Henry Akinrinde is a safety-oriented LNG and renewable energy operations professional with proven track record spanning 20 years in the oil and gas industry. He is an Electrical Engineer, with deep knowledge of LNG Process (Sour Gas processing & dehydration and Amine sweetening, NGL refrigeration), Storage and Loading and Common Facilities (GTG, ASU, IA units), Knowledge of petroleum refining: catalytic cracking, sour gas processing, fractionation alkylation; as well as in LNG trains and utilities CSU, gas turbine operation and control Demonstrated health safety, security and environmental (HSSE) management skills. In this interview with UDOKA AGWU, he spoke on the impact of technology and innovation in LNG process operation, energy transition debate and his experience working in the oil and gas industry in the past 20 years and many more. Excerpts:
The coronavirus pandemic left in its wake a lot of disruptions in all areas of human endeavour, including the oil and gas sector. How positively or negatively has it affected start-up and commissioning of HyCo (H2, CO, N2) and ammonia plants, budget development of plants operation and maintenance as well as the management of change documents in your industry?
When the pandemic began, some projects were at the peak of the plant construction. Such projects suffered huge delays as a result due to disruptions in the supply chain. China was the epicenter of the pandemic for the most part, so you know so many things nowadays are made in China. Mandatory testing and isolations meant that worker couldn’t travel or be available for work. In Canada, a lot of restrictions were also placed on travel and so work was limited to virtual only which limited productivity. Even long after the pandemic was over, the supply chain disruptions persisted and added significant delays to the commissioning and start-up of such projects. Global LNG demand like other sources of energy slowed as people were isolated and businesses shut down. It was a challenge to keep operating plants at optimal rates given necessary budget cuts. LNG plants in operations were forced to shut down some production trains; which refers to LNG production units built containing similar process from feed-in to product-out. Unfortunately, as in other sectors, the pandemic claimed worker’s lives both in operating assets and plants under construction which affected the workplace. On the bright side, energy demand has since bounced back beyond pre-pandemic levels and to match the ever-increasing demand, more LNG projects have surfaced. It is projected that this demand could increase by 50% in the next couple of decades. The importance of alternative, cleaner source of energy has also since gained more relevance and hydrogen production is on the increase. Hydrogen is packed with energy and the industry is moving from brown to blue to green hydrogen production.
How has technology and innovation contributed in cost control, contract management and in efficient completions, project management and coordination process?
Over the years, there has been a radical improvement in process technology which has reduced the operating costs in terms of energy consumption. Better equipment design has led to lower project cost and higher return on investments. Information technology has also simplified business processes and enhanced productivity. Digitalisation is the new wave of plant connectivity solutions that enables plant data to be available for processing and handling remotely. This has drastically reduced costs associated with travel between plant sites. Although technology is changing the ways of working in positive ways, it also inherently introduces risk to the business. A notable risk is in the cybersecurity space which is increasingly associated with use of Operations Technology (OT) infrastructure.
Let us get to your profession now. As an Electrical Engineer, with deep knowledge of LNG Process (Sour Gas processing & dehydration and Amine sweetening, NGL refrigeration), Storage and Loading and Common Facilities (GTG, ASU, IA units), Knowledge of petroleum refining: catalytic cracking, sour gas processing, fractionation alkylation; as well as in LNG trains and utilities CSU, gas turbine operation and control Demonstrated health safety, security and environmental (HSSE) management skills; what does your work entail?
I am Electrical Engineer by education but really didn’t practice the profession. My career has been in the oil and gas which is a good melting point I would say for all engineering discipline. So, I have been exposed to all sort of electrical engineering related part of the industry. LNG process is straightforward. You cool down natural gas to cryogenic temperatures to turn it into liquid. The whole essence is the reduction of gas volume by about 1/600 which makes economic sense for transportation across the ocean which otherwise would require laying pipelines. The core process at the front end removes impurities such as sour gases and moisture which are detrimental to the downstream equipment used to cool and liquefy the gas into LNG. Then, there is the storage and loading part. LNG is stored in specially built tanks and loaded in custom made vessels for transporting around the world. Other processes involve the production of the utilities such as nitrogen, air, water and electricity depending on how remotely the plant is situated. A typical LNG train size has more than doubled in capacity over the decades, thanks to improved design with mega train sizes producing close to 10mtpa. My work over the years have evolved from the core commissioning, startup and operations, maintenance and managing the processes and personnel of these mega projects.
