FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

COUNCIL FOR THE REGULATION

OF ENGINEERING IN NIGERIA

WORK EXPERIENCE REPORT

IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT FOR REGISTRATION AS

REGISTERED ENGINEER/TECHNOLOGIST

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

By: AUGUSTINE IZON-EBI PORBENI

Application ID: 40984
Phone: +2349020355622
Email: porbeniaugustine7@gmail,com 1ST AUGUST, 1966
 Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................................................ 3

1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 3
CHAPTER TWO ............................................................................................................................................... 4
2.0 Summary of Work Experience .......................................................................................................... 4
CHAPTER THREE ........................................................................................................................................... 5
3.0 DETAILS OF ENGINEERING WORK EXPERIENCE .......................................................................... 5
3.1 Project: Automated Cleaning of Tank 6702 ..................................................................................... 5
3.1.1 Project Particulars .......................................................................................................................... 5
3.1.2 Project description .......................................................................................................................... 5
3.1.3 Relevant Cleaning standards .......................................................................................................... 5
3.1.4 Applications of Health, Safety and Environmental Standards to the Area of Practice...................... 6
3.1.5 Scope of the Works ........................................................................................................................ 7
3.1.6 My involvement in this Project: ..................................................................................................... 7
3.1.7 Detailed Equipment Layout Drawings ........................................................................................... 8
3.1.8 Challenges encountered and Solutions ........................................................................................... 9
3.1.9 Experience Gained ....................................................................................................................... 10
CHAPTER FOUR ............................................................................................................................................ 11
4.0 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 11
CHAPTER FIVE.............................................................................................................................................. 12
APPENDICES.................................................................................................................................................. 13
 CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

My name is Augustine Izon-ebi Porbeni, born on the 1st of August 1966, I am from Aduku, in
the Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. I am married with children.

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
A. TERTIARY
Rivers State University of Science & Technology, Rivers State (1987 – 1992)
Qualification obtained: Bachelor of Technology Degree Mechanical Engineering

B. SECONDARY
Stella Maris College, Harbour Road, Port Harcourt (1980 – 1985)
Qualification obtained: West Africa Examination Council Certificate

C. PRIMARY
St Mary’s Primary School, Harbour Road (1974 – 1980)
Qualification obtained: First School Leaving Certificate

PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING WORK EXPERIENCE

COMPANY YEAR POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

The Initiates Plc 01/04/2022 – Till Date General Manager Unit coordination
Business development
Implementation

Gas Group Int’l Ltd 28/10/2019 – 08/01/2022 Operation Manager Project Management
Interfacing with stakeholders

KTV Group 10/09/2018 – 03/04/2022 Head, C&T Services Project Management

Tender preparation

NCS Tank Cleaning 17/11/2007 - 28/05/2018 Project Engineer Project execution

Tank cleaning supervision
 CHAPTER TWO

2.0 Summary of Work Experience

Period Detail of Projects/Activities Duration Supervisor
(Months)
Name Signature

EMPLOYER: THE INITIATES PLC

Position: General Manager

April Ongoing Ossai. R. M.

2022 till Project: Desludging of Crude Oil Tank at

date SNEPCO (FPSO) Bonga

Activities undertaken: -

i. Tank venting
ii. Sludge evacuation
iii. Cleaning of tank internals
iv. Waste handling
v. Treatment of the solid waste

EMPLOYER: NCS Tank Cleaning Ltd

Position: Project Engineer Dayo

7 Months
Johnson
Project: Automated cleaning of aboveground
storage tank and recovery of oil – Mobil
Producing Nigeria - Eket

Activities undertaken: -

i. Mobilization
ii. Tank isolation (positive & negative)
iii. Equipment set up
iv. Tank inerting (Nitrogen)
v. Desludging & cleaning using light crude oil
vi. Water washing
vii. Tank venting
viii. Inspection
ix. Housekeeping
x. Demobilisation
 CHAPTER THREE

3.0 DETAILS OF ENGINEERING WORK EXPERIENCE

3.1 Project: Automated Cleaning of Tank 6702

3.1.1 Project Particulars

Client: Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited – Eket, Akwa Ibom State

Project cost: $1,345,985.04
Consultant: NCS Tank Cleaning Limited
Position held: Project Engineer
Period: 7 Months

3.1.2 Project description

• Introduction of the project

Tank 6702 was a double deck floating roof tank, designed to store 670,000 bbls of crude
oil, this tank is located at the Exxonmobil terminal in Eket, Akwa Ibom State.

