Sri N.

Experience

• Independent PACO / Instrumentation Consultant – Oil & Gas Automation & Safety Systems Self Employed · Freelance Jan 2026 – Present 3 mos Chennai, TN, India Independent Instrumentation and Control Consultant providing specialized engineering support for brownfield modernization, FEED studies, and system validation projects within oil and gas processing facilities. Recent assignments included NGL system modernization with ABB DCS/ESD platforms, ejector-based atmospheric flare gas recovery systems, installation studies for permanent Bad Oil Tank (BOT) reprocessing facilities, and validation of ESDV testing procedures.
  
  For the NGL System Modernization project, provided instrumentation engineering support for migration and integration of legacy control infrastructure into a modern ABB DCS/ESD architecture, including assessment of existing pneumatic and electronic control loops, development of instrumentation databases, and site survey activities to align existing field instrumentation with the upgraded automation platform.
  
  Contributed to the Ejector-Based Atmospheric Flare Gas Recovery Project (HIPF/RIPF/ZIPF), supporting engineering activities associated with recovery of atmospheric flare gases using ejector-based systems. Scope involved instrumentation design inputs, interface with plant control systems, and coordination with multidisciplinary engineering teams to ensure integration with existing flare and process control systems.
  
  Additionally supported the FEED study for installation of a permanent Bad Oil Tank (BOT) reprocessing facility, providing instrumentation design inputs, review of process interfaces, and preparation of engineering deliverables to facilitate reprocessing of off-spec hydrocarbon streams within the plant.
  
  Also engaged in validation and technical review of Emergency Shutdown Valve (ESDV) testing procedures, assessing existing procedures, test records, and compliance against project specifications and international standards to ensure proper verification of shutdown valve performance and functional integrity.
  
  Through these engagements, provided independent technical guidance, engineering review, and design validation, supporting operators and engineering teams in enhancing automation reliability, process safety, and operational efficiency in complex oil and gas facilities.
• Senior Instrument Engineer Black Cat Engineering and Consulting · Full-time May 2023 – Dec 2025 2 yrs 7 mos Qatar Black Cat Consulting & Engineering Services (BCCES)
  Lead Instrumentation & Control Engineer supporting FEED and EPC projects for QatarEnergy across upstream facilities, refineries, and petrochemical developments including RLPP projects, with EPC project budgets ranging up to approximately QAR 600 million. Responsible for leading multidisciplinary instrumentation teams comprising senior engineers, designers, and draftsmen, overseeing engineering deliverables and ensuring technical compliance with project specifications and international standards.
  Key responsibilities include preparation and review of instrumentation engineering deliverables such as instrument layouts, cable routing drawings, loop diagrams, hook-ups, junction box wiring diagrams, instrument lists, and I/O schedules, along with development and verification of Cause & Effect (C&E) diagrams, Alarm and Trip schedules, ICSS System Scope of Work, ICSS specifications, and instrumentation package specifications. Experienced in supporting metering systems, analyzer packages, and field instrumentation systems for complex oil, gas, and petrochemical facilities.
• Senior Instrument Engineer DOW Chemicals · Contract May 2022 – May 2023 1 yrs Chennai, TN, India Senior Instrumentation & Control Engineer supporting large-scale capital projects within Polyethylene manufacturing facilities, with project portfolios exceeding USD 800 million. Responsible for leading instrumentation engineering activities for brownfield and expansion projects, ensuring robust design solutions aligned with plant operational requirements and corporate engineering standards.
  Key responsibilities included instrument and control valve selection and sizing, specification of field instrumentation, and development of instrumentation design solutions for critical process units. Actively involved in preparation and review of core engineering deliverables such as instrument datasheets, control narratives, alarm and trip schedules, loop diagrams, and system interface documentation. Worked closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams and operations to ensure reliable integration of process control systems, safety instrumentation, and plant automation systems for polyethylene production facility.
• Senior Instrument Engineer Black Cat Consulting and Engineering services · Full-time May 2019 – May 2022 3 yrs Qatar Senior Instrumentation & Control Engineer leading large-scale automation modernization projects including the Automation Upgrade of the NGSL Storage and Offloading Facility, with an EPC project budget of approximately USD 450 million. Responsible for the engineering and integration of a new Integrated Control and Safety System (ICSS), development of a new central control room, and interfacing multiple Local Equipment Rooms (LERs) across the facility while upgrading the existing control system infrastructure.
  Led instrumentation engineering activities for both brownfield and greenfield developments, including demolition of obsolete tanks and legacy packages to enable installation of new process and utility packages within constrained plot areas. Scope included full Fire & Gas (F&G) system design and integration, covering detectors, field devices, alarm systems, and safety interfaces aligned with plant operational and safety requirements.
  Additionally experienced in package instrumentation engineering, including MP Steam Boiler packages with Boiler Management Systems (BMS), Demin water treatment systems, chemical injection skids, and associated process auxiliaries. Worked closely with major OEM vendors and third-party system suppliers to integrate package PLCs, BMS systems, and auxiliary control systems into the plant-wide ICSS architecture, ensuring reliable operation, safety compliance, and seamless system integration.
• Senior PACO Engineer WORLEY PARSONS · Full-time Sep 2014 – May 2019 4 yrs 8 mos Qatar Senior PACO Engineer supporting EPCM projects for Qatar Shell GTL (QSGTL) across brownfield upgrades and reliability improvement initiatives, with project budgets ranging from approximately QAR 40 million to QAR 250 million. Delivered instrumentation, automation, process control, and operational technology solutions across key projects including ETU Acid Gas Line and Tank Replacement, Dry Gas Reliability Improvements, Ethane Export Pipeline to QatarEnergy Station A21, and Bio-Sludge Treatment facilities.
  Responsible for overall PACO engineering design and integration, including preparation of engineering deliverables, DEM-1 compliance verification, space reservation, and coordination with multiple disciplines such as process, mechanical, piping, electrical, and civil. Ensured compliance with Shell Design & Engineering Practices (DEPs) and international standards during project design and execution.
  
