Arnold Keller
Process Engineering Consultant
WORK HISTORY:
Independent Consultant Engineer 2009 – Present
2012 – Present (Ongoing) Provide technical and economic consulting services to Primus Green Energy (www.Primusge.com). This is a GTL (Gas to Liquids) startup company developing gasoline from synthesis gas via the methanol route. The company emphasizes small and medium scale units, using innovative integrated technology to minimize initial capital costs, in order to maximize the ROI.
2012 Provided technical consulting services to the Economic Development Board, a Singapore Government Agency to evaluate competing coal gasification proposals for Jurong Island, Singapore. These proposals were a result of the tender document published following the completion of the study carried out in the prior year with the McKinsey Company.
2011 Provided technical consulting services to McKinsey and Company (Singapore), who provided a technical evaluation and feasibility study to Singapore government agencies for a coal gasification project in Singapore.
2011 Carried out a high level study of different technologies, designed to compare pre-combustion carbon capture (CCS) at elevated pressure. Provided the client with an evaluation report of technologies. This report is available from the client, The Catalyst Group Resources Inc., PA. (Details on obtaining a copy of the report will be provided on request).
2010-2011 Developed new process for the capture of Carbon Dioxide (pre-combustion) from a synthesis gas or natural gas stream with a high concentration level of CO2 in the feed. The process is Patent Pending and available for license. The benefit of the new process includes about a 40 - 50% savings in energy (based on simulation results) compared to the state of-the-art process.
2010 Carried out a high level study of different technologies, designed to compare post combustion carbon capture (CCS) at atmospheric pressure. Provided the client with an evaluation report of technologies and comparative OPEX. This report is available from the client, The Catalyst Group Resources Inc., PA. (Details on obtaining a copy of the report will be provided on request).
2009-2010 Provided peer –review for proposals that were submitted in response to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These projects included IGCC, and carbon capture and sequestration. Client NETL/DOE, Morgantown, PA
2009-2011 Provided Front End Engineering Design (Pre-FEED) package for a Bio-Gasification project to convert chicken manure to energy. Client EnergyWorks, Inc. Annapolis, MD
Fluor Enterprises, Inc. 2008 – 2009 Position -Technical Director Process Engineer
Joined Fluor in April 2008 and was responsible for several gasification design projects, including: ● FEL 1 design for Valero Coke Gasification Project, Port Arthur, Texas ● A study for gasification technology comparison for Sasol, South Africa ● A Study for SNG production from various gasifiers while using different acid gas processing schemes. Achieved significant reductions of both CAPEX and OPEX compared to the conventional process scheme through innovative design
ConocoPhillips Company, Houston, Texas. 2000 – 2008 Position – Senior Process Engineer
Assigned to the E-Gas™ gasification group. Responsible for process design development for COP Company owned E-Gas™ project developments. Design focus was on the CO-Shift, acid gas removal, Claus plant, methanation and the integration of power within an E-Gas™ complex.
Previously, Development Engineer in the Power, Midstream Gas and Water group. Responsible for process design and integration of power and cogeneration projects within COP facilities. Included working in the UK office on a mega coal/coke gasification project evaluation with carbon capture and storage. Responsible for process design, alternative configuration designs, development of high level CAPEX cost estimate and OPEX for determining economic viability and ranking of alternatives choices. Position – Senior Consultant
Responsible for carrying out numerous process designs and optimizations to develop various confidential processes. Worked with catalyst development scientists providing lab generated catalyst data. Performed heat and material balances via simulation, generated CAPEX and OPEX for commercial facilities for the preferred process configuration. Made recommendations on the implementation of the process within the context of ConocoPhillips core competencies, and project economics, etc.
General Atomics, San Diego, California. 2000-2000 Position – Independent Consultant, acting as Lead Process Engineer
Developed the methodology and performed process designs for the Super Critical Water Oxidation facility for the decommissioning of chemical warfare ordinances. This was a DOD (Department of Defense) sponsored project in which stockpiled ordnances (artillery shells etc) containing saran, mustard gas or VX had to be safely opened up and the contents rendered harmless. The process involved cryogenic metal fracture, caustic hydrolysation and the total oxidation of the products under supercritical water conditions.
Also provided liaison and supervised the sub-contractor in their home office, who were tasked with the development of Process and Instrument Diagrams (P and I D’s), equipment specification, etc. Black & Veatch Pritchard, Overland Park, Kansas. 1998-1999 Position - Principal Process Engineer
Responsible for commercializing new technology for SO2 scrubbing from flue gas or tail gas units. Activities include: design development, market research, client presentation and preparation of proposals.
