lean/rich Heat

Exchanger. Though most of the focus has been on the reduction of unscheduled downtime, Process Engineering has also achieved some success with scheduled downtime. One example has been in the reduction of defrost time for the Trains. Train defrosting is a routine maintenance activity planned at set intervals in the annual production cycle. Due to the optimization of existing procedures, defrost times have been reduced by approximately 80%. Opportunities for improvement based on lessons learnt from Train 4 are proactively being implemented on Trains 1 to 3. In summary, this article illustrates an example of the Process Engineering discipline maturing successfully in a company, and in line with its strategic direction. At Atlantic, Process Engineering continues to make a positive contribution to the company’s progress towards global benchmark status. Eng. Canute Hudson has over 15 years post graduate experience in the chemical and gas processing industries. Prior to Atlantic, Canute spent 6 years in the ammonia/urea industry. He has a B.Sc. Degree in Chemical and Process Engineering, Diploma in Financial Management and is a Registered Engineer in T&T. Eng. Hudson is currently assigned to a debottlenecking project that focuses on improving the availability and asset integrity of Atlantic’s fourtrain LNG facility. Prior to this assignment, he held several discipline and supervisory process engineering roles in the nine plus years at Atlantic. He also published a paper and presented at several international LNG conferences on process plant developments. Contact: [email protected]


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APETT 2012 Annual General Meeting By Eng. Kevin Granger (MAPETT), APETT Public Relations Officer On Saturday, 24th March, 2012, APETT held its 53rd AGM in Room 101, at the Faculty of Engineering, UWI. This meeting offered an opportunity for the various Committees and Divisions to present their Annual Report through interactive PowerPoint presentations. This format was different from the norm, and a component of the APETT Transformation Project of “Becoming More Relevant”. The Annual Report was well received by the Membership. It was evident that the primary focus of the outgoing President, Eng. Dr. Rae Furlonge, centered on excellence in engineering and service to the society. Eng. Prof. Winston Mellowes, new Chairman of the Board of Engineering of Trinidad and Tobago, provided an update on Board activities including plans to amend the Engineering Professions Act 1985. Another first on the day was the presentation made by the President of the Engineering Student Society (ESS), Mr. Marvin Carbon, on its improved relationship with APETT. While most of his points highlighted the support ESS received during the last term, he emphasized the need for the Membership to create Internship positions within their organizations to aid development of engineering students. Eng. William Aguilar presented on the Flood Mitigation Project at the Princess Elizabeth Centre, and Eng. Richard Saunders presented on the St. James Alternative Energy Project. Both of these philanthropic projects are clear examples that a few hours of voluntary service from our members can go a long way towards improving the lives of many. Eng. Saunders also reported on the success of the APETT 2012 Planner and Directory ‐ a catalogue of the skills and core competencies of our local engineers. Over the last term, Eng. Dr. Rae Furlonge continued to champion the Engineering Legacy Project, which documents, recognizes, and honors the contribution of those individuals and organizations that have pioneered and developed the profession locally. This is a two‐year project and is intended to compile and catalogue the video‐recorded interviews of all the significant contributors to our profession. The Executive Council also reported on the findings and recommendations of an independent audit of the APETT Office. A Committee chaired by Eng. Anderson Ramsubhag, presented their initial report on upgrading the Conditions of Engagement for Engineering Services. The Annual Report was accepted by the members, and the new Executive Council was elected. Eng. Dr. Rae Furlonge handed over the office of President to Eng. Narine Singh, who presented his strategic plan for the Association.


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APETT Strategic Plan A Realization of The Engineer’s Value The Balanced Scorecard has four perspectives that connect the vision and strategy of APETT:

(i) Learning and Growth (“To achieve our vision how will we sustain our ability to change and improve”)

(a) Pursue and support revision of Professional Engineers Bill with the BOETT. (b) Implement CPD system (c) Promote and enhance functional Divisions – Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical and Civil,

facilitating training and growth of membership. (d) Continue revision and upgrade of the Conditions of Engagement of Engineering Services. (e) Promote strategic alliances with appropriate professional engineering and other

stakeholder bodies. (f) Review APETT’s objectives and realign with perspectives of existing and future conditions. (g) Review and update process for (i) membership application, (ii) elevation to different

grades of membership and (iii) Honors and Awards to membership.