Due to the build-up of sludge at the tank bottom overtime, resulting to the reduction of
the storage capacity of the tank, thus limiting the production quota of the Company,
there was the need to carry out turnaround maintenance, hence, the tank was put out for
complete rehabilitation. To achieve this objective, it has to be cleaned first, before other
maintenance activities can take place.
• Objective

The objective was to clean the tank to hot work standard, using a no-man entry automated
tank cleaning equipment, such that it will be completely free of flammable hydrocarbon
for maintenance and construction work to be done in order to free up space to
accommodate the designed storage capacity of crude oil. The equipment should have the
added advantage of recovering trapped reusable oil in the sludge

3.1.3 Relevant Cleaning standards

 API 2015 – Requirements for safe entry and cleaning of storage tanks
 API 2016 – Guidelines & Procedures for entering and cleaning petroleum storage
tanks
 NFPA 326 – Standards for the Safeguarding of Tanks and Containers for Entry,
Cleaning or Repair
Software

▪ Microsoft project

▪ Demonstrate the extent of use of Standards, Codes, Manuals, Handbooks etc.

Prior to commencement of the project, there was equipment functionality test (otherwise
known as premob) that was carried out for the CLIENT, this was to verify it’s suitability
and operational capability for the intended project.

Having successful gone through the equipment premob, the required regulatory
operational documents such as valid NUPRC (DPR) permit and valid Nigerian Content
Equipment Certificate (NCEC) along with others, such as Methodology for Tank cleaning,
Confine Space Entry Procedure, Risk assessment, Job Hazard Analysis/Job Safety
Analysis, Community Plan, Waste Management Plan, Emergency Response Plan, Quality
Assurance/Quality Control Plan, HSE Plan, Personnel training matrix, Oil Spill
Contingency Plan, Nigerian Content Plan etc were summited to the CLIENT for review
and approval before departure to the site.

3.1.4 Applications of Health, Safety and Environmental Standards to the Area of Practice

Health, Safety and Environmental standards were observed all through the period the
project lasted, the Exxonmobil terminal, being a potentially explosive environment
required that for the tank cleaning activities to take place, only automated intrinsically
safe, ATEX approved equipment for zone 0 and 1 are to be used, and in other to strictly
control this, the work area was divided into different zones, such as Zone 0, 1, and 2.

Zone 0, was defined as inside the tank, the tank roof and 6 meters from the tank shell,
while that of Zone 1 was 15 meters away from the tank shell, and Zone 2 was about 50
meters from the tank shell.

Furtherance to safety, personnel were mandated to wear fire retardant clothes/coveralls

and antistatic foot wears (safety boots or shoes).

Any material that will generate spark or heat that will be sufficient enough to cause
explosion or fire in the required amount of oxygen, were barred from the site.

There was continuous testing of the atmosphere within the tank vicinity for presence of
toxic and flammable gases, and during the internal tank inspection phase which must be
preceded by proper tank ventilation, periodic and continuous testing of the tank
atmosphere was done by a certified and authorized gas tester, using a calibrated client
approved gas testing instrument.
3.1.5 Scope of the Works

1. Mobilization of competent personnel, the automated cleaning equipment and

components to site
2. Generation of Nitrogen to inert the tank
3. Cleaning the internals of the tank to hot work standard using the automated equipment
4. Utilizing the separation module for oil recover.
5. Housekeeping and restoration of the site as it was prior to mobilization
6. Demobilization of personnel and equipment from the site
7. Daily and final project report.

3.1.6 My involvement in this Project:

I worked as a Project Engineer in the project and performed the following activities:

(a) Carried out feasibility study of the site which included but not limited to the followings;
i. Involved in the preliminary checking of the site condition.
ii. Involved in checking the ream seal (floating roof), integrity of the roof and wind
guider of the tank
iii. Took crude oil sludge sample for analysis
iv. Involved in the kick-off meeting and came up with the project schedule
v. Involved in the planning phase hazard assessment (PPHA)
vi. Involved in the risk assessment analysis of the project activities and came up with
mitigations/controls for the potential hazards
vii. Selected the appropriate area for the equipment set-up
viii. Discuss with community and their requirements (homage)

(b) Prepared and wrote an estimated budget for the project which was submitted to the
Financial Manager of the Company for proper financing of the project, this consist of the
following components:

i. Direct cost
ii. Indirect cost
iii. Overhead
iv. Profit margin

The budget took into consideration cost for personnel, equipment, logistics and materials from
the planning phase to the close out phase of the project.
3.1.7 Detailed Equipment Layout Drawings

EQUIPMENT SETUP DIAGRAM AT MPN

TERMINAL LEGEND

1. Suction Module.
2. Skimming Module.
3. Recirculation Module.
4. Separation Module.
TANK
5. Nitrogen Module.
6702- 6. Diesel Generator 1.
7. Diesel Generator 2.
8. Office Caravan.
9. Auxiliary Container.
10. Steam Generator.
1 2 11. 40ft Spare Store
12. Diesel Holding Tank.
13. Crew Canopy.
3 14. Main Air Compressor
15. Main Panel
16. Emergency Air Compressor
4 17. Change Over Panel