Bechtel Corporation – Pipeline Division, San Francisco. 1995-1998 Position - Study Manager
Responsible for all process designs and process development in the Bechtel, San Francisco Pipeline Business Line. Example process designs, studies or proposals carried out include: gas plants, LPG terminal, LNG terminal, cogeneration power plant, top side facilities and on-shore receiving terminals.
1998 Supervising process engineer for several pipeline proposals, gas processing unit upgrades, Bangkok, Thailand
1997 Supervising process engineer for the Pemex Cantrell Expansion Project, Mexico.
1996 Supervising process engineer for the Nan Ao LPG Terminal Project, China.
1995-6 Process consultant to the PTT LNG Receiving Terminal Feasibility Study. Participated in final presentation in Bangkok, Thailand. Later provided feasibility analyses for several “cold utilization” options.
Bechtel Corporation - Refinery and Petroleum Division, Los Angeles, California. 1991-1995 Position - Study Manager
Responsible for all process studies performed in the Bechtel Los Angeles Office. Responsibilities included development and/or evaluation of all new process technologies.
1995 Was awarded the Bechtel Technical Grant. The award was granted to evaluate an integrated process to co-produce hydrogen, methanol, power and steam from delayed coke in a refinery. The award was based on my US patent, for producing methanol in a new process configuration, following coal gasification (refer to Patent section - see resume).
1994 Instrumental in awards for debottlenecking of two hydrogen plants in two separate refineries in Los Angeles, California, and responsible for directing the successful completion of the study and modifications to the plants.
1992-3 Responsible for all OBL expansion activities in a major refinery expansion project, associated with reformulated gasoline for ARCO, Los Angeles, California.
1992 Responsible for a study to compare the economics of hydrogen production by natural gas steam methane reforming, versus partial oxidation of refinery fuel gas, for ARCO refinery, Los Angeles, California.
1991-2 Responsible for process design of a LNG Receiving Terminal, carried out in the Bechtel London office, for ENEL, Italy.
1991 Responsible for acid gas removal expansion units, in a major refinery expansion program.
Independent Consultant, Orange County, California. 1989-1990
1989-90 Redesigned an existing PSA plant in a landfill gas application. The plant was to be taken down in North Carolina and reinstalled in Pennsylvania. Served as Independent Consultant/Process Designer and then became the client’s resident representative in the engineering contractors’ office.
Kinetic Technology International Corporation (KTI), Monrovia, California. 1988-90
1988-9 Designed a COSORB II unit for RCF, India. Served as the Process Supervisor/Lead Process Engineer.
1988 Developed COSORB II Technology for KTI. Served as the Process Supervisor.
1988 Performed a major process study for a confidential client of a multi-product processing facility to be built in Europe. Served in business development role, and later as the Process Supervisor/Lead Process Engineer.
1988 Responsible for design of an activated MDEA plant for carbon dioxide removal for RCF, India. The process design used a proprietary BASF process. Served as the Process Supervisor/Lead Process Engineer.
Independent Consultant, Houston, Texas, and Orange County, California 1985-1988
1987-8 Performed plant energy utilization audit, and investigated several potential processing schemes to fully utilize the flared digester gas from a sewage treatment facility. The study was designed to reduce the plant’s overall energy costs. Work was performed for SCS Engineers, California, and California Energy Commission (CEC), California.
1986-7 Responsible for a research study in Expert Systems (ES) and Artificial Intelligence (Al). Designed a prototype Expert System for the selection of the most appropriate gas processing plant for a given set of conditions. Work was performed for SCS Engineers, Kentucky, and the Gas Research Institute (GRI), Chicago, Illinois.
1986 Responsible for process design for various gas processing units to recover the energy content of landfill gas for SCS Engineers, Long Beach, California.
1985-6 Provided process engineering technology consulting services and assistance in market development strategies, to a data acquisition and plant economic performance control system, Industrial Efficiency Systems, (a subsidiary of ICI (UK) Ltd.), Houston, Texas.
Lummus-Crest, Inc. Houston, Texas, 1983-1985
1985 Produced a gas treating and carbon dioxide recovery engineering design book, for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). Served as the Lead Process Engineer.
1984 Prepared a landfill gas study report for the Gas Research Institute (GRI), Chicago, Illinois. Served as the Lead Process Engineer.
1984 Provided relief analysis and PSV sizing for a cumene plant for Shell, Texas. Served as the Principal Engineer.
1983-4 Responsible for process design input for a gas treating and carbon dioxide recovery facility for EOR process. This was used in a lump sum proposal for AMOCO, Texas. Served as the Lead Process Engineer.