What would you term the biggest drawback of LNG operations from drilling, processing, health, safety and environment to delivery engineers in Africa, if any?
I would say the negative impact of drilling and other production processes on the environment have reduced over the decades as the awareness increases. LNG business was conceptualized on recovery of associated gas that comes from oil production. In Nigeria for instance, major oil producers had the reputation of not caring so much about the environment. Flaring the gas seemed an easy way to get rid of an unwanted by-product of oil until gas become very relevant and investments in gas production including LNG became a major source of earning aside the oil. Globally, flaring more than necessary for safe plant operations is now being viewed as a major contribution to climate change with its adverse effect. Health and Safety record in the industry has also improved as organisation spend more resources in that space. Reputation from bad safety record is bad for business and has affected the bottom line so much that everyone is paying attention.
What would you say is the future of LNG process and Electrical Engineers in LNG? How prepared are you for this future vis-a-vis the lessons the Coronavirus Pandemic has taught business leaders across sectors?
If there is one thing that stuck after the pandemic, it was the fact that a lot of the work processes could be made virtual. To survive businesses and individuals alike must be able to adapt to changing environment. Electrical Engineering profession has been around a long time. It will continue to be relevant in the industry as the world relies on electricity as a major source of energy although producing it has evolved from crude to cleaner alternatives. LNG process design will continue to move towards reduced carbon footprint and increasingly replace the crude oil and coal. This is evident from Final Investment Decision (FID) taken in billions of dollars to move forward with new large scale LNG projects.
The energy transition debate- African leaders want more time to enable Africa industrialise with resources available to her before joining the clean energy transition proposition. How would it accelerate sustainable economic growth of Africa?
I think it’s a tough one. Africa need forward thinking leaders to not be perpetually behind. At the same time, there is still a lot of untapped resources, both in fossil and renewables. These resources need to be well managed. It should be a balance of investments in these. What Africa need is acceleration of its infrastructure in a way to cater for her rapidly increasing population. This may not be supported by the current technology for renewable energy. However, leaders must ensure there are policies that encourage the use of cleaner alternatives. Attracting foreign investments using appropriate incentives and setting realistic goals for the transition will ensure a smooth energy transition.
What would you remember as the biggest challenges you have ever faced in your career? How did you resolve them? Have you ever thought of quitting?
There are lots of ups and downs in the industry. The biggest one is about safety. I have been fortunate enough to not witness a direct accident of a team member. There has been one fatality on site during my career. It was a contractor that came for what seemed to be a routine job but lost his life in the process. I think it was within an hour of arriving on site. That shook me to the bones. We work in very hazardous environment including toxic chemicals, high temperatures and pressures, cryogenic temperatures. These can get you killed in an instant and we must respect that. Other challenges have to do with the fast pace of the business. These are multibillion dollar projects in which the investors are looking for returns. Keeping the plant running and product flowing takes a lot of dedication, focus and coordination. On the flip side, it’s highly rewarding to know this job is providing the fuel needed to keep our world running.
You have worked in the oil and gas industry for 20 years now in Nigeria, Canada and the United States of America, what has your experience been and what would you term your greatest motivation or achievement so far?
I have been privileged to work with a lot of great individuals and teams. Right from early in my career up till this point, my work has been in diverse team. I currently work in a team where multiculturalism is highly valued and intentional. This is a great way to ensure the organisation is not static as there are always new ideas flowing around. It has really helped me to learn different cultures and appreciate people. I find that it doesn’t really matter where you come from or what the color of your skin is because you bring something unique to the workforce. The other thing I’m grateful for is being able to affect others due to my leadership roles in terms of coaching and mentorship. Being able to impact others with my knowledge is really gratifying for me. As for motivation, the biggest thing for me is continuous learning and prospect for growth. Those are the things that keep me in a job.
