Who are Process Engineers 🧐?

To begin the post, I decided to write about

• Who are Process Engineers,

• What they are responsible for

• Which companies they can work

Introduction

What is Process Engineering? 🤔

A process is simply a method by which products can be manufactured from the raw materials. Selection of process steps for the manufacture of the product to the required specifications is the job of a process engineer. There could be number of methods to manufacture the same product. The best method for manufacturing a product has neither been discovered nor can it be said that a job can be performed in only one way. The process engineer faces alternative solutions to manufacturing problems. This possibility comes out of a combination of factors such as information gained by him from the past processes, imagination, his own knowledge of known processes, etc.

What are Process Engineers responsible for? 🤔

Process engineer plays an important role throughout the all stages of the Project. They are mainly responsible for:

• Developing Process flow diagrams (PFD), heat and material balance of the plant by utilizing the Process Simulation software

• Perform sizing of the equipment as per required process duty

• 
  Develop process datasheets of the equipment

• 
  Writing Basis of Design, Operating Philosophy and System Operating Guidelines

• 
  Transferring PFD into the Piping and Instrumentation Diagram

• 
  Develop Process Cause and Effect Diagrams

Which companies can they work? 🤩

To talk about this part, firstly, we should determine in which fields these engineers are able to work. We can divide the companies into 3 groups:

1. EPC Companies

2. Operating Companies

3. Service Companies

Let’s talk about this group in detailed way 🌝!

EPC Companies- This type of companies are mainly responsible for designing of plant. For example, it is required to build new terminal on offshore platform. This kind of companies make revenue from designing. We can give company examples such as KBR, Worley, Wood, AMEC and etch.

Operating Companies- This kind of companies are essentially responsible for manufacturing of products such as polymers, oil, gas, soap and etch. They make revenue from producing. We can give company examples such as bp, Total, Shell, SOCAR Polymer and etch.

Service Companies- For many people, process engineers are not suitable to work in this type of companies. Because the primary focus is to drill the wells, find new platforms. According to the technical basis, this work is closer to Petroleum Engineers rather than Process Engineers. We can give company examples such as Schlumberger, Halliburton, Weatherford and etch.