GARY RATHWELL
WORK HISTORY
ENTERPRISE CONSULTANTS, HOUSTON TX (May 2001to Present)
PRESIDENT
Currently designing the process, control systems and instrumentation for the world’s first facility capable of calibrating “legal for trade” LNG custody transfer meters. This unit operates at cryogenic temperatures with Liquefied Nitrogen and Natural Gas.
Currently developing an ISA 108 standard for “configuration management of advanced instrumentation. This standard will apply to engineering, operations and maintenance.
Currently developing a suite of e-learning modules for training control systems personnel in instrumentation design and enterprise automation for upstream, midstream and downstream petroleum companies.
Prepared a Master Plan for development of a world-scale gas and condensate field on the Yamal peninsula. The plan included a drilling program, production of condensate and LPG, and loading into ice-strengthened tankers, as well as an arctic gas pipeline and multiple LNG plants at the north end of the peninsula with additional tanker loading.
Directed development of a set of Russian Engineering Standards for Industrial Control and Communications for the world’s largest oil pipeline network. In addition, prototype systems were demonstrated for SCADA, Telecommunications, and integration of data with business systems.
Managed a team which studied alternatives for a multi-billion dollar pipeline to deliver gas from the Yamal peninsula to various delivery points in northern Russia.
Directed Strategic Master Plan of Control and Information Systems for upgrade of the world’s largest oil pipeline network (approximately 48,000 km). SCADA, Control Systems, Production Management Systems, Security and Telecommunication systems to be installed across Russia were included.
Prepared a Master Plan for Control and Information Systems of a $10 billion pipeline from Alaska to the lower 48 States. All SCADA, IT production systems, and Telecommunication systems requirements were included, with conceptual engineering definitions and cost estimates prepared for these systems.
Prepared Engineering and Construction Communications design for a remote Nigerian oil facility. Data, voice and video signals were combined on satellite channels to support this frontier project.
Prepared the Telecommunications Plan for Engineering and Construction Communication systems for a $7 billion upgrade of an Oil Production Facility in Kazakhstan. Telecom and IT systems were designed which successfully support a 1200 person engineering team in London, a 300 person team in Atyrau, and a 5000 person construction team in Tengiz.
Consulted on Engineering and Construction Communication and IT Systems for an infrastructure upgrade project associated with a large oil pipeline on Sakhalin Island in Western Russia.
Member of Strategic Planning Team established by one of the world’s largest Systems Integration companies to establish their corporate strategy for process industry clients.
ENTERPRISE CONSULTANTS, DBA HOUSTON TX (June 2000 to May 2001)
FOUNDER
Founded consulting firm to offer IT and Telecom Master Planning and Project Management services to process industries. Established the PERA web site to promote concepts of enterprise master planning and enterprise integration. Also participating in ISA95 and TC184/SC5 international standards committees to promote standards for enterprise systems.
Prepared Enterprise Master Plan for a company providing sophisticated petroleum laboratory analyzers and automated systems. Executed website and enterprise systems for this company. Also delivered a prototype marketing website for a startup providing physical and chemical properties databases via the Internet.
FLUOR DANIEL, HOUSTON (1996 to 2000)
PROJECT MANAGER, SCADA, IT, Telecom (1997 to 2000)
From June 1997 to until June 2000, Gary was Project Manager of IT and Telecom for a multi-billion dollar crude oil pipeline crossing Southern Russia and Kazakhstan. Responsibilities included approximately $180 million worth of IT and Telecom systems. This included all pipeline information systems and communications, such as maintenance management, customer management, scheduling, and document management, a 1500 km fiber optic telecommunications backbone, and a large Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA).
Throughout the engineering and construction phases, extensive use was made of Satellite, Internet, Web Servers, Voice-over-data, and other advanced technologies which were successfully implemented in a frontier environment.
ENGINEERING DIRECTOR, ENTERPRISE INTEGRATION & COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS (1996 to 1997)
Responsible for marketing, and execution of enterprise systems integration and communications consulting projects serving multiple Fluor Daniel Operating Companies including Chemicals and Plastics, Petroleum Production and Pipelines, and Petrochemicals.
Prepared Enterprise Systems Master Plan for a multi-billion dollar petroleum pipeline and supertanker loading facility in Russia and Kazakhstan. This Master Plan also included all computing and communications infrastructure required to execute the project from the engineering phase through construction and startup.
Participated in Master Plans for a Far East Petrochemical Complex, a US nuclear waste storage facility, and a Saudi petrochemical plant.
FLUOR DANIEL, CHICAGO, IL (1990 to 1996)
ENGINEERING DIRECTOR, SYSTEMS INTEGRATION (1995 to 1996)
Responsible for marketing, and execution of systems integration and consulting projects serving multiple Fluor Daniel Operating Companies including Chemicals and Plastics, Food and Beverage, Petroleum and Petrochemicals, Production and Pipelines, Infrastructure, Telecom, and Pharmaceuticals.
