A TECHNICAL REPORT

ON

STUDENTS’ INDUSTRIAL WORK-EXPERIENCE SCHEME

(SIWES)
SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS

IN

PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE

OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

IN THE

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

AS WAS UNDERTAKEN BY

EIGBE EGHONGHON-AYE
MATRICULATION NUMBER: 110403038
AT

CHEVRON NIGERIA LIMITED

2 Chevron drive, Lekki Pennisula, Lagos, Nigeria

From July 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015.

CERTIFICATION
I, EIGBE EGHONGHON-AYE, a student of the Department of Electrical/Electronic Engineering,
University of Lagos, Akoka with Matriculation number 110403038, hereby certify that this
industrial training report was compiled by me in accordance to the requirements of the Students’
Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) as a summary of my experience during the period
of my training (July – December, 2015) in Chevron Nigeria Limited.

....................................................... …………………………………

Student Date

....................................................... ………………………………....

Institution-based Supervisor Date

………………………………… …………………………………

Industry based Supervisor Date

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to specially thank all the members of the Electrical and Instrumentation Projects
team. Thanks to Mr. Dere Okitikpi, Mr. Mike Eleanya, Mr. Kwabena Boateng, Mr. Francis
Eruotor and Mr. Lasekan Olusola for trusting me enough to assign vital tasks to me.

I would also like to thank the members of the Electrical and Instrumentation support group for
going out of their way to accommodate me in the field. To the group supervisor, Mr. Raphael
Idoko, thank you for signing me up for the vital training sessions I took part in. Thanks to Mr.
Benjamin Irone, Mr. Zvezdan Pranic and Mr. Adiatu Olayinka.

And to the company herself, thank you for giving me this grand opportunity.

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ABSTRACT
This report documents my internship experience at Chevron Nigeria Limited. It discusses in
detail, the major activities I participated in and the skills I acquired in the course of this
internship.

I was with Chevron for a period of six months, July 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015. In these
months I worked with the Electrical and Instrumentation maintenance and design teams. The
scope of work included both office and field tasks and I got the opportunity to visit various
onshore and offshore facilities.

The major activities I was involved include Project Management and Execution, Equipment
Maintenance and Troubleshooting and Power Systems Design and Analysis. I also attended a
few training sessions.

The thrill that comes from putting something together, watching it work and understanding why
it works has always been my drive. This internship intensified my conviction that engineering is
what I want to do.

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Contents
CERTIFICATION ............................................................................................................................................... i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ................................................................................................................................... ii

ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................................................... iii

LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................................... vi

LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................................ vii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................................ viii

CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 THE STUDENT’S INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERINCE SCHEME ...................................................................... 1

1.2 MY PLACE OF ATACHMENT ..................................................................................................................... 2

1.3 DEPARTMENT OF ATTACHMENT ............................................................................................................ 2

CHAPTER TWO .............................................................................................................................................. 4

2.1 WORKPLACE ORIENTATION .................................................................................................................... 4

2.2 INDUSTRIAL SOFTWARE .......................................................................................................................... 5

2.2.1 ETAP ..................................................................................................................................................... 5

2.2.2 PI ProcessBook ..................................................................................................................................... 8

2.3 PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND EXECUTION............................................................................................. 9

2.3.1 Escravos dehydration Hot Cut Over Project ...................................................................................... 10

2.3.2 Lekki HVAC Remote Monitoring Project ............................................................................................ 13

2.4 POWER SYSTEMS DESIGN AND ANALYSIS............................................................................................. 15

2.5 EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE, ASSEMBLY AND TROUBLESHOOTING .................................................... 15

2.5.1 Ugborodo Community Generator ...................................................................................................... 16

2.5.2 Okan and Dibi Shipping Pumps .......................................................................................................... 18

2.5.3 Arc flash at Mud Plant MCC ............................................................................................................... 19

2.5.4 Motor Operated Valves ..................................................................................................................... 20

2.6 TRAINING SESSIONS .............................................................................................................................. 21

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2.6.1 PLC training ........................................................................................................................................ 21

2.6.2 VFD training ....................................................................................................................................... 22

2.6.3 Low and Medium Voltage Motor Controls ........................................................................................ 24

CHAPTER THREE .......................................................................................................................................... 26

3.1 Escravos terminal .................................................................................................................................. 26

3.2 Gas facilities (EGP & EGTL) .................................................................................................................... 27

3.3 MEREN WIP ........................................................................................................................................... 27

3.4 Lekki Power Station............................................................................................................................... 29

CHAPTER FOUR ........................................................................................................................................... 31

