JJ White General Construction

Exchanger Group

The Scenario - Saturday (Day One)

Amerada Hess, a major oil refiner, located in Port Reading, New Jersey, scheduled a major turnaround for the spring of 2005. Contracts were issued to perform specific job related tasks - mechanical, piping, scaffolding, refractory and heat exchanger bundle extraction and cleaning. J.J. White presented an unsuccessful proposal to perform the heat exchanger work for blind-to-blind services. Based solely on price, the project was awarded to another contractor. Following three (3) weeks of prep work, the turnaround began. At the end of the first turnaround week, the owner, discontented with the equipment furnished by the selected exchanger contractor, called upon J J. White for assistance. The refinery turnaround team, prior to presenting a revised plan of action to upper management, needed assurances from J.J. White that the necessary manpower and equipment was available, and that J.J. White was willing, and capable, of assuming the work with minor impact on cost and schedule. The inquiry received a positive reply.

The Plan - Sunday (Day Two)

All the bundle extraction and high pressure cleaning equipment necessary to complete the project was to be staged at an offsite facility approximately one (1) mile from the refinery. This task was accomplished in one day. Upon receiving approval from upper management, the turnaround team would direct J.J. White's crew to begin mobilization into the plant the following day. The current contractor was to be notified of the impending change and begin demobilization. The two events were to be concurrent. In reality, J.J. White had to execute the demobilization of the contractor's equipment and mobilization of their own. J.J. White was scheduled to arrive on site with sufficient staff and supervision to execute the scope of work. Craft personnel, working two (2) ten (10) hour shifts, were scheduled for termination from the employ of the existing contractor, for placement on the J.J. White payroll. To avoid costly delays, all required tools, personnel protective equipment, materials, equipment, documentation, etc. had to be to located, purchased and expedited for arrival at the site in timely manner.

The Execution - Monday (Day Three)

The call to commence mobilization came at 10 am. Staff, supervision and specialty craft technicians were dispatched to the site for a 12 noon arrival. Bundle cleaning equipment, located at the wash site, was swapped out and available for cleaning within a 24-hour window. Employees of the former contractor, laid off at the end of the shift, were rehired, orientated and fit for duty as J.J. White personnel within 2 hours of their next scheduled shift. By 12 pm on the fourth day, the turnaround was in full swing with only minor glitches which were immediately addressed and rectified.

The Conclusion - Twenty One (21) Days Later

The project - 15,390 total man hours - was completed safely [zero recordables, zero first aids], on schedule, and within the constraints of the budget for the original scope of work - as performed by J.J. White. [Cost incurred for mobilization and termination of the previous contractor not considered].