Between 1995 and 1997, Master Plans were completed for a multi-billion dollar African oil production and pipeline facility, a world scale brewing company, a citrus processing company and a building products facility. Gary also participated in marketing and feasibility studies for a biodegradable plastics plant.
In addition, Gary sold and delivered several smaller software projects including systems for hazard management, human resources, Year 2000 planning, and set up of a "virtual corporation" using Inter/Intranet web technology.
ENGINEERING DIRECTOR, CONTROL SYSTEMS (1990 to 1995)
Responsible for a Department of 50 engineers, designers and programmers. Technical authority for approximately $50 million per year of Control Systems and Systems Integration projects in Power, Chemical & Petrochemical, Food & Beverage, Pharmaceuticals, Environmental and Government.
From 1990 to 1995 Gary was also Functional Leader of Control Systems and Systems Integration Disciplines for Fluor Daniel world-wide. This included responsibility for corporate standards, reference computer applications, and engineering work processes. He was also responsible for establishing and maintaining control systems Key Supplier alliance programs.
Consultation on Front End design of Information and Communications Systems for a Multi-billion dollar petrochemical complex being built in Kuwait. Design included system architecture and definition of full application suite of Manufacturing Execution Systems. 100 Mbit fiber optic site LAN carries process data, voice, MIS data, and video. Site Networks interfaced downward to Process Control systems and upward to SAP MIS systems. Wide Area Network (WAN) including satellite links was used to integrate worldwide sales and warehousing sites.
City of Chicago 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Center. Computer and Communication Systems design including Systems Architecture and Network Definition. Assisted with functional definition of each computer subsystem and with development of Central Emergency Communications Center physical layout.
Ninth Avenue Superfund Site. Design Authority for real time Control and Information Systems providing process operation and remote monitoring of an on site processing plant to remove soil and groundwater contaminants. System included Programmable Controllers, Man/Machine Interfaces, and Supervisory Data Acquisition.
Master Planning and Front End design of Control and Information Systems for a ceiling tile manufacturing site. Networks included plant control and site-wide fiber optic LANs linked to MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) and MIS (Management Information Systems) computing and file servers.
Project Manager for automation of boilers and utilities at a world-scale brewery.
Project Manager for development of Oracle database system for automation of Controls/Electrical detail design. System interfaces with design databases of other engineering disciplines including telecommunications.
Design of Air Emissions Monitoring and EPA reporting for approximately 100 power plants. Responsibility included principal design authority as well as working supervision during conceptual and preliminary engineering phases.
H.A. SIMONS LTD., SIMONS-AT, TORONTO ONTARIO (1987 to 1990)
GENERAL MANAGER - EAST
Responsible for sales and execution of Pulp & Paper, and Food Industry projects involving industrial automation and site-wide information systems, including strategic planning studies, design, start-up and ongoing support.
Major projects included a new world-scale cereal processing plant in California, progressive automation of a large Canadian tomato processing and packaging facility, and automation of Quebec brewing aging and bottling cellars. These projects included state-of-the-art batch sequencing, a computer-based checkout and training simulator, and a site-wide production management computer.
Strategic control and information systems and networks were also completed for Pulp and Paper clients in Ontario, British Columbia and Australia.
A multi-site strategic control and information systems plan was prepared for one of the world's largest grain processing companies.
INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION SYSTEMS INC. (1986 to 1987)
PRESIDENT
IAS is a Toronto-based firm offering industrial Supervisory Computer packages, Quality Management systems and Industrial Network consulting. Projects sold and implemented included a process control system for a Zinc Oxide manufacturing facility, a Quality Management system for a major Canadian Brewer, and a product tracking system for a food processing plant.
INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION SYSTEMS - A BUSINESS UNIT OF C-I-L INC., AN ICI-AMERICAS COMPANY (1985 to 1986)
GENERAL MANAGER
Industrial Automation Systems was a new business unit established by C-I-L to market control and automation technology. This group successfully implemented supervisory systems on two 300 megawatt Power Plants, two liquefied air plants and a municipal effluent treatment plant.
C-I-L ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT (1974 to 1985)
CONTROL AND AUTOMATION GROUP HEAD (1979 to 1985)
Responsible for Process Control and Instrumentation design for 11 new plants and major expansions, ranging from a $220 million ammonia complex to a $1 million explosives mixing facility. Advanced Electrical Power Demand control systems were implemented on 3 world-scale chloralkali plants, as well as a 15-megawatt cogeneration facility.
A total of 15 process computers and associated industrial networks were successfully installed on these projects. Upgrades were also carried out to 12 existing process units, including installation of numerous PLCs and a further 6 process computers and networks.