4.1 CONTRIBUTIONS TO MY TEAM ............................................................................................................. 31

4.1.1 System Analysis and Design ............................................................................................................... 31

4.1.2 ProcessBook Screens for EGP ............................................................................................................ 34

4.1.3 Project Management Responsibilities ............................................................................................... 35

4.1.4 Report Compilation ............................................................................................................................ 36

4.1.5 Helping Hand...................................................................................................................................... 36

4.2 RELEVANT COURSES .............................................................................................................................. 36

4.3 CHALLENGES ......................................................................................................................................... 37

CHAPTER FIVE ............................................................................................................................................. 39

5.1 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................................... 39

5.2 RECOMMENDATION ............................................................................................................................. 39

REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................ 40

v
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: PI System Architecture ................................................................................................................... 9
Figure 2: Dehydration unit inlet manifold .................................................................................................. 10
Figure 3: Block flow diagram of Escravos Dehydration .............................................................................. 11
Figure 4: Inside view of the new SIS cabinet............................................................................................... 12
Figure 5: Terminal blocks in the new SIS cabinet........................................................................................ 13
Figure 6: Proposed Lekki HVAC Remote Monitoring System Architecture ................................................ 15
Figure 7: Alternator termination box with Phase A, B, C and Neutral connections made. ........................ 17
Figure 8: Alternator main rotor .................................................................................................................. 17
Figure 9: Me, arranging cables on the alternator main stator ................................................................... 18
Figure 10: Okan shipping pump before and after stator replacement ....................................................... 19
Figure 11: Burnt starting bucket teeth........................................................................................................ 20
Figure 12: Replaced teeth (dried out starting bucket)................................................................................ 20
Figure 13: Section of ladder diagram showing pump start permissives ..................................................... 22
Figure 14: VFD Operation Schematic .......................................................................................................... 23
Figure 15: Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 70 ....................................................................................................... 23
Figure 16: Control diagram for a 480V motor at EGTL ............................................................................... 25
Figure 17: Escravos Tank farm .................................................................................................................... 26
Figure 18: EGTL Plant Tankage Area at dawn ............................................................................................. 27
Figure 19: Me, getting ready to board the surfer boat to MEREN WIP ...................................................... 28
Figure 20: Section of the switchgear at Lekki Power Station ..................................................................... 29
Figure 21: EMCP module on one of the black start generators .................................................................. 30
Figure 22: Simulation of Tapa PP study case 1 performed by me .............................................................. 32
Figure 23: Sample ETAP result page ........................................................................................................... 33
Figure 24: EGP Process Overview Screen.................................................................................................... 34
Figure 25: PI Screen of the EGTL Delivery System showing the values of different process variables at the
time the screenshot was taken (Built by me) ............................................................................................. 35

vi
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: NEMA Locked Rotor Classification………………………………………………………………………………….............7

vii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
HMI – Human Machine Interface

CPDEP – Chevron Project Development and Execution Process

DSP – Decision Support Package

SCADA - Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition

E & I – Electrical and Instrumentation

PLC – Programmable Logic Controller

NEMA – National Electric Manufacturers’ Association

PI – Process Information

VFD – Variable Frequency Drive

viii
CHAPTER ONE

1.1 THE STUDENT’S INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERINCE SCHEME

In the 20th century, there was an innovation in engineering education that addressed the need for
engineering students to have practical experience. This innovation was pioneered by the then
Dean of the College of Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Herman Schneider. He introduced
cooperative education which structured the learning process to provide the student equal time in
industry as in school during the period of his education (Mafe, 2015). An engineering student at
the time would go to school for a period, work for an equal period and then repeat the cycle until
he obtained his degree.

The Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is the form of Cooperative
Education practiced in Nigeria. It was initiated by the Industrial Trust Fund (ITF) in 1973 and its
objectives have mostly remained the same over the years.

They are to;

1. Provide an avenue for students in institutions of higher learning to acquire industrial

skills and experience during their course of study.
2. Prepare students for industrial work situations they are likely to meet after graduation
3. Expose students to work methods and techniques in handling equipment and machinery
that may not be available in institutions
4. Make the transition from school to the world of work easier and enhance students’
contacts for later job placements
5. Provide students the opportunity to apply their educational knowledge in real work
situations thereby bridging the gap between theory and practice
6. Enlist and strengthen employers’ involvement in the entire educational process through
SIWES

1
SIWES has faced a couple of challenges so far especially with the increasing number of
participating students and institutions. In spite of this, SIWES in the four decades of its existence
has helped form skilled and competent indigenous manpower.

