KP Engineering (KPE), a leader in designing, executing and delivering customised EPC solutions for the refining, syngas and hydrogen and renewable fuels industries, has signed a three-month contract to provide engineering services to a refinery in the Southwestern US.

The engineering services will optimise the refinery’s existing process units’ performance and will address operability and maintenance issues. These services, which will support the refinery’s upcoming turnaround, will include addressing instrumentation and thermal fatigue issues, revising process control schemes and mitigating exchanger fouling issues.

According to William Preston, President and COO of KPE: “This project demonstrates the ongoing need for routine plant maintenance in Capex-cautious and Covid-19 restricted times. We were able to bundle several small jobs into a larger job to maximise efficiency and reduce costs for the client. Regardless of project size, KPE’s experience with downstream process units enables us to solve everyday problems and increase our clients’ profitability, while implementing extra measures to keep employees safe.”

Telling the OGN about challenges encountered during project execution, he says: “The main problem/issue is working through Covid. When some refineries in the country are shutting down or slowing down, we are helping our client safely push through a turnaround to keep the refinery operating in the pandemic.”

Focused on the US market, KPE’s mission is to provide value-based engineering, procurement and construction solutions to the refining, specialty chemical and renewable industries at a price that enables customers to achieve their safety, economic, environmental, and performance objectives. It accomplishes this through rigorous engineering processes, a streamlined accessible organisation, superior project execution and a commitment to excellence.