What are the steps taken to protect human and aquatic environments while drilling and completing LNG projects?
Right from design of the plant, a lot of consideration is given to the environment. This ranges from the emissions into the atmosphere to the waste streams discharged into water bodies. Gas turbines which drive most refrigeration compressors are at the heart of the process. There have been lots of improvements in their designs over the years to reduce NOx emissions which is generally bad for the atmosphere. Also, carbon footprints have increasingly been reduced from avoiding burning fuels for energy using renewable electricity to lowering the overall power consumption per unit of refrigeration. Wastewater treatment processes also ensures that discharges to water bodies are not harmful to aquatic life. The LNG tankers are designed to use the LNG as fuel which is a lot lower carbon than traditional fuel oil and coal in many other forms of energy transportation. LNG operations have historically been one of the safest in the industry. There has only been one recorded tanker spill in over half a century of transportation across the ocean. Unlike oil, LNG spill doesn’t leave any residue on the water since it rapidly evaporates and disperses in the atmosphere. The major hazard lies in the cryogenic temperatures and with the right PPE and procedure, proper care is taken during tanker loading to prevent contact with skin. There are other hazards from use of certain chemicals in the front-end natural gas treatment. Information provided from Safety Date Sheets for those chemicals specifies how to handle them safely. Process Safety is a big part of operating these facilities and involves how to incorporate safety into their design operation and maintenance.
Are you involved in any form of mentorship of young people, whether in Africa or abroad as a way of giving back to society? What is the focus of this mentoring programme, if there is such, and how is it structured?
Yes, I have supported a few existing causes. Notably, in the local Niger-Delta area of operations in Southern Nigeria, we have trained some youth in basic computer skills. We have also assisted the local government to renovate classrooms and contributed to scholarship funds. Personally, I have coached and mentored some young technicians in the field. Recently in Western Canada, I was involved in a mentorship program that was initiated by the company to help local First Nations youth qualify to challenge the provincial Power Engineering program. Most of these youth have since gone on to be gainfully employed in the LNG and other technical industries around the region.
What’s your family life like? We know it could be quite a bit of a challenge for people in your profession, especially when you must be on a project for a long time?
Work-life balance is a very important topic that should not be brushed aside. It must be indeed balanced. There have been a lot of changes, from early on in my career as a young, single technician through getting married and working shift and rotation. There was a period I was working 28 days on and off and rotating between North America and Nigeria and still had to take on some distance education. That was really a challenging time and needed careful planning and resilience to juggle work and family demands. My spouse, who was also in school through most of this period has been very supportive. We are currently raising four young kids with both of us working sometimes. It involves a lot of sacrifice but doable.
How rewarding is your job, given the risks involved?
I have been very fortunate to be gainfully employed for most of my career. Working in Operations, which is very central has exposed me to many other parts of the business. Currently in leadership, I work with other stakeholders in making business decisions. Being in a diverse work environment for the most part, I have met a lot of great people from every part of the world. There has also been a lot of training opportunities for me in both technical and soft skills coupled with room for career growth. So yes, I would say it has been rewarding.
How do you relax, when you are not thinking of LNG Process (Sour Gas processing & dehydration and Amine sweetening, NGL refrigeration), Storage and Loading and Common Facilities?
When I am not working, I relax with my family and take vacation to go see some other places. Still quite a few places on my bucket list of places to visit, especially in Asia. I love watching sports especially soccer and hockey. Listening to music is also a way I like to relax and playing a little bit of piano.
What would be your advice to aspiring and early career LNG Engineers?
Go for it; either from an early career decision or even for those wishing to switch. It takes sacrifice to get formal education in engineering or even in some form of trade. But there are a lot of opportunities in the field and being part of a solution to the energy problem facing our world is indeed a rewarding venture. Whether it is a career in the LNG industry, which is going to be relevant in the next few decades or in the renewables, there is going to be increasing demand for workers to help with the energy transition.
