Archive
It’s been a quick summer
A really quick summer!
It seems that every day which passes picks up speed, and I can’t believe that we are already in mid September.
My time is still split between the two major projects here of the Steam Sterilisation plant and the USAMRIID replacement project.
I am now mostly involves in the commissioning process of the USAMRIID. In the building about 60% of the space is mechanical “room” jam-packed with HEPA filters, air handling units, control systems, compressors, pumps and everything else you could possibly think of.
I am managing the commissioning contractors issue log, this involves answering any questions they have on any of the many systems, in order to allow them to write the system tests that will accurately test and check the equipment, and put it through its paces. Some of these questions then highlight further problems which had not been previously considered, and thus I find myself researching a variety of systems and also going back to the original designer, (who will still have on contract) with a set of further developed questions, this is then resulting in some changes to the specification.
I have become the USACE lead on the in-the-field testing of some of the systems, ensuing that the quality of workmanship is up to the extremely high standard required. As part of this I have found that one set of tests being conducted may have been recurrently inaccurate for a couple of years, which is clearly a concern, as retesting would be extremely expensive and in many areas near impossible. I am attempting to determine the exact level of fault and from there find a quick/easy solution, and subsequently implement a system which will not allow the similar problems to recur.
In the Steam Sterilization Plant things are still fairly static. The higher management within USACE and the Lead Contractor are conducting a very slow negotiation over the final change, as they have been for the past 3 months. The Contractors bid is slowly falling from $2m to $1.6m but still not close to the expected $300K.
There are also systems tests of the SSP which remain failed/incomplete, and also pivotal for the plant to be finally commissioned by the Centre for Disease Control. Again due to the impasse and a hard stop on any further funding from us, getting remedial work and a retest is not currently possible, thus in order to progress we are having to conduct in depth research to determine if the previous test failure can be explained in a way that will not cause a huge rework. I have been in discussion with various laboratories in the US to compare their testing procedures with ours, to ensure we were not including an overly large safety margin. If the SSP continues to sit in deadlock for many more months then it will begin to impact the critical path of the USAMRIID project, and thus huge pressure will mount.
On the home front
Sarah has been working in a HR recruitment company for the past 6 weeks, and is now getting over her horror at the employment laws out here (until recently an employer was well within their rights to ask for your Facebook username and password, and you could be fired for not providing them). She seems to spend most of her day interviewing Ex-Cons who need work, so an eye-opener all round.
My beer is going well; I have now brewed a Belgian Ale, Weisbeer, IPA, Dupple and Pilsner all of which are actually pretty good! (Much to Sarah’s surprise)
We went on a road trip from here to Niagara Falls, the Great Lakes, Michigan and Pittsburgh. About 3000 miles in total: America is in fact quite big!
20 Sept 12. Post-summer update
IMechE competencies
Just a few notes on how am doing, as follows an impromptu chat in Runcorn earlier this week:
So I’m down there for some project review meetings for 4 of my jobs and Steve Kydd (the TAR Engineering Manager) has asked if he can join in with all our progress meetings, so he’s there too. Anyway, we’re having lunch and I’m asking him about his career so far (British Nuclear Fuels following Uni, and BP since 2006), and whether he’s chartered. And it turned out to be a winner of a question! Not only is he chartered through IMechE, he’s also a regular on the interview panel in Glasgow and would happily review my application form, be a sponsor, and fully rehearse an interview. How good is that?? Conversation moved on to the competencies, and before I could even suggest how he viewed my performance so far he was happy to tell me I’d blitz C-E without a doubt, but still need to work on A and B as that’s where all BP staff struggle, particularly the graduates [after 3-years with BP]. Something I guess I knew, but he told me not to stress just yet, but to be sure to review it post-Christmas – notably, this date fits into a quieter time in the pre-TAR work for the jobs I’ve got that are on his radar.
Later, at the airport, I asked whether there was much concern that a lad with 6-months in the trade was running so many of the TAR scopes (bearing in mind that one day of TAR roughly equates to £2m in lost revenue). “Oh yes Chris, that’s definitely something we’ve flagged up, but what you lack in experience and knowledge you more than make up for in energy, and that’s what we need from you.”
So OK, I clearly can’t bluff my engineering prowess just yet, but another person has said it will come with time. Oh, and they’d employ me if I ever fancied it…
Project Updates
ETAP ALQ. I’ve literally just rocked a meeting with the AESTL (Asset Engineering Services Team Leader) and one of the Renewals guys. They want it [Additional living Quarters], they probably want it bigger, but they don’t know when they want it. Compared to the costs of £200k a day for a flotel (they’re only using it for 120 beds, and I think they’re planning on having it for 14 months), £12m for 30 permanent beds really isn’t that much, but they’re still unsure about who’s running the business case – and this is what I need to be able to further detail budgets and importantly, release funds. Getting there though.
Magnus TAR Projects. My two originals are going well (must be my drive!) and the three I’ve taken on are moving OK and I’m getting to grips with them. As ever, WG PSN have had more management change, but I’ve been quick to get everyone together and inject some life; clearly it’s working! Flying down to Runcorn every week or two is killing the planet but makes communication and mutual respect infinitely better. I’m out to Magnus to survey them all on Monday with one of the TAR leadership team, my lead piping engineer and some guys from Spatial Solutions who do the 3D scans.
Mungo W160 Gas lift mods. Abbas, the petroleum engineer, was a bit taken aback when I quoted £1.48m (Capex) for the modification (essentially, the installation of a new pipe 2 foot higher up than the old one), although to be fair it’s only a third that cost in terms of Opex. Still, he’s not agreed to fund it yet so no movement. It’ll be a nice easy job if I do get it though!
Magnus Bunkering Lines. I’ll include these in my survey this week, and plan to get out to Poland and Norway to see the flotels before Christmas. Not been to either country before and the Renewals team are good guys, so I’m looking forward to it!
Magnus B Crane changeover and boom rest. This was one of Ish’s big ones, but in fairness it’s just another on my list! The boom rests are simply a structural job so happy there, and he’s doing a weighted analysis of the crane changeout methodology next week, so although I’ll miss it, I’m hoping there will be a good DSP and stakeholder agreement about which method to use. Regardless, it’s nothing I’m sweating over. Interestingly, Ish has been getting out to Holland every two months to check that Kenz are maintaining the already-built B Crane, so I’ll try and fit that in too. I’m sure I can make a good night out of Amsterdam somehow…
In other news:
- We’re collecting Dougal the German Wirehaired Pointer in a few weeks, after:
- Running the Skye Cullin Ridge this weekend
- Running the London to Brighton ultramarathon next weekend (www.justgiving.com/double1)
- And Liz and I run the Glencoe Mountain Marathon the weekend after that (www.justgiving.com/double2)
- Borneo was good and Pangkor Laut was unbelievable – pure paradise, and probably not too far from Perth if you hoods down-under fancy it?
- Amassing 20 people for “Beighton’s Barmy Bin Bag Army” at the Paralympics went brilliantly, and Nick made the Finals, and finished in 4th, just 0.2 secs behind the Bronze medal winner. Him and Sam beat the Aussies though!
- 39 Engr Regt has gained another Squadron, filling Liz with pure delight as it passes the 1,000 people mark.
Holdfast Training Services Trial Blog 