5 6 7

12

8 14

15

16

17

9 10 11 13
3.1.8 Challenges encountered and Solutions
Challenges
Lack of proper community engagement and
alignment prior to mobilizing to the site which
resulted in numerous disruptions
Crane had cable issues, leaking oil and general
maintenance issues
lack of forklift on site causing delay of equipment site
up leading to downtime
Voltage at client Load Centers was 415V which was
not enough to power the automated tank cleaning
equipment.
Emergency rescue equipment not identified as pre-
mobilization requirement and so personnel were not
allowed to go to the tank roof being a double deck
floating roof
Minimal effectiveness in covering broken rim seal
areas, thereby resulting to nitrogen (inert gas)
escape, and so oxygen level in the tank could not be
maintained within the maximum safe threshold of 8%
 Unstable voltage output from the generator
 Lack of surge and voltage protection on the PLC
that was used as the control panel, thereby
damaging some control components
High cost of fuel which was also dirty resulting to
incessant shutdown of operation
Lack of adequate transfer pumps resulted in frequent
spills; delays in refueling
SafeTap cold cutting tool had functional issues, being
an improper tool for double deck roof thereby causing
vibrations
Wear and Tear of hydraulic solenoid valves in the
hydraulic unit
Poor quality/substandard galvanized pipes used
which resulted to spillage from pinholes due to rust
on the pipes
Memory card inserted in the PLC corrupted because
it was powered on during installation
-Inability to complete permit process due to lack of
authorized gas tester
Solutions
Worked within the frame work of client
community plan/engage client community
liaison/interface personnel and kept track of
community status as it relates to the Tank
cleaning project
Crane was certified and maintenance done to
correct those issues, thereafter, maintenance
schedule was maintained
30,000 lb forklift was provided and left at the site
for a period of time
500 kVA generator was used initially, and then a
500 KVA transformer was provided to tie up to
the client’s power grid
Rescue equipment was provided, winch and
cable were greased, load tested to ensure it
worked properly for rescue purposes
Better sealing technique was developed, broken
rim seal areas covered and oxygen level
maintained within the allowable level of not more
than 8%
Voltage protection relays were installed, and
spares also provided
Client provided quality fuel at the time diesel
generator was used
Generators was shut down for refueling and
diesel transfer pump including
spill clean-up kits were provided
Suitable double deck cutting tool was provided
including all the cutting bits
Solenoid valves were replaced
Stainless steel Victaulic pipes were used for
replacement of the galvanized pipes
New memory card installed while PLC was not
powered up
- Three (3) personnel were trained as authorized
gas testers
3.1.9 Experience Gained

The experiences gained during the tank cleaning project: -

a) All certifications from engineering to equipment must be in place and sustained before,
during and after every project
b) Equipment that is fit for purpose must be in place and functioning to maximum capacity
prior to mobilization.
c) There must be enough spares for equipment parts.
d) Equipment must be maintained at the scheduled time irrespective of the operational status
e) Personnel must undergo training and retraining for the intended project.
f) Senior management should actively participate from the project planning phase to close-
out.
g) Procedures required for the project must be adhered to followed
h) Safety rules and regulations must be obeyed.
 CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 Conclusion

As I have narrated above in this report, I have gained adequate Work Experience in
Mechanical Engineering (process control, site supervision and office management) as well as
knowledge in procurement matters, project management and contracts administration. I have now
managed to bridge theories and reality on site. I have faced many challenges while
implementing projects and I have also been able to look for the solution to those problems.

Further, I certify that, this report results from my involvement in various mechanical engineering
works carried out and is not copied from any unauthorized materials and thus the activities
written in this report were carried out under close supervision of Registered Engineers.

With regard to the professional engineering work experience I have gained so far, I finally wish
the COREN to consider, evaluate and approve my application for registration as an
Engineer/Technologist.

Name: Augustine Izon-ebi Porbeni

Signature:

Date: 22nd July 2022

 CHAPTER FIVE

5.1 Endorsement

I, the undersigned, have gone through the report that has been prepared and we endorse the
experience attained and reported by the writer. Based on our personal knowledge of the character
and professional reputation of the applicant, I recommend for acceptance of this Work Experience
report by the COREN in Partial fulfillment of the requirements for registration as Registered
Engineer/Technologist.

Name Stamp and Signature

5.2 Endorsement

I, the undersigned, have gone through the report that has been prepared and we endorse the
experience attained and reported by the writer. Based on our personal knowledge of the character
and professional reputation of the applicant, I recommend for acceptance of this Work Experience
report by the COREN in Partial fulfillment of the requirements for registration as Registered
Engineer/Technologist.

Name Stamp and Signature

 APPENDICES

Design Drawings - To be signed and stamped by a Registered Engineer on every page.