1.2 MY PLACE OF ATTACHMENT

SIWES requires students of certain disciplines to undergo a period of industrial attachment. For
students of the faculty of engineering, the required length of time is six months. These six
months usually fall in the second semester of the fourth year (400 level).

For my training period, I was attached to Chevron Nigeria Limited. Chevron is a global energy
company with over 64,500 employees worldwide. She is involved in the upstream, midstream and
downstream sectors of the petroleum industry. Her operations include exploration, mining,
production, shipping, refining, storage, piping and sale of petroleum and petrochemical products.

Chevron Nigeria Limited is Chevron’s principal subsidiary in Nigeria. CNL’s activities are
majorly upstream. They include exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas. With its
Headquarters at the Lekki facility in Lagos, CNL is the third-largest oil producer and largest gas
producer in Nigeria. It is also one of its largest investors, spending more than $3 billion annually.
The company operates under a joint-venture arrangement with the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) and has assets on land, swamp and near-offshore concessions covering
approximately 2.2 million acres (8,900 sq. km) in the Niger Delta region.

1.3 DEPARTMENT OF ATTACHMENT

Chevron Nigeria Limited is divided into nine (9) departments namely; Business Services,
Deepwater, Finance, NNPC/CNL Joint Venture, Legal, Gas, Human Resource & Medical, PGPA
and Strategy & Business Planning.

The NNPC/CNL Joint Venture Department is classified into five divisions: JV Exploration &
Asset Development, JV Operations, Facilities Engineering & Major Capital Projects and Applied
Research & technology Services. I worked with the Facilities Engineering and Major Capital
Projects Division of the NNPC/CNL Joint Venture Department.

Facilities Engineering and Major Capital Projects (FE&MCP) Division is responsible for the
2
design, execution and maintenance of the company’s facilities and projects. These projects range
from systems upgrade and revamps to installing new platforms. While I was with Chevron, I
worked under the Electrical and Instrumentation (E&I) Projects arm (a project team) of FE&MCP.
During my field visits, I was attached to the Electrical and Instrumentation (E&I) Support team (a
maintenance team).

3
CHAPTER TWO

This chapter covers my work experience with Chevron under major headings.

2.1 WORKPLACE ORIENTATION

My first few weeks at Chevron Nigeria Limited were spent getting familiar with the workplace,
understanding her principles and the expectation she has of her employees. In this time, I got
familiar with the CNL tenets of operation;

1. Always operate within design and environmental limits.

2. Always operate in a safe and controlled condition.
3. Always ensure that safety devices are in place and functioning.
4. Always follow safe work practices and procedures.
5. Always meet or exceed customers’ expectations.
6. Always maintain integrity of dedicated systems.
7. Always comply with all applicable rules and regulations.
8. Always address abnormal conditions.
9. Always follow written procedures for high-risk or unusual situations.
10. Always involve the right people in decisions that affect procedures and equipment

I also had to take a couple of computer based trainings majorly on workplace ethics and
information risk management. Some of these trainings were;

1. Information Risk Management (IRM) Awareness: This was a mandatory training on

information security and risk management.
2. Business Conduct and Ethics Code: This was also an employer-mandated computer-
based course on proper conduct in the work environment.
3. Operational Excellence (OE): Operational Excellence refers to the way Chevron goes
about her business while keeping her mission of doing her business safely and in a way
that protects the environment and is socially responsible in mind.

A major tool used to prevent hazards in the workplace is iCARE. I participated in a one day iCARE
4
training. The iCARE (C.A.R.E meaning Creating Awareness Reduces Exposure) is a Behavioral-
Based Safety (BBS) system which is aimed at re-enforcing safe work practices-from proper sitting
and typing postures, to walking and standing out of the line-of-fire, using proper personal
protective equipment, maintaining neat and hazard-free work areas and having proper work
documentation-among employees. All CNL employees are expected to take the full-day workshop
and afterwards, perform monthly iCARE observations on other employee to help them realize
unsafe practices and encourage safe work behavior.

I also had to learn to interpret a lot of engineering diagrams. Some of these were control diagrams,
single line diagrams, process flow diagrams, piping & instrumentation diagrams and block flow
diagrams.

2.2 INDUSTRIAL SOFTWARE

Working with Chevron exposed me to some software used in the industry for design and analysis
of various systems. Under the following subheadings, I will be discussing the two I was
opportune to use extensively.

2.2.1 ETAP
Electrical Transient Analyzer Program is a tool used in power systems’ simulation and design.
ETAP offers a suite of fully integrated electrical engineering software solutions including arc
flash, load flow, short circuit, transient stability, relay coordination, cable ampacity, optimal
power flow, and more.

