Patrick Appert Email & Phone Number

Berre L'Étang - France

Back to basics : on the Additives Plant where I started my career 32 years ago, I animated a team involving process design engineers, trouble shooting engineers, senior process engineers, project managers, construction managers, representatives from Operations, Maintenance, Metal Inspection and Process Safety. 60 millions us$ projects were at stake, with the deadline of the Shutdown in 2021.

Tertre - Belgium

Acting as HSE Construction Manager on miscellaneous projects, on a fertilizer chemical site, located in Tertre in Belgium.

Raffinerie De Cressier, Suisse

Région De Bordeaux, France

Acting as HSE Construction Manager on a NH3 project, on a fertilizer chemical site, located near Bordeaux in France.

Madagascar

As part of the Corporate Social Responsibilities of the Ambatovy Company in Madagascar, I have managed a 25 million us$ fund that was used to implement Social Projects for the benefit of the Community. I was dealing directly with authorities at high level for the definition/choice of the projects, and I was in charge of the implementation of the projects afterwards. Projects were very diverse : Safety projects (decommissioning of old NH3 vessels, civil protection unit, equipment for the local fire brigade, assistance to the Power National Company, wastes management, construction of infrastructures, ..).As Financial Completion Manager, I was the Focal Point of the Independent Engineers, that were mandated by the banks that lent 2 billion us$ for the start-up of the Ambatovy project. Miscellaneous objectives had to be achieved and demonstrated to the Independent Engineers : proof of proper mechanical completion, capacity tests for Mine, Port, Pipeline and Plantsite, Marketing test, Efficiency test on consumables, Environmental performance, Legal test and Finance test. The “Financial Completion” was achieved in September 2015.

Madagascar

On a 8 billion $ capital project in Madagascar, I have created the H&S department of the Company. Following sections were developed : Industrial Hygiene, H&S advisory and Safety Management System, H&S training, Process Safety, Maintenance of Fire Protection Systems and Emergency Response. Member of the Management Committee of the Company, the main challenge consisted in hiring expatriate and national talents (75 persons in the department) and increasing the Safety awareness in the Company, in a country where Safety is not a priority at all. Miscellaneous records have been achieved, notably 27 million worked hours without an LTI.

On the Berre site in France, I was in charge of the operation and the maintenance of 2 units (Butadiene and Butadiene Rubber). I managed a team of 94 people, comprising 8 managers of first level. The annual fixed costs and variable costs budget was around 35 millions euros. Mainly in charge of Safety, I also defined investments policy with respective shareholders (LyondellBasell and Dow Chemical). Other challenges consisted in maintaining these old plants competitive and in motivating the staff. The 2008 challenge consisted in stopping definitely the Dow plant, following the decision of the shareholder in February : in a very short period of time, discontent and reclassification of staff, shutdown of the unit and reorganisation of the Butadiene unit had to be managed.From January 2009 to January 2010, Operations Manager of the Berre Additives Unit, that I knew well from my previous experiences.

Employee from Shell Global Solutions, based in The Hague in The Netherlands, I was consultant in organisation of petrochemical sites. Shell has a proven method fixing resources needed for operating a site, depending on the number of equipment : I was the focal point for the Shell group of that method. But the method being also marketed, I was involved in implementing it to third customers (BASF, BAYER). In the case of BAYER, I was the project manager (licence of 2 millions euros, managing of 6 consultants Shell/Bayer, 7 sites to study worldwide)

In the context of the doubling capacity of the Berre Additives Unit, where I worked at the beginning of my career, I was responsible of a "Task Force", in charge of process studies, of reliability improvements on the unit, of trials validating some process options and of obtaining the legal authorisations. The budget of the investment was of 15 millions euros. The team, consisting in 6 persons, comprised 2 engineers. The project did start in time, the budget was respected and the new capacity was achieved from the start-up.

In the context of an information technology project (Alliance), I was responsible for the implementation of the maintenance module of the program SAP/R3, on the chemical units of the Berre site. I managed a team of 14 people, and we did train 1200 potential users.

In the « Société Réunionnaise de Produits Pétroliers » (Reunion island, French Department Overseas), I did develop the HSE function in the company, with notably the creation of a fire-fighters team trained to intervening on hydrocarbon fires. I was in charge of the interface with authorities, for all important projects of the company (compliance of facilities, extension of storages, construction of new service stations)

On the Berre Shell site in France, assistant of the Unit Manager of the Solvents Unit : I was managing operation programs in line with needs of the commercial division, controlling and correcting the safety conditions.I participated in an insurance quality project, which resulted in a certification ISO9002.I also advised/assisted the Unit Manager in the context of a reorganisation (closure of C4 Solvents

Process engineer on the Berre Additives Unit in Berre/France. I participated in many increase capacity projects, in related start-ups and in the optimisation of operating conditions.

Engineer, Chemical Engineering, Oil And Gas

Engineer, Chemical Engineering