  Actively involved in contract and execution management, including preparation of Scope of Work (SOW) for construction contractors, coordination with package vendors and OEM suppliers, and supporting project execution through construction and commissioning phases up to Ready for Start-Up (RFSU).
  The Ethane Export project involved cross-country pipeline integration between QSGTL and QatarEnergy, incorporating advanced pipeline leak detection systems using Mass Balance and fiber-optic technologies (DTS/DAS). Additionally supported specialized package systems such as robot-assisted sludge drying and treatment processes, including coordination with COMPANY stakeholders and regulatory authorities for customs clearance and operational approval of remote-controlled equipment operating within restricted plant zones.
• Instrument Engineer III Arabian Consulting Engineering Centre · Full-time Aug 2012 – Aug 2014 2 yrs Saudi Arabia Instrument Engineer III supporting EPC and FEED projects for major operators including Saudi Aramco, SABIC, and Al-Khafji Joint Operations (KJO), delivering instrumentation and control engineering solutions for brownfield upgrades, safety system implementation, and reliability improvement initiatives.
  
  Key projects included EPC for Data Acquisition System (DAQ) for SAOO Water Injection Wells – Saudi Aramco, EPC for Installation of New ESD System in IBB Ammonia Plant – SABIC, EPC for Replacement of Heat Exchangers in the 3EG Area – SABIC, and FEED for Machinery Monitoring System (MMS) Optimization and Replacement for Al-Khafji Offshore Facilities.
  As part of the Saudi Aramco DAQ project, involved in field data collection and engineering development for water injection wells across Haradh and Hawiyah areas, including verification of wellhead instrumentation provisions such as casing and tubing annulus pressure transmitters. The scope included engineering and integration of solar-powered RTU systems, enabling acquisition of wellhead data from cluster wellheads and communication to the Master SCADA system via microwave and fiber optic networks for centralized monitoring, control, and safeguarding.
  For the SABIC IBB Ammonia ESD Upgrade project, participated in FEED and detailed engineering for installation of a new Yokogawa ProSafe-RS Safety Instrumented System in an existing plant that previously operated without an ESD system. The work involved signal segregation from the existing DCS marshalling system, loop verification and continuity testing, migration of critical process loops to the new ESD system, cross-wiring between DCS and ESD cabinets, and development of new Cause & Effect logic and updated control narratives aligned with the upgraded safety architecture.
  Additionally contributed to Machinery Monitoring System (MMS) reliability optimization for offshore and onshore facilities of Al-Khafji Joint Operations, involving assessment and replacement of obsolete Bentley Nevada monitoring systems, including controllers, I/O cards, and sensors. The work included system assessment, gap analysis, engineering design for replacement systems, and coordination with OEM vendors, ensuring retention of 20% wired spare capacity and 20% physical spare space for future system expansion.
• Instrument Engineer Intragulf Process Solutions · Full-time Aug 2009 – Aug 2012 3 yrs Bahrain Instrument Engineer supporting FEED, detailed engineering, and feasibility studies for upstream oil and gas facilities, delivering instrumentation and control engineering solutions for reliability improvements, new facility developments, and lifecycle extension assessments.
  
  Key projects included Detailed Design for Utility Air System Reliability Upgrade, FEED for Majnoon Degassing Station (Iraq), and Feasibility Study/Technical Evaluation of Storage Tank Farm Facilities.
  
  For the Utility Air System Reliability project, responsible for instrumentation engineering associated with integration of a new SCR (Thyristor Control Panel) with the plant DCS and ESD systems. Activities included site survey and data collection, preparation of site survey reports, instrumentation datasheets and specifications, control block diagrams (CBD), layouts, cable routing drawings, termination diagrams, loop drawings, hook-ups, and cable schedules, along with preparation of construction work packs for field implementation.
  
  As part of the FEED for the Majnoon Degassing Station, conducted extensive site surveys and data collection during a six-month site assignment in Iraq, documenting existing facilities including desalters, dehydrators, columns, separators, crude storage tanks, and booster pumps. Developed as-built documentation of the existing facility and prepared key instrumentation deliverables such as instrument index, I/O lists, layouts, control block diagrams, termination drawings, and loop diagrams, with integration of field instrumentation to Emerson DeltaV DCS and ESD systems.
  
  Additionally contributed to the feasibility and lifecycle extension study for aging tank farm facilities, assessing the operational viability of extending facility life by an additional 10 years for infrastructure over 30 years old. Scope included field verification of installed instrumentation (PT, TT, LT, FT, MOV, ESDV, control valves and associated accessories), identification of instrument make, model, and serial data, and coordination with OEMs and system vendors to evaluate spare parts availability and long-term support. Developed a comprehensive obsolescence and technical evaluation report outlining the condition and sustainability of instrumentation systems within the tank farm.