Chemical engineers in Aberdeen recognised for outstanding contributions

Chemical engineers in Aberdeen recognised for outstanding contributions

30th March 2017

Three engineers from Aberdeen have been recognised for significant contributions to local industry at the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) Aberdeen and North East Scotland Members Group Dinner, held on Thursday 23 March.

The annual dinner celebrates Aberdeen’s chemical engineering community, and in particular the volunteers who dedicate their spare time to advancing the discipline.

Gabriella Thomas, Drilling and Completions Engineer at BP, was presented with the Chair’s Award for her outstanding commitment to Aberdeen’s early-career engineering population. Gabriella has championed diversity and inclusion in BP, sharing best practice and developing an action plan for continuous improvement in this area. She has also been proactive in making changes to cabin allocations, facilitating female engineers to be sent offshore.

She was presented with the Award by IChemE Aberdeen Member Group Chair Azzam Younes. He said:

“Gabriella is one of Aberdeen’s unsung chemical engineering heroes. She has taken on a number of responsibilities on behalf of IChemE’s Member Group, completely voluntarily, and applies the same level of enthusiasm and commitment in her day-to-day job. Gabriella is the YM lead for the Aberdeen IChemE society, and has been a proactive member of the committee for a number of years. I’m delighted to present her with this Award tonight.”

Gabriella said:

'I am delighted to have been awarded the IChemE Chair’s Award in recognition for the leadership I've provided within our community. I am passionate about the development for young members and the next generation of engineers. I'd like to take this opportunity to invite graduates and professional chemical engineers to volunteer with their local IChemE groups, all are welcome to join to support the profession and 'pay it forward'.'

Jamie Park, Graduate Process Engineer at Engie E&P UK, was named Aberdeen’s Young Chemical Engineer of the Year. Jamie was hired fresh out of University in 2014. His technical maturity and natural leadership skills were recognised, and resulted in him undertaking roles ordinarily carried out by senior engineers. He is highly thought of amongst his colleagues for his practical approach and team working skills.

Keith Murphy, Operations and Engineering Manager at ENGIE E&P UK said:

“Jamie has been an outstanding graduate recruit since joining in 2014. His contribution to the start-up of the Cygnus Alpha, a major gas development in the Southern North Sea was absolutely superb.”

Jamie said:

“It’s a real honour to be awarded Young Chemical Engineer of the Year, particularly as our young members’ network in Aberdeen is so strong. ENGIE had not recruited a graduate before, and I’m incredibly grateful for all the opportunities they have given me. Working on the start-up of a new installation has enabled me to learn a lot in a short space of time. I hope to use this knowledge to encourage other young people to pursue a career in chemical engineering.”

The final award for Best Technical Presentation went to BP’s Mark Thomas, Regional President – North Sea. Mark gave his presentation at the group’s Annual Technical Seminar in 2016, where various speakers are invited to share their experiences and expertise.

He focused on big data and predictive analytics, drawing on his experience managing BP’s upstream and midstream assets in Norway and the UK. The talk received excellent feedback from delegates and peers.

Azzam Younes said:

“Mark’s presentation was excellent, and I personally found his paper and presentation to be of extremely high quality. Chemical engineering is constantly evolving, and to hear detailed insight on the use of big data in the oil and gas sector was a real treat for delegates.”

Mohammed Moonis, Senior Technical Safety Engineer at Amec Foster Wheeler added:
'Marks presentation was useful because it provided hard and realistic insight into the current status and future of the industry.'

The dinner was held at the Hilton Treetop Hotel in Aberdeen, Scotland and attended by over 150 guests from the local chemical engineering community, including students, industry leaders, and active IChemE members. During the evening raffle tickets were sold, raising over £1,690 for CLAN, a charity providing support to cancer sufferers and their families in the North East of Scotland.