1983 Developed a landfill gas study for process comparison and market feasibility for the City of San Antonio, Texas. Served as the Lead Process Engineer.
1983 Provided process engineering design for MPOD production facility for DOD, CSL and GOCO facility. Served as a Principal Engineer.
1983 Provided process design for a carbon dioxide purification plant used in a proposal for AMERIGAS, Wyoming. Served as the Lead Process Engineer.
1983 Responsible for a nitrogen rejection process design for a proposal for C-E Natco and a confidential client, Texas. Served as the Lead Process Engineer.
1983 Responsible for landfill gas study process comparisons for United Gas Pipeline, Houston, Texas. Served as the Lead Process Engineer.
Crawford and Russell, Houston, Texas 1982
1982 Prepared a sour gas study report with emphasis on EOR for John Brown Constructors, London, U.K. Served as the Lead Process Engineer.
1982 Responsible for process design to an ethane recovery proposal for U.S. Industries, Tuscola, Illinois. Served as the Lead Process Engineer.
Blount International Ltd., Houston, Texas 1980-1981
1981 Responsible for MTBE Plant proposal for Champlain, Corpus Christi, Texas. Served as the Proposal Manager.
1981 Provided phosphoric acid plant technical services for Pasadena Chemical, Pasadena, Texas. Served as the Lead Process Engineer.
1980 Developed in-house Synfuel Study for Blount Management, Montgomery, Alabama. Served as the Lead Process Engineer.
Bechtel, Inc., Houston, Texas 1978-80
1979-80 Responsible for process design for a coal gasification unit (Texaco), carbon monoxide shift, and heat recovery section, sour water collection and processing, plus relief system and safety study on a major coal gasification project in Kingsport, Tennessee. The facility was to generate carbon monoxide to produce methanol, which was used in the production of methyl acetate for Tennessee Eastman. Served as a Senior Process Engineer.
1979 Responsible for gas/oil separation, two phase flow and dynamic simulation modeling of a two-phase "slug" flow and slug-catching vessels, from a producing oil field for SOHIO, North Slope, Alaska. Served as a Senior Process Engineer.
1979 Provided process design engineering for LNG regasification project for El Paso Natural Gas, Savannah, Georgia. Served as a Senior Process Engineer.
1979 Responsible for process design on LNG project for Philips Petroleum Company, Bonny, Nigeria. Served as a Senior Process Engineer.
1978 Responsible for process design on a facility conversion to a Westinghouse coal gasification demonstration unit, for Westinghouse/DOE, Rapid City, North Dakota. Served as the Lead Process Engineer.
1978 Responsible for a study to select and design tank storage and vapor recovery system that would result in zero discharge to atmosphere of the tank contents, EDC/Chlorine. Project for B.F.Goodrich, Baytown, Texas. Served as a Senior Process Engineer. Bechtel Ltd. London, United Kingdom, 1976-77
1977 Performed process design for NGL study to evaluate different methods of extracting NGL from a rich gas stream for ADNOC, Bu Hassa, Abu Dhabi. Served as the Lead Process Engineer.
1977 Responsible for process evaluation of two-phase flow gas transmission line for Kuwait Oil Company, Kuwait. Served as the Lead Process Engineer.
1977 Responsible for process design and dynamic simulation analysis for LNG project for Sonatrach, Algeria. Served as a Senior Process Engineer.
1977 Responsible for process design of solvent recovery facility for Merk, Sharp, and Dohme, Ballydine, Eire. Served as the Lead Process Engineer.
1976-7 Responsible for process design of LNG storage and loading as a Senior Engineer, and later was promoted to the overall Lead Process Engineer of all the LNG facilities for Mobile/PERTAMINA, Arun, Indonesia.
Babcock Woodall-Duckham Plc., Sussex, United Kingdom 1971-1975
1974-5 Performed commissioning and performance test run for phosphoric acid/TSP (Triple Super Phosphate) fertilizer complex for Gubre Fabrikulari, Yarimca and Iskenderun, Turkey. Served as a Start-up Engineer.
1973 Provided process design for a coke oven by-products project in Eregli, Turkey. Served as the Lead Process Engineer.
1972-3 Provided several SNG (Substitute Natural Gas) plant designs for different US clients. Served as a Process Engineer in each case.
1972 Performed process engineering design for steam reforming plant for a confidential client in Denmark. Served as a Process Engineer.
1972 Performed process engineering design for two Stretford Plants, one for NIGAS and the other for SOHIO, U.S.A. Served as a Process Engineer.
1971-2 Performed process engineering design for phosphoric acid/TSP fertilizer complex for Gubre Fabrikulari, Yarimca and Iskenderun, Turkey. Served as a Process Engineer.
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