(ii) Customer (“To achieve our vision how should we appear to our customers”)

(a) Society – Implementation of / participation in Public Awareness programs with meaningful information on critical issues affecting society.

(b) Experienced Engineers – Completion of the Engineering Legacy project. (c) Mid Career Engineer – Seminars on updating and diversifying skill set. (d) New Engineers – Establishment and Implementation of Mentoring program for graduates.

(iii) Internal Business Processes (“To satisfy our members and customers what

business processes must we excel at”)

(a) Upgrade and modernization of Secretariat (b) Update system of membership management (c) Continuous improvement of communications system with members and stakeholders, e.g.

Website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter etc.

(iv) Financial (“To succeed financially how should we appear to our members”)

(a) Increase receipt of membership dues (b) Continuous improvement and implementation of new measures/initiatives to diversify

and enhance revenue generation.


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APETT’s Mission

The Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago is a learned society of professional

engineers dedicated to the development of engineers and the

engineering profession. The association promotes the highest standards of professional practice and stimulates awareness of technology and the role of the

engineer in society.

Photograph of 2012/2013 APETT Executive Council Standing (LR): Eng. Kevin Granger, Public Relations Officer; Eng. Fazir Khan, Assistant Secretary; Eng. Danielle Steele, Honorary Secretary; Eng. Colin Clarke, Treasurer; Eng. Anderson Ramsubhag, Assistant Treasurer; Seated (LR): Eng. Haydn Furlonge, Vice President; Eng. Margarita Leonard, President Elect; Eng. Narine Singh, President; Eng. Rae Furlonge, Immediate Past President; Eng. Neil Dookie, Vice President Missing from photo: Eng. Kala Trebouhansingh, Assistant Secretary


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THE TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE (EITI) An Introduction By Mark Regis, Interim Head TTEITI Secretariat

n the past decade, public demands for greater transparency and accountability for how revenues earned from our oil, gas

and mining sectors are utilized and how our natural resources are managed have grown exponentially. On 8th of December 2010, the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago took initial steps for making the complex issue of how revenue is generated from our important extractive industries more transparent, with greater accountability to the average citizen. Government also announced that it was applying for membership of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), and named a multi‐stakeholder Steering Committee to oversee the process. EITI The EITI is a global voluntary coalition which includes governments, companies engaged in the extractive industries, civil‐society groups, investors, donors and global development agencies. This is managed by a stakeholder‐elected Board and Secretariat in Norway. EITI supports improved governance in resource‐rich countries through the full publication and verification of receipts and payments between governments and companies. The rules require that governments make a public declaration of the revenue received from companies (national and foreign). Respective companies also have to declare to the public, the payments that they have

made to governments. The process is robust but flexible and is overseen by participants from government, companies and civil society. Furthermore, there are independent auditors that have to make public their findings, reconcile the payments and receipts and investigate any differences between the two public declarations. These requirements lead to improved resource management and governance and act as a major disincentive to corruption. Background At the international level, EITI was launched in 2002, and currently there are 35 implementing‐countries, out of the estimated 53 countries that are rich in natural resources. Whilst most members are from developing countries, with Norway being the exception, EITI is endorsed by the G8 Countries, the G20 Countries and the Commonwealth Heads of Government. Furthermore, the USA and Australia have announced that they would be adopting the EITI principles in their extractive industries. As a consequence, it is anticipated that more countries would follow suit. Currently, about 60 of the world’s largest oil, gas and mining companies actively participate in the EITI process through their country operations.