The three major simulations we were interested in as a team were Load Flow Analysis, Short
Circuit Analysis and Motor Starting Analysis.

Load Flow Analysis: is a numerical analysis of the flow of electric power in an interconnected
system. A power-flow study usually uses simplified notation such as a one-line diagram and per-
unit system, and focuses on various aspects of AC power parameters, such as voltages, voltage

5
angles, real power and reactive power. It analyzes the power systems in normal steady-state
operation.

Power-flow or load-flow studies are important for planning future expansion of power systems
as well as in determining the best operation of existing systems. The principal information
obtained from the power-flow study is the magnitude and phase angle of the voltage at each bus,
and the real and reactive power flowing in each line.

Short Circuit Analysis: Short-Circuit Currents are currents that introduce large amounts of
destructive energy in the forms of heat and magnetic force into a power system. Short Circuit
analysis is required to ensure that existing and new equipment ratings are adequate to withstand
the available short circuit energy available at each point in the electrical system. A Short Circuit
Analysis will help to ensure that personnel and equipment are protected by establishing proper
interrupting ratings of protective devices (circuit breaker and fuses).

Motor Starting Analysis: A motor starting study is performed to determine the voltages, currents,
and starting times involved when starting large motors. Such a study is critical before installing a
large motor to make certain that your system can start the motor successfully. It may also be
performed anytime a change in the power supply is implemented.

When directly connected induction motors are started the current required to overcome the
break-away torque and sync slip can be as high as five times the full load current. This surge in
current drops the voltage on the nearby buses and in the case of large motors can affect the entire
electrical system.

The starting current (also known as locked rotor current) of an induction motor is calculated
thus;

(𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐻𝑃) ∗ (𝑁𝐸𝑀𝐴 𝐶𝑜𝑑𝑒 𝐿𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐹𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟) ∗ (1000)

𝐼𝐿𝑅 =
√3 ∗ 𝑉

V = Motor rated voltage

NEMA Code Letter Factor: NEMA has established a code letter designation to classify motors
by the ratio of locked rotor KVA per horsepower. This is a ratio of the locked rotor current to the

6
full load current. This ratio is usually computed by the original equipment manufacturers based
on particular properties of the motor. The nameplate only contains the NEMA code for the class
the motor falls under. Generally, the farther a code letter is from A, the higher the inrush current
per horsepower.

NEMA Code Letter KVA/HP with locked rotor Approximate Mid-Range Value

A 0-3.14 1.6

B 3.15-3.55 3.3

C 3.55-3.99 3.8

D 4.0-4.49 4.3

E 4.5-4.99 4.7

F 5.0-5.59 5.3

G 5.6-6.29 5.9

H 6.3-7.09 6.7

J 7.1-7.99 7.5

K 8.0-8.99 8.5

L 9.0-9.99 9.5

M 10.0-11.19 10.6

N 11.2-12.49 11.8

P 12.5-13.99 13.2

7
 R 14.0-15.99 15.0

S 16.0-17.99

T 18.0-19.99

U 20.0-22.39

V 22.4-and up

Table 1: NEMA Locked Rotor Classification

2.2.2 PI ProcessBook
PI ProcessBook is a display interface to the OsiSoft PI system. The PI System provides real-time
event management, retrieval, and deep archiving of volumes of data for scalable management of
relevant variables and events enterprise-wide. The PI System brings all operational data into a
single system that can deliver it to users at all levels of the company - from the plant floor to the
enterprise level. The PI System keeps all critical operating data online and available in a
specialized time-series database so it is always available.

8
Figure 2: PI System Architecture

ProcessBook allows you to view processes in real-time, compare with past events, and analyze
process behavior on any PC connected to the PI Historian. It does this by providing an interface
to build displays, attach tags and monitor your process from the comfort of your office. It has the
additional feature of being a historian. Thus, you can compare process variables as they are now
to what they were at any other point in time that concerns you.

I was able to build displays for the Escravos Gas plant as a part of an effort to remotely monitor
Chevron’s gas facilities. These HMI screens would be deployed in the coming year with the aid
of a deployment package I prepared.

2.3 PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND EXECUTION

Working with the E&I projects team exposed me to the roles of a project engineer and I was able
to contribute to a few projects after a short period of being with the company.

9
2.3.1 Escravos dehydration Hot Cut Over Project
Escravos is located at Delta State, Nigeria and serves as a base for a lot of Chevron’s operations
in Nigeria. It houses the dehydration unit, the tank farm, the gas plant etc.

