Phillips 66’s Tyler: Rich plant history lays foundation for innovative future

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With 32 years of industry experience and after having worked for the company since 2001, Scot Tyler assumed the role of general manager at the Phillips 66 Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex in Louisiana in June 2022.

Before his current role, Tyler served as operations manager for the Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery in Belle Chasse, La., from 2018-2022. Apart from those years, he has held various assignments of increasing responsibility in engineering, operations, planning and economics at the Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex.

“The role requires strong leadership abilities in setting a strategical direction while enrolling others from different environments into it,” Tyler said. “It also requires experience in managing plant operations and the ability to communicate effectively.”

He added that the basic duties and responsibilities for the general manager are to “lead and manage all operations of the refining complex while stewarding the longterm growth, optimization and core value performance of the facility.”

Tyler is from Galliano, La., and attended McNeese State University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. He began his career with PPG Industries in Lake Charles, La. Other roles Tyler held at the Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex include operations manager and optimization manager.

Company, plant background

Phillips 66 manufactures, transports and markets products that drive the global economy. The diversified energy company’s portfolio includes Midstream, Chemicals, Refining and Marketing and Specialties businesses. Headquartered in Houston, Phillips 66 has employees around the globe who are committed to safely and reliably providing energy and improving lives while pursuing a lower-carbon future, according to Tyler.

At the Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex, Phillips 66 processes primarily heavy, high-sulfur crude oil into useful pro- duces used in everyday life, like propane, gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel and lubricants.

“Phillips 66 provides energy that improves lives in a safe, environmentally sound and reliable manner,” said the GM. “What it produces provides energy security for us to live our lives. Transportation fuels can produce low-cost, reliable energy for 10 billion people in the next several decades,” Tyler said.

The Phillips 66 Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex is 82 years old and was the first petroleum products manufacturer in Calcasieu Parish. To support the World War II efforts, the refinery immediately began shipping blending agents to England when it first came on stream in 1941. With the December 7 attack on Pearl Harbor, production was brought up to full capacity for the war effort. “The refinery produced isopentane and alkylate, the two main blending agents for the different grades of aviation gasolines that our armed forces required,” Tyler said. “When the U.S. entered the war following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, the need for wartime supplies focused new attention on petrochemicals —launching, in effect, a new industry.”

“High-octane aviation fuel was a wartime necessity and an area of the war effort in which the Phillips 66 Lake Charles Refinery’s capacity for innovation sped the Allied victory,” said Tyler. “The refinery pioneered and produced the key blendstocks of the fuel that was needed for high-altitude and high-performance war planes. Allied forces were also in need of aviation gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, heating oil and fuel oil which the refinery supplied.”

Complex life

Tyler said his vision, and the vision at the complex, is to make the Lake Charles facility highly competitive and positioned to operate well into the future.

“We will produce products that have the highest netback value into the company, so that it is competitive and continues providing high wage jobs for the next generation.”

Regarding the issue of safety, there is no single key to success for safety, Tyler said, rather the development of a safety culture in the facility that takes years to mature. “Employees own and manage programs that promote safe work practices. Also, our joint efforts with the United Steelworkers union and OSHA, and to be declared a Voluntary Protection Program Star (VPP) site, factor into our safety performance too.”

One of the key programs self-administered by the employee is the behavior-based safety process. Additionally, a strong relationship with the refinery’s contractors, including a mature onboarding and mentoring program, helps sustain the safety culture over time.

“A robust joint health and safety organization — a collaboration between management and represented employees — focused on long-term, sustainable improvement in the safety programs is essential,” added Tyler.

Phillips 66 believes in being good neighbors; it has a unique and critical role to play in fostering a thriving society. “Living out our core values of safety, honor and commitment, we share our resources and act as trusted collaborators and problem solvers,” the GM said.

Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex employees volunteered more than 4,000 hours in 2022 supporting organizations such as American Cancer Society, Alzheimer’s Association, Jennings Veteran’s Home, Second Harvest, Trash Bash, Chem Expo, Partners in Parks, United Way, Coastal Conservation Association and STEM Robotics Competitions in the Calcasieu Parish School System. Employees and the company donated $775,000 to United Way of Southwest Louisiana.

“Philanthropy builds stronger, safer and more resilient communities,” said Tyler. “We want to create purposeful partnerships that inspire action, identify solutions to society’s greatest challenges and improve lives. We work to strengthen economic, social and environmental resilience and vitality.

Tyler said that over the years, he’s served in many roles within the Lake Charles refinery, so it’s been challenging for him to allow others the space to work out issues without interfering, and instead serving more as a mentor or coach.

“Everyone brings a unique perspective and creativity. If we are too quick to judge, we might overstep boundaries that suppress the next great idea,” he said. “Phillips 66 supports and promotes an environment of inclusion and diversity so that all have a voice in solving the problems of tomorrow.”

He continued by saying that the energy market is competitive. “In order for us to thrive and be resilient in this competitive, transitioning market, we are challenged to reduce costs, be competitive in any margin environment and redesign our ways of work- ing to improve our agility. But we must never give up on achieving safety, protecting our environment and operational excellence. We are undergoing a business transformation to be an innovator that creates value for Phillips 66 and is sustainable over time.”

According to Tyler, the refining industry has a bright and prosperous future, as global energy demand will continue to grow past 2050, and oil and conventional transport fuels will continue to play a dominant role in the energy mix.

For more information, visit phillips66.com.

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