The initiative was founded due to concerns expressed by civil society organizations, development agencies and others from developing and developed countries. Their main concern was that too many of the 3.5 billion people from

resource‐rich countries lived in poverty and suffer from under‐development. It was felt that this phenomenon occurred due (in part) to a lack of transparency and accountability over income from the exploitation of natural resources, with resultant mismanagement and, in many cases, corruption. Membership There are two classes of membership within the EITI. A country can either be a ‘Candidate Country’ or a ‘Compliant Country.’ Upon admission to the membership of EITI, a country is

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GOVERNANCE MATTERS


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Goals of APETT’s Chemical Division

1. To advance the profession and collective interests of engineers through the initiatives of APETT’s Executive

Council 2. To grow membership of APETT's

Chemical Division 3. To establish forums for networking,

information sharing and other professional exchanges amongst members and stakeholders

4. To mentor and coach students and new engineering graduates.

given the designation of ‘Candidate Country’. It normally takes a minimum of two years for implementing necessary checks and balances, making the legislative provisions to uphold the EITI Principles and Criteria, and the publication of its first EITI Report. After this, a country undergoes a stringent independently administered Validation Test. Once that country is successful, it is then given the designation ‘Compliant Country.' Trinidad and Tobago became a ‘Candidate Country’ on 1st of March, 2011 and is currently working towards becoming a ‘Compliant Country’ by 28th of August, 2013. Of the 35 countries otherwise engaged in EITI implementation, 14 of them have been accorded ‘Compliant Country’ status and 21 with ‘Candidate Country’ status. Editor’s Note: A follow‐up article will appear in a subsequent issue of the Chemical Division Newsletter, outlining the benefits and beneficiaries of EITI and the implementation process. For more information on EITI, visit the TTEITI website: www.tteiti.org.tt

Mark Regis

Interim Head TTEITI Secretariat

Mr. Regis is a stakeholder management professional with 20 years’ experience developing or leading government and corporate

stakeholder engagement strategies across the state and energy sectors.

He began his working career in the downstream energy sector at Point Lisas at the then state owned T&T Methanol Company in Corporate Public Relations after which he embarked on a Fourteen (14) year career in Trinidad and Tobago’s Foreign Service, eight of which were spent in Ottawa, Canada at the country’s High Commission. He returned to Trinidad and Tobago in 2004 and after stints as Deputy Chief of Protocol and an assignment to the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr. Regis reentered the oil and gas industry in 2007 as

Government Relations Manager for the country’s second largest upstream oil and gas firm BG T&T.

Since assuming office as Interim Head of the TTEITI Steering Committee’s Secretariat in midSeptember 2011, Mr. Regis has overseen the setup of the Secretariat for the TTEITI Steering Committee; successfully organized and held 4 Capacity Building Workshops; overseen the commencement of the tendering process for the first EITI Report; and set up the TTEITI’s website www.tteiti.org.tt.

A proud graduate of The University of the West Indies at St Augustine, Mr. Regis is the current President of the UWI Alumni Association (Trinidad and Tobago Chapter).

Contact: [email protected]


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2Dimensional Offshore OilSpill Model for Trinidad and Tobago By Eng. Avin Hardeo

he National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP) of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) is a generalized framework used to identify the

chain of command in the event of a marine oil spill, along with associated protocols. While the NOSCP continues to be improved and enhanced, there is scope for better integration of the oceanographic and meteorological data information obtained from the T&T Coast Guard and Meteorological Office. A basic model specific to T&T was developed to handle the oceanographic and meteorological data as inputs, with extrapolated values of these parameters as outputs. Forecasts of the potential coverage area of the oil spill and movement patterns are the results of the modelling. The model utilizes the following parameters:

(i) wind Speed and direction. (ii) current Speed and direction. (iii) volumetric flow‐rate of oil from the well‐

head/source. The main assumptions used in the initial runs of the model were that the film thickness of the spill was constant and that wave action was negligible. Each of the parameters was converted to a two‐dimensional vector field. The wind and current vector fields were then combined to produce a single vector field which was referred to as the Resultant Vector Field. The flow‐rate of the oil was modelled as a radial vector field, whose origin was located directly above the spill centre on the ocean’s surface. The outline of this field, being circular in shape, meant that specific points on the circle could have been taken as Reference Points. There were sixteen such points which would be used to help track the position of the oil on the ocean’s surface.