The oil from various offshore and onshore locations flows through Escravos where it is separated
from gas and dehydrated to the required BS&W (Basic Sediment & Water) content as dictated
by DPR (Department of Petroleum resources) and the international market before export. The
dehydration unit is responsible for this separation and dehydration. The dehydration plant
contains process equipment like wash tanks, electrostatic coalescers, heater treaters, skimmers
etc. Apart from these major vessels, the plant contains other equipment such as gauges,
flowlines, valves and pumps.

Figure 3: Dehydration unit inlet manifold

10
 Figure 4: Block flow diagram of Escravos Dehydration

The plant is completely automated and the aim of this project was to upgrade the control system.
Controls of instruments for process control and safety shutdown at Escravos Dehydration were
formerly integrated and dependent on the same Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). One of
the major aims of this upgrade is to separate these controls into two separate units (SIS-Safety
Instrument System and PCS-Process Control System). Other aims include; moving to a more
recent and efficient control system, getting rid of nuisance alarms in the old system, correcting
some basic errors in the WonderWare such as mislabeling of a few instruments and incorporating
changes that have been made in the dehydration process over the years that are yet to reflect on
the HMIs.

11
 Figure 5: Inside view of the new SIS cabinet

This was a particularly tricky to execute because the transfer of controls was being done with the
system still in operation (no shutdown). We were “cutting over” control loops from one system
to the other hence the name Hot Cut Over.

12
Figure 6: Terminal blocks in the new SIS cabinet

The planning and design phase of this project had been completed before I joined the company
but I was still very lucky to be a part of the execution team as there was a wealth of experience to
be gained. I worked with the external company responsible for the upgrade – INTECH, the
Project Engineers from the E&I Projects team and the SCADA unit of E&I support team.

2.3.2 Lekki HVAC Remote Monitoring Project

The Lekki Main Building HVAC system consists of 12 Multi-Zone Units. Each of these units
has several openings to guide air into separate ducts which lead to different rooms in the zone.
There are temperature sensors in strategic locations in each zone. Controllers use the output of
these sensors to determine how much air is guided into the ducts based on the temperature set
point.

The system is monitored and controlled by the staff of the Chiller maintenance office which is
located away from the main building. To access information on the controllers or change the set
point value, the operator has to take a computer into the MZU room and connect to the controller
via an Ethernet cord.

13
The aim of this project was to provide a way to remotely control the set point value from the
chiller maintenance building.

The management of this project was largely my responsibility. Under close supervision, I
performed the following tasks;

(1) Take contractors on site surveys and bid walks

(2) Review technical and commercial proposals
(3) Propose alternative solutions
(4) Provide in house cost estimate for the project
(5) Provide DSPs in line with the CPDEP requirements to aid management decisions
(6) Lay out contracting plan for the project
(7) Work closely with procurement and Lekki Warehouse to get materials ordered
and delivered on time.

The approved decision was to use a WiFi router to broadcast the data from the controllers and
receive this date at the chiller maintenance office while implementing controls and monitoring
the system via the PI system. The HMI will be PI ProcessBook based and as at the time my
internship ended, a contract had been awarded and materials procured. Execution is set to begin
in early January.

14
Figure 7: Proposed Lekki HVAC Remote Monitoring System Architecture

2.4 POWER SYSTEMS DESIGN AND ANALYSIS

A major aspect of my experience with Chevron was learning the basics of Power Systems
Design. I created cable sizing templates, participated in equipment sizing sessions and prepared
load lists for a couple of facilities. The major tool used for Power System Analysis in the
company is ETAP which I also used extensively in my time here. This is discussed in sections
2.2.1 and 4.1.1.

2.5 EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE, ASSEMBLY AND TROUBLESHOOTING

I had the opportunity to visit Escravos thrice and an off shore location once (Meren WIP) in the
last six months. While at Escravos, I was attached to the E&I Support team under Maintenance.
This exposed me to a lot of industry grade equipment and I was directly involved in
troubleshooting and assembling some of them. I learnt to measure insulation resistance, protect
motor windings etc.

15
2.5.1 Ugborodo Community Generator
Ugborodo is a riverine community situated between the Escravos River and the Atlantic Ocean.
Power supply to this community is provided by Chevron Nigeria Limited and at the time I got to
Escravos the generator responsible for supply had been taken offline and the community left
without power. This sparked protests majorly in the form of loud music blaring at all hours of the
day.

The old generator had its rotor sent to Portland Cement, Sagamu for rewinding and in the
meanwhile a substitute gas generator had been put online to quell the protests. After the rotor for
the old generator was returned, it was up to the electrical team to put the alternator back together
while mechanical support worked on the prime mover-a battery started, gas driven engine.

