McDermott Talks Technology & Early Engagement at Downstream 2019

6/18/2019

McDermott made its debut at the world’s largest downstream industry event, Downstream 2019, held June 10-11. The two-day conference welcomed a record-breaking 7,000 attendees to the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.
 
“In the face of the downstream market’s incredible growth, there has never been a more pressing need for the downstream community to come together and share ideas, make new connections and inspire the next generation,” said Kerr Jeferies, Downstream 2019 Project Director, during his opening remarks.
 
The conference commenced with a plenary panel that included McDermott’s Samik Mukherjee, Group Senior Vice President, Projects and industry peers. With a focus on the market outlook, risks and challenges overcome during the first wave of downstream projects, panelist shared lessons learned to ensure success during the next wave of downstream projects.
 
Designing with the end in mind was a consistent theme throughout the candid conversation of peers, and McDermott’s Lummus Technology was at the forefront of the discussion.
 
“The days of transactional relationships are over,” said Mukherjee. “Through Lummus process technology, we are engaging with our customers very early to develop execution plans and mitigate risks. Our goal is to collaborate with our customers from technology through commissioning.”
 
Samik went on to explain the most important benefit of early engagement is that any outliers in output, cost and schedule can be mitigated from the start of a project.
 
“This helps dial-in predictability for meeting budgets and schedule requirements from the onset, resulting in win-win solution for our customers and our company.”
 
The exhibition featured content tracks for the entire downstream value chain. Nicholas Kinnis, Business Development Manager, Lummus Technology, highlighted McDermott’s petrochemical process technologies when he took center stage in the exhibit hall on the second day.
 
“The downstream business might be facing challenges due to decreased demand for transport fuels, but Lummus Technology can provide end-to-end solutions to upgrade refined products into valuable petrochemicals,” said Kinnis in his closing remarks.
 
Jeff Stroh, Senior Director, Digital Project Delivery & Project Information Management, joined Dassault Systèmes and LyondellBasell to share transformative strategies for managing project risks with digital project execution. The Gemini XD initiative allows McDermott to integrate project management, supply chain, fabrication, construction and commissioning into a digital twin.
 
Overall, the downstream market outlook is very positive for the next three to five years and McDermott’s position is promising with more than 120 licensed technologies and a full suite of vertically integrated solutions to ensure predictable project execution. Downstream 2020 has already announced plans to move to NRG Park to accommodate more attendees, exhibitors and workshops next June.