The Resultant Vector Field was then imposed on each of the Reference Points at discreet time intervals and the maximum outline was taken as the plot of the estimated position of the spilt oil. This model is expected to be tested and further refined in the near future to produce an accurate oil spill mapping model for T&T. Some of the theoretical plots generated are shown below. Figure 1: Adjusted Effect Factor Plot (a)

Figure 2: Adjusted Effect Factor Plot (b)

This article is a summary of the following publication: Hardeo, A. (2011), “Two‐dimensional offshore oil‐spill model for Eastern/Northern Trinidad and Tobago”, The Journal of the Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago, Vol. 40, No. 2, October/November, pp.66‐72. Avin Hardeo is a recent graduate in B.Sc. Chemical and Process Engineering from The University of the West Indies. He is currently an Associate Professional at the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago. Contact: [email protected]

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RESEARCH IT …


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BENEFITS OF APETT MEMBERSHIP

he Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago (APETT) is an umbrella body for all engineering

disciplines, providing a learned association for sharing of ideas and discussion of issues across all branches of the applied science, and a balanced platform for contributing to society. APETT membership is a career investment; whether just out of university, or newly registered, or with many years of accomplishments, APETT can help its members to grow professionally. The benefits of membership in the Association are derived from participation in its various activities.

1. Honors and Award. APETT recognizes that engineers are often the unsung heroes who work quietly every day to convert ideas into reality to benefit society, many times through innovative efforts. APETT has an Honours and Award Programme designed to bring this much‐deserved recognition to its members, via the following:

• Career of Excellence in Engineering Award;

• The R.V.S. Aleong Award for Sterling Service to APETT;

• Fenrick de Four Award for Outstanding Engineering Achievement; and

• Outstanding Young Engineer Award

2. Membership Progression. APETT

recognizes the importance of elevation of its membership through the grades of Student Member, Associate Member, Member and Senior Member. Members aspire to the highest grade of Fellow, which is based on years of Membership in APETT; distinguished career in engineering, including peer reviews and public recognition; and service to APETT.

3. Engineering Profession Act. One of the proudest achievements of APETT was the

campaign to enact legislation for the registration of engineers. This effort began in 1962 (two years after the founding of APETT) and, after many hard and at times frustrating years, culminated in the proclamation of the Engineering Profession Act, No. 34 of 1985. This led to the establishment of the Board of Engineering of Trinidad and Tobago, the body charged with registration or licensing of engineers. APETT is recognized by the Government as the agent for any amendment of the Engineering Profession Act, which it is so pursuing.

4. Continuing Professional Development

Programme. This shall improve professional knowledge and capabilities of engineers through special seminar linkages with academia (UWI and UTT), other technical training providers and industries in the public and private sector. The Engineering Divisions will also engage in nationwide meetings with peers for information on work being done in industry and solutions being provided.

5. Codes and Standards Programme.

APETT is assisting with the provision of technical guidelines for promoting safety, reliability, productivity, and efficiency across many areas of engineering.

6. Update of APETT Conditions of Engagement 1984. A Committee has been established to lead the assignment of updating APETT’s 26‐year old Conditions of Engagement for Engineers. The Committee is currently researching a number of associations of consulting engineers around the world that have published Conditions of Engagements and Scale of Fees.

7. Financial and technical support for the

Caribbean Accreditation Council for Engineering And Technology (CACET) In accordance with the accreditation of degrees programme of the Washington

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Accord, rather than depend indefinitely on external accreditation agencies, the Caribbean Accreditation Council for Engineering and Technology (CACET) was established on November 26, 2009 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. APETT plays a key role in the advancement of CACET.

8. Job Placement for UWI Engineering Students. APETT is working with UWI and UTT to generate a data bank of the potential candidates who would be seeking employment. This initiative would assist young aspiring engineers to acquire hands‐on experience and build the required skills and competencies in their respective disciplines. In addition, it would empower them to develop acceptable work ethics, norms and values early in their careers that would enhance their personal and professional lives.