The alternator in question is self-excited and rated 1287kVA. It is brushlessly excited and can in
a way be thought of as three generators in one. It consists of a main rotor and a main stator. Onto
the shaft of the main rotor, a permanent magnet is mounted. Around this magnet is a small stator.
This arrangement serves as the primary exciter. When the rotor rotates, the magnet rotates too
and 120V is induced in the stator windings which lead to the Automatic Voltage Regulator
(AVR). From the AVR, current is fed to the secondary exciter stator within which the secondary
exciter rotor rotates. Current is induced in the exciter rotor windings. From the exciter rotor, the
terminals lead to a rectifier that converts the current from AC to DC before feeding it to the main
rotor windings leading to induced current in the main stator windings. From the main stator,
terminals lead out of the generator to a circuit breaker.

16
Figure 8: Alternator termination box with Phase A, B, C and Neutral connections made.

Figure 9: Alternator main rotor

17
Figure 10: Me, arranging cables on the alternator main stator

2.5.2 Okan and Dibi Shipping Pumps

A lot of pumps at different onshore and offshore locations are driven by electric motors. Okan
and Dibi are both production platforms in the south offshore area of Delta state. During one of
my field trips, both pumps were brought to the E&I workshop at Escravos for some work to be
done on them. Both pumps were equally rated at 75hp.

The Okan shipping pump had a completely damaged stator. The stator was replaced with an
available one in the warehouse that happened to be an exact match. It was first baked in a motor-
oven to remove dampness from the windings. After the motor was recoupled, we also had to test
it to determine its inrush current, the maximum attainable speed and how much heat it was
giving off.

18
 Figure 11: Okan shipping pump before and after stator replacement

As for the Dibi shipping pump, it was brought in for preventive maintenance. The control cables
and power cable lugs were replaced due to the effects of corrosion and its bearings were
replaced.

2.5.3 Arc flash at Mud Plant MCC

While I was at Escravos, I witnessed a mild Arc Flash at the Mud plant MCC. This showed me
just how dangerous electricity could be and how delicate a profession I was being prepared for.

The arc flash was between two phases of a three phase motor and was due to a moisture buildup
at the teeth of the starting bucket. The bucket teeth had to be replaced and insulation resistance
between phases was closely monitored for a few days before putting the motor back in operation.

19
 Figure 12: Burnt starting bucket teeth

Figure 13: Replaced teeth (dried out starting bucket)

2.5.4 Motor Operated Valves

A valve is a device that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized
solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Manually
operated valves require someone in attendance to adjust them using a direct or geared

20
mechanism attached to the valve stem. A valve actuator is the mechanism for opening and
closing a valve. These aid automation and can be found in all kinds of plants.

The electric actuator uses an electric motor to provide torque to operate a valve. They are quiet,
non-toxic and energy efficient. While at Escravos, I was involved in repairs and replacements of
multiple electric actuators.

2.6 TRAINING SESSIONS

To improve the quality of her workforce, Chevron organizes in house training sessions usually to
introduce new technology or improve employee interdisciplinary skills. A few of the trainings I
participated in are detailed below.

2.6.1 PLC training

PLC stands for Programmable Logic Controller. A week-long training was held on creating
ladder logic programs. I was only able to attend this training for two days and in these two days,
I learnt to program level dependent pump controls. I have to say that it would take some more
practice for me to be able to deploy this skill but it was very good exposure.

21
Figure 14: Section of ladder diagram showing pump start permissives

2.6.2 VFD training

A VFD is a power conversion device. It converts fixed frequency sinusoidal alternating current
(AC) voltage input, to direct current (DC) voltage, and then to variable-frequency AC voltage,
which ultimately controls the speed of induction motor.

Being able to vary motor speeds increases plant efficiency and reduces cost. If you have an AC
motor-driven application that does not need to be run at full speed, then you can cut down energy
costs by controlling the motor with a VFD (Wildi, 2002). Variable Frequency Drives allow you
to match the speed of the motor-driven equipment to the process requirement which is very
important in the oil industry.

22
 AC DC AC

RECTIFIER INVERTER
(AC - DC) (DC - AC)
60 Hz Zero - 120 Hz

Figure 15: VFD Operation Schematic

Figure 16: Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 70

23
In this training, I learnt about the internal workings of a VFD and how to operate this particular
model.

2.6.3 Low and Medium Voltage Motor Controls

One of the highlights of my internship was the opportunity to visit EGTL (Escravos Gas To
Liquids). Gas-to-liquids (GTL) is a technology that enables the production of clean-burning
diesel fuel, liquid petroleum gas and naphtha from natural gas. Strictly speaking, EGTL is a
refinery.