Principal design authority during development of the CYGNUS process control computer system that was subsequently installed in over 40 plants worldwide.
An innovative sequencing system on a high-pressure polyethylene plant was credited with major savings both in initial plant costs and in ongoing plant operations. This advanced batch control system accomplished complete plant startup and emergency shutdown, as well as recipe management and automatic grade change.
Developed a high integrity Ammonia plant safety trip system which has the best operating record of any such system in the ICI world-wide family of companies. Developed a dynamic process/controls simulator, which was used to train operators and test operating sequences on 3 process plants.
Responsible for set-up of corporate technical computing facilities, including installation of the first Engineering Computer-Aided-Drafting system in Eastern Canada (1978), word processing and electronic mail systems which were later adopted as Corporate standards, and lab automation systems which were implemented in all major laboratories. Responsible for the design and implementation of over 20 technical computing systems, including 4 VAX and 16 PDP 11 minicomputers. Local Area Networks, and Wide Area Networks were established using Ethernet, Packet Switching and PBX technologies.
Set company strategy in the above areas, as well as providing input on overall corporate office automation and telecommunications strategy.
COMPUTER APPLICATIONS GROUP HEAD (1977 to 1979)
Responsible for design of advanced control systems across the corporation including Plastics, Explosives, Fertilizers, Chloralkali, and Paint divisions.
Plastics projects completed included the first DCS control system on a Low Density Polyethylene reactor, a supervisory blown film line control system utilizing gamma back scatter gauging, a Cross Linked Polyethylene (XLPE) manufacturing facility, and a large polyethylene product routing and tracking system.
Explosives projects included completion and startup of an Ethylene Glycol Mononitrate (EGMN) manufacturing facility, an explosives dopes mixing plant, three Ammonium Nitrate/Fuel Oil (ANFO) mixing plants, and a Nitroglycerine plant. Each facility involved batch and/or continuous blending and reaction as well as downstream packaging.
Control systems were upgraded on two of the world's largest Sulfuric Acid plants. These included monitoring flow and concentration of off-gas to both the Inco and Falconbridge "Superstacks" in Sudbury, Canada.
Innovative computer-controlled batching systems were designed and implemented on both latex and alkyd paint resin reactors. These systems became the basis for similar systems implemented throughout ICI-paints which allowed them to make major market share gains due to improved quality. A paint color control and blending system was designed which reduced average "hits" per batch from 4 to 1.2, resulting in a doubling of overall throughput.
CHEMICAL ENGINEER - COMPUTER APPLICATIONS (1974-1977)
Designed computer control systems for a $200 million Low Density Polyethylene complex, and a High Density (Phillips) Polyethylene facility. Consulted on controls for Ethylene Plant reactor control and Ammonia, Urea, and Phosphate Plant optimization.
Set-up Engineering Computer Program Library, which grew over time to a total of 55 systems.
TEXACO CANADA, MONTREAL EAST REFINERY (1968 -1974)
PROCESS ENGINEER
Process engineering responsibility for two hydrotreaters, a Catalytic Polymerization Unit, a Solvent Refiner, and a Catalytic Reforming Unit. Responsible for computer applications at the refinery, as well as corporate systems for production scheduling and blending.
Designed and implemented the first daily refinery balance in Canada, as well as a linear programming optimizer used to schedule production and inventory for all of Texaco's Canadian refineries. A total of 20 software packages were designed and implemented including non-linear gasoline blending optimization, crude oil valuation, and unit operations survey programs for all major process units in the refinery.
DUPONT CANADA, KINGSTON WORKS (1966 -1968)
INSTRUMENT/ELECTRICAL ASSISTANT
Maintained Nylon Plant control systems including sophisticated digital speed controllers, packaging equipment and extrusion controls. Redesigned a spinning machine temperature controller resulting in major improvements in reliability and throughput.
QUEENS UNIVERSITY, KINGSTON ONTARIO (1964 -1966)
TECHNICIAN
Maintained language laboratory electronics (evenings) during school year. Employed as summer research assistant. Designed and implemented chemical engineering pilot plant equipment including a wind tunnel, rising film evaporator, distillation unit, and post-graduate experimental research equipment.
EDUCATION
B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering
Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario, 1968
REGISTRATION
Professional Engineer, Quebec (1970 - 2013)
Professional Engineer, Ontario (1978 - present)
TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES
Senior Member, Instrument Society of America (1970 – present)
Senior Member, American Society for Quality Control (1980 – 2008)
Member, IEEE (1995 – 2003)
More than 30 published papers and articles on Control Systems and Enterprise Integration
LANGUAGES
English (native language)
French (fluent, but rusty)
Russian (abysmal, but learning)