9. Divisional Technical Seminars and

Networking. Members development opportunities include: • Meet a diverse group of industry

colleagues for exchange of ideas • Participate in discussions, technical

sessions, and expositions • Earn Continuing Professional

Development points (CPDs) • Develop business by making new

contacts • Learn about engineering projects

happening in your area or region.

10. APETT Philanthropic Projects. Members applying professional skills in the local community to grow as engineers and give back.

11. APETT Shaping Public Policy. APETT

seeks to engage public policy‐makers on engineering policies and priorities, through meetings, letters and public awareness outreach, for the overall betterment of society.

12. Disaster Response and Mitigation APETT is represented on the team of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM).

13. APETT Technical Journal and

Newsletter. The APETT technical journal (Editor: Eng. Prof. Kit F. Pub) is now digital and available on the APETT website. The editions of the last five years have also been uploaded. Activities within the Divisions are also published in a Newsletter and on the internet.

14. Personal Development. Activity in APETT Council, Divisions, and Committees can develop personal skills, including the following: • Team building: ability to motivate

groups to work together to optimize productivity; ability to identify and utilize the strengths of team members.

• Consensus building in decision‐making: finding common ground; effective collaboration to set and achieve goals.

• Negotiating: understanding other perspectives and effectively communicating your own; resolving points of difference and structuring outcomes to satisfy various interests.

• Fundraising: develop networking skills and expand your professional contacts; locate resources and seeking to secure them while minimizing cost.

• Leadership skills: leading a seminar, Division or Committee.

For those interested in becoming a Member of APETT, please visit www.apett.org for application forms and details.


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Eng. Dr. Angelus C. Pilgrim, Former UWI, Head of Chemical Department Retires

Dr. Angelus C. Pilgrim was born in Barbados and graduated from The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Jamaica, with a B.Sc. degree in Chemistry (Special). He began his association with UWI St. Augustine in September 1969 when he entered the Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty

of Engineering to pursue a B.Sc. degree in Chemical and Process Engineering. He graduated in June 1971, and in January 1972 took up a positions of Chemical Engineer and later Assistant Factory Manager (Production) with Bookers Sugar Estates Limited in Guyana. In September 1976, he returned to the Department as a Research Fellow in Sugar Technology, and in October 1980, he assumed the position of Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering. He obtained his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in November 1989. His thesis was entitled “Bagasse Drying for Caribbean Cane Sugar Factories”. Since joining the Department, Dr. Pilgrim has given sterling service in various capacities, not only to the Department but by extension, the Faculty and the University. During the period October 1980 to September 1991, he held the position of Lecturer. In October 1991 he was promoted to Senior Lecturer and held this position until his retirement in December 2011. From August 1992 to 1996 and from August 1998 to 2002, he was the Deputy Dean (Physical Facilities & Administrative, Technical and Service Staff) in the Faculty of Engineering, while executing the duties of his substantive position. He also served as Head of Department from August 2004 to July 2010. Dr. Pilgrim is also well known for his photography expertise and his public service as President of the Trinidad and Tobago Gymnastics Association and Chairman of the Council of The University School. Dr. Pilgrim served on a number of Boards/Committees both within and without the UWI, and is one of the leading experts on sugar technology. He has a number of publications to his credit. We convey best wishes to Dr. Pilgrim in his future endeavors.

Engineers’ Corner This section presents views of engineers on matters of professional and public interest. These are extracts from the Division’s online forum for discussions on our LinkedIn Group. Eng. Dr. Marian Watson asks: What are the implications of US Shale Gas on the global energy markets and more importantly for T&T, what measures can we take to mitigate the impact on our economy? Eng. Wayne Gajadhar says: The reduction of Trinidad and Tobago’s natural gas supply to the US market can be either viewed superficially as a monetary loss, or an opportunity for alternative routes toward the optimum exploitation of our reserves. The objective of the solution should be to ensure our economy can adapt to future market and global changes. I propose we investigate downstream industries which utilize our current 'building block' chemicals (ammonia, methanol, etc.) to synthesize value‐added chemicals that are economically feasible, create much needed employment, environmentally sustainable and have positive long‐term market outlook. Eng. Claudius Stewart (MAPETT) says: We should be looking for new ways to get the best price for our gas. It is very competitive now and would be even more competitive as other LNG plants in Africa & Australia come onstream, but to survive innovation needs to take place. Shale gas is definitely big in the US and they would use it to their advantage; however we must take advantage of our long term contracts and other market opportunities for LNG and hopefully other natural gas products to survive. Eng. Oral Gomez says: There are so many players in these markets that new plants almost always lead to a major price change. Similar trends take place with ammonia and methanol prices and thankfully, our local plants survived the spate of closures which have