The plant is powered by three steam turbine generators rated 30MW each. The steam required to
run the turbines is a by-product of the GTL process and thus there are smaller diesel generators
required for plant start up and emergency situations.

The conversion process is complex and there are a lot of heavy duty motors involved. For the
safety of such a plant, a lot of controls are required. At EGTL, I went through a week-long
training on how these controls are implemented for low and medium voltage direct online
motors.

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Figure 17: Control diagram for a 480V motor at EGTL

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CHAPTER THREE

Apart from working at the Lekki Office, I also worked at various Chevron field locations on and
offshore. I spent six weeks at Escravos-three two week rotations- and three days at MEREN
WIP.

The trips were from August 13-27, September 15-29, November 5-19 and December 21-23
respectively.

3.1 Escravos terminal

Escravos is located at Delta State, Nigeria and serves as a base for a lot of Chevron’s operations
in Nigeria. It houses the dehydration unit, the tank farm, the gas plant etc.

The oil from various offshore and onshore locations flows through Escravos where it is separated
from gas and dehydrated to the required BS&W (Basic Sediment & Water) content as dictated
by DPR (Department of Petroleum resources) and the international market before export.

This area includes Escravos Dehydration, Escravos Tank Farm and the E&I maintenance
workshop. A lot of the activities detailed in chapters two and four took place in these areas.

Figure 18: Escravos Tank farm

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3.2 Gas facilities (EGP & EGTL)
Still in Escravos, there are two major gas facilities: EGP (Escravos Gas Plant) and EGTL
(Escarvos Gas To Liquids). At EGP, I worked with the Process Engineers to build the display
screens discussed in section 2.2.2 while at EGTL I participated in the training discussed in
section 2.6.3.

I spent an average of two weeks at both locations. I often shuttled between Escravos terminal and
the gas facilities via bicycle.

Figure 19: EGTL Plant Tankage Area at dawn

3.3 MEREN WIP

Water injection or water flooding refers to the method in the oil industry where water is injected
into the reservoir, usually to increase pressure and thereby stimulate production. Water injection
wells can be found both on- and offshore, to increase oil recovery from an existing reservoir.

The MEREN Water Injection Platform injects water into the reservoirs in the MEREN area from
where oil flows to the MEREN Production Platform. Both Platforms are very close to each other.

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I performed a lot of analysis and sizing for the MEREN Water Injection Platform as a part of an
ongoing project to revamp the platform. Towards the end of my internship, I visited the platform
with my supervisor for a site survey. It was a great opportunity to finally see all that I had been
simulating in real life and it gave me great pleasure that a lot of the calculations I had done
would be used in the execution of the project.

Figure 20: Me, getting ready to board the surfer boat to MEREN WIP

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3.4 Lekki Power Station
The Lekki office, unlike the field locations is powered both by PHCN and CNL. The entire
Chevron estate is fed from this station and I worked with the station operators from time to time.

There are 10 generators at this station with 6 serving continuously, 3 serving as black start and 1
as a spare. The generators are programmed to turn on automatically when the PHCN supply goes
off. The constant turning on and off requires the operators to synchronize the generators very
often.

Figure 21: Section of the switchgear at Lekki Power Station

The generators can be synchronized manually or automatically. During automatic

synchronization, the conditions of same voltage, frequency, phase and phase sequence are
adjusted by the controllers and the generator breaker closes immediately these conditions are
met. Manual synchronization is done by the use of a synchro scope. The generator parameters
are varied by the knobs on the control panel and the operator closes the breaker when the
synchro scope indicates a match.

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Figure 22: EMCP module on one of the black start generators

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CHAPTER FOUR

4.1 CONTRIBUTIONS TO MY TEAM

I tried my best to be very useful to the group I was attached to. My major contributions to this
team are discussed below.

4.1.1 System Analysis and Design

In my time here, I helped with power systems’ design by performing ETAP Analysis of various
systems, compiling platform load lists and sizing cables for different power ratings.

A few of the power systems I analyzed were MEREN WIP, Tapa PP and Escravos MCC-7 and
the results were used in design considerations.

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Figure 23: Simulation of Tapa PP study case 1 performed by me

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Figure 24: Sample ETAP result page

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4.1.2 ProcessBook Screens for EGP
While I was here, I successfully build monitoring screens using PI ProcessBook for the process
area of the Escravos Gas Plant using data from the Escravos PI Server. A previous set of interns
had built screens for Okan and Meji GGCP. Deployment of these monitoring screens has begun
for management personnel with the aid of a deployment package I prepared.

