Petrochemical Engineer

Petrochemical Engineer — Vanguard Refining & Chemical

Pasadena, TX | August 2023 – Present

• Optimized catalytic cracking feed systems using Aspen HYSYS process simulations, increasing high-value light olefin yield by 4.2% and boosting refinery monthly revenue by $180,000 across 3 production runs.
• Managed a refinery debottlenecking process project with a budget of $2.4M, coordinating 14 independent contractors to successfully complete the pipeline expansion 12 days ahead of the scheduled deadline.
• Led 8 HAZOP and Process Hazards Analysis (PHA) studies for new distillation columns, mitigating 18 high-risk system vulnerabilities and maintaining 100% compliance with OSHA process safety guidelines.
• Designed and implemented a real-time steam balancing protocol across 3 separate fractionators, reducing utility steam consumption by 14% and saving the plant $95,000 in annual operational expenses.

Process Engineer — Apex Hydrocarbons

Beaumont, TX | January 2020 – July 2023

• Configured Honeywell Experion DCS alarm configurations and emergency safety interlocks for a new polymerization unit, successfully reducing plant nuisance alarms by 32% over a 6-month period.
• Coordinated raw material chemical feed validation trials on 5 operating units, identifying feed impurities that saved the refinery $60,000 in potential catalyst poisoning and replacement costs.
• Automated daily environmental emission reporting workflows using Python and database SQL queries, reducing validation and reporting time from 8 hours to 15 minutes while maintaining EPA data integrity.
• Updated 45 Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) and process flow diagrams (PFDs) for a major plant turnaround, reducing vendor onboarding delays by 18% and ensuring safety compliance.

Process modeling and simulation, Aspen HYSYS, Aspen Plus, HAZOP leadership, Process Safety Management (PSM), Honeywell DCS, Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), Plant turnaround planning, Catalyst management, Heat exchanger design, Ethylene production, EPA and OSHA compliance, Python, SQL

Ethylene Unit Debottlenecking

Role: Lead Process Modeler

Tools: Aspen HYSYS, AutoCAD, Honeywell DCS

Simulated and redesigned heat exchanger networks, increasing plant throughput by 8% and reducing carbon emissions by 4,500 metric tons annually.

DCS Alarm Management Restructuring

Role: DCS Configuration Specialist

Tools: Honeywell Experion, SQL, Excel VBA

Redesigned plant alarm logic following ISA-18.2 standards, resolving 1,200 alarm floods per week and lowering critical incident response times by 28%.

• Professional Engineer (PE) - Chemical (2024)
• HAZOP Leader Certification (2022)

• Languages: English (Native), German (Conversational)
• Volunteer Work: Regional STEM program mentor for underrepresented high school students (2021-present)
• Availability: 3 weeks notice