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occurred worldwide in the past. The fact remains that more and more competition by shale gas and potential LNG exports from bi‐directional facilities in the USA are a major threat to T&T. From where I sit the answer is not as simple as diversifying gas usage, certainly not for the sake of doing something different. We really need more research, dialogue and thought into this topic. Eng. Samuel Sinanan asks: Do we employ the most optimum natural gas utilization model in Trinidad? This is in terms of return and sustainability? Eng. Farad Boochoon says: The Government has indicated that approval of future natural gas‐based projects will be judged on criteria including: • Degree of value added in the production

process • Environmental impact • Capital expenditure • Early construction plan in terms of utilization

of natural gas • Degree of local content • Projection of local content during

construction and operation of the plant • Energy efficiency measures • Extent of variation between key terms and

conditions of gas contract • Extent of variation between key terms and

conditions of contracts for power and water • Extent of variation between key terms and

conditions of estate and pier user contracts • Additional benefits including Corporate Social

Responsibility. How should the criteria for evaluating gas‐based projects be weighted? Eng. Patrick Vincent says: In my view, the main criteria, and the one that should be given the most weight, is “value added to the country and people of Trinidad and Tobago”. We should not only look at the short‐term benefits but also the

long‐haul benefits, to create sustainable development. Having local content is a means of creating value. The project can provide jobs directly, or the products from the project can be utilized in further downstream industries. However, has anyone evaluated the long‐term real benefit or cost of local content/value‐added, to determine the final impact on the economy? In any event, we must have these natural gas resources behind pipe in order to create value from them. One cannot sell probable resources that haven’t been proven. There should be a clear policy on gas monetization and utilization that satisfies the upstream, mid‐stream and downstream sectors. Eng. Burt Sinanan says: There have been many PSC's signed recently (shallow and deeper blocks). Most of these JV/ PSC's are designed so the State does not contribute to capex/opex during exploration phase, but their contribution kicks in when full scale development begins. GORTT, probably through State companies, should own more reserves through greater JV participation. This would afford greater negotiation power and control over distribution to Point Lisas. Send comments to [email protected] or join the Discussions on our LinkedIn Group.

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APETT Executive Council Members: Eng. Narine Singh, President; Eng. Margarita Leonard, President Elect; Eng. Dr. Haydn Furlonge, Vice President (and Chemical Div. Chair); Eng. Neil Dookie, Vice President (and Civil Div. Chair); Eng. Danielle Steele, Honorary Secretary; Eng. Kala Trebouhansingh, Assistant Secretary (and Mechanical/Industrial Div. Chair); Eng. Fazir Khan, Assistant Secretary; Eng. Colin Clarke Treasurer; Eng. Anderson Ramsubhag, Assistant Treasurer; Eng. Kevin Granger, Public Relations Officer; Eng. Dr. Rae Furlonge, Immediate Past President; Eng. Bernard Mitchell (Electrical Div. Chair); and Noreen Mitchel (Office Manager). DISCLAIMER: Statements made and information presented by contributors to this Newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views of APETT, and no responsibility can be assumed for them by APETT or its Executive Members and Editors.

Upcoming Activities

General Meeting for ALL Members of the APETT Chemical Division June 2012, Point Lisas

(Details TBA) •

Upcoming Technical Seminar New Natural Gas Age–Implications for T&T

June, 2012, Point Lisas (TBA) •

APETT Awards and Honors Ceremony, 9 June, 2012, UWI St. Augustine Campus

For updates on APETT events, check our website www.apett.org.

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