Figure 25: EGP Process Overview Screen

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 Figure 26: PI Screen of the EGTL Delivery System showing the values of different process
variables at the time the screenshot was taken (Built by me)

4.1.3 Project Management Responsibilities

The Lekki HVAC Remote Monitoring Project was discussed in section 2.3.2. The management
of this project was largely my responsibility. Under close supervision, I performed the following
tasks;

(1) Take contractors on site surveys and bid walks

(2) Review technical and commercial proposals
(3) Propose alternative solutions
(4) Provide in house cost estimate for the project
(5) Provide DSPs in line with the CPDEP requirements to aid management decisions
(6) Lay out contracting plan for the project
(7) Work closely with procurement and Lekki Warehouse to get materials ordered
and delivered on time.

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On some other projects like the Dibi Long Term facility Project and Meji GGCP Turbine
Generator Installation, I prepared Decision Support Packages and prepared In-House Cost
Estimates.

I also prepared an excel template for In-House Cost Estimates for Control Systems Upgrade
Projects. In the coming year, there would be a lot of such projects and the template would be
very useful as I have already done major research on equipment pricing for all the typical control
systems equipment used in the company.

4.1.4 Report Compilation

I helped compile various reports on behalf of my team such as our monthly hazard hunt reports,
safety meeting presentations etc.

4.1.5 Helping Hand

I also tried my best to help out wherever I could. This often led to my performing all kind of
miscellaneous tasks. With the E&I Support maintenance team, I helped terminate cables,
perform housekeeping duties, clean out motor bearings etc.

4.2 RELEVANT COURSES

A major aim of SIWES is for students to be able to tie theoretical knowledge gained in the
classroom to real life practical applications. During my internship, a lot of the things I had learnt
in school became clearer and the background knowledge helped me learn new principles easily.

Some of the courses I have taken, to which my experience was directly tied to are;

EEG201-Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering I

EEG202- Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering II

EEG411-Electrical Machines Theory

EEG431-Electrical Machines Laboratory

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GEG401-Technical Communication

EEG310-Electrical Drives

EEG318-Electrical Drives Laboratory

EEG304-Transmission Lines and Filters

MEG 311-Mechanical Engineering Technology

EEG 309-Energy Conversion

EEG 313-Energy Conversion Laboratory

MEG 104-Engineering Drawing

In my fifth year, I will be taking some more courses tied to my experience and they are;

EEG511-Power System Analysis

EEG501-Power System Economics and Operations

EEG507-High Power Engineering

EEG519-Power Systems Planning, Design and Equipment

GEG501-Engineering Economics

All that I have learned so far at school and will learn in the future came into play. The above
courses were just the major actors.

4.3 CHALLENGES
Although my internship was a wonderful experience, I had a few challenges along the way.

1 Chevron is an American company and they mostly use the American Imperial Units
of measurement. These are very different from the Metric Units used in the Nigerian

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 system that I am used to. In the first few months, I performed calculations slowly
because I had not yet mastered these conversions.
2 While in the field, I had to terminate a lot of cables. Some of these cables were
armored and weighed twice as much as I do. Although I had a lot of help from my
team members, I had to bear some of this weight and I was often exhausted after a
day on the field.
3 Trips offshore are made either by helicopter or surfer boat. I had never been on either
of these modes of transportation before this internship and as such, it was scary every
time I had to go on these journeys. The surfer boat was particularly dangerous
because of the climb up to the boat landing on the platform.
4 Engineering is still a male dominated field. Some locations offshore do not have
female accommodation or conveniences. Sharing these with a lot of men was a major
challenge.

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CHAPTER FIVE

5.1 CONCLUSION
The 27 weeks I interned with Chevron Nigeria Limited was a great opportunity to gain practical
skills in my field. I was able to achieve all the major objectives of the Students’ Industrial Work
Experience Scheme and also achieve the personal objectives I had before beginning this journey.

5.2 RECOMMENDATION
1. Allowing students’ to go on these internships more than once in the course of obtaining their
degrees would greatly increase the benefits students’ gain from SIWES. As opposed to the
current arrangement of a six-month internship in the fourth year alone, students’ could be
engaged in shorter internships over the long holidays in their second and third years.

2. Even with SIWES, the gap between the industry and schools is not completely bridged. A
good step towards solidly closing this gap would be the incorporation of Information Technology
tools used in the industry in the university curriculum.

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REFERENCES
Mafe A.T. O. (2015). Guide to Successful Participation in Students’ Work Experience Scheme (SIWES),
University of Lagos Press and Bookshop Limited.

Wildi T. (2002). Electrical Machines, Drives and Power Systems, Pearson Education Limited.

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