With the rebirth of the energy industry in Texas and across the U.S., the Phillips 66 Sweeny Refinery is enjoying unprecedented growth. At the helm is General Manager Willie Tempton Jr. Though only serving in his post at the Sweeny site for a year and a half, Tempton’s 34 years of experience in technical, operational and leadership roles within the refining industry have prepared him to lead through the company’s current expansion project.
Tempton’s father served in the U.S. Army, retiring as a colonel after 30 years of service.
“One of four children, as an Army brat, I lived a ‘nomadic’ lifestyle in which we moved every two years or so,” explained Tempton. “This exposed me to different cultures and life experiences, allowing me to develop insights and skills that proved invaluable in my professional career.”
Though he was interested in becoming a lawyer, that changed after he attended an introduction to engineering program his junior year in high school. He went on to graduate with honors and a degree in electrical engineering from Prairie View A&M University.
Tempton’s career began with Exxon Co. USA as an electrical engineer in the Baytown Refinery. He held various positions of increasing responsibility in technical, operations, maintenance and economics/optimization functions and later in planning and development and crude supply. Following the merger of Exxon and Mobil in 2001, Tempton held positions as a senior staff advisor and later as area mechanical manager. He joined ConocoPhillips as the manager of the Lake Charles Refinery in April 2008 where he served for five years before joining the Sweeny site.
The Sweeny Refinery is a 247,000 bpd refining and petrochemicals complex that manufactures numerous fuels and specialty products including motor gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, aviation gasoline, solvents, specialty chemicals, petrochemical feedstocks and petroleum coke. The complex was started up in 1942 and has since steadily increased in capacity and complexity. Today, it occupies roughly 11,000 total acres in five separate locations and is operated by a staff of 915 employees and 300 contract personnel.
As general manager of the Sweeny Refinery, Tempton is responsible for the overall performance of the site, crude and product terminals, and dock facilities in South Texas.
“Today’s refinery manager has to be flexible and inclusive,” explained Tempton. “This is an extremely complicated business, one that is constantly under intense scrutiny and is required to satisfy many regulations and consistently operate safely and reliably. To do so, our people must be informed, well trained, responsible and proactive.
“To achieve and maintain a high level of performance requires a listener who can understand what the real issues and needs are in the workplace and take the necessary actions to address them. I have found the best solutions are developed when the people most affected are included in problem solving and decision making. The most influential and effective leaders I have seen are the ones who have figured out how to gain the engagement and buy-in of their workforce. They understand the ‘command and control’ approach that worked in the ’60s and ’70s isn’t as effective today.
“The ability to communicate effectively is also very important. Timeliness, consistency and transparency are most important, and face to face is much more effective than email. And last, but certainly not least, both honesty and integrity are extremely important, not only for myself but for my entire workforce. People have to trust we will always do what’s right, especially under difficult circumstances.”
Always do the right thing
“Both our company and site are strongly committed to the Sweeny community and nearby towns and counties,” said Tempton. “The starting point is our commitment to be a responsible neighbor and always do the right thing.”
For the team at the Sweeny facility, which is an OSHA VPP site, at the heart of this commitment is their safety program, which addresses all aspects of personal and process safety, and a continuing focus on reducing emissions and environmental events through investments and routinely enhancing operating practices and procedures.
“The past four years have been our safest ever, and our results are among the best in the industry,” said Tempton. “Our site was recognized in 2011, 2012 and 2013 with the AFPM Meritorious Safety Award, but we’re not satisfied because people were still injured while working at our site. So, our journey to safety excellence continues.”
Process safety is managed through a very effective mechanical integrity program that ensures equipment is routinely inspected in accordance with internal standards, recognized industry best practices and/or regulatory requirements.
“A unique aspect of our safety program is our Employee Excellence Team (EET) — a site-wide team consisting of labor union, non-union, safety professionals and management who collaborate to develop and refine safety procedures, identify and implement new initiatives and programs, and promote active employee involvement in both personal and process safety,” explained Tempton.
The team also works together in their volunteer efforts, which consists of an employee-led team that organizes and executes a number of service-based activities throughout the year. Activities have included a food drive to support the families of local servicemen and a program to build wheelchair ramps at the homes of people in need.
“Their volunteer service, along with contributions made by the company, is making a tremendous difference,” said Tempton. “These are people who live in the Sweeny area and are grateful to be able to give back to the community.”
Unprecedented growth
Phillips 66 broke ground in August on a $3 billion investment.
“We began construction on the first of several phases of expansion, which consists of a 100,000 bpd NGL fractionation plant in Sweeny and 150,000 bpd LPG export terminal in Freeport,” said Tempton. “These projects will provide product placement for increasing NGL production and help meet the global demand for more plastics, heating and fuels. The South Texas locale is extremely advantageous as it avoids the congestion of the Houston area, provides connectivity to Mont Belvieu and is strategically located near West Texas NGL supply, salt dome storage and access to deep harbor.”
The Sweeny fractionation plant is expected to start-up by the second half of 2015 while the Freeport terminal has a projected start-up in the second half of 2016.
Phillips 66 wants to invest an additional $10 billion along the Gulf Coast in the future to grow its midstream business.
“Clearly, the ‘rebirth’ of the oil and gas industry in North America will impact the refining business as well, and we believe in a positive way,” said Tempton. “We’re already processing several new crudes that have both cost and yield advantages compared to historical alternatives.
“From an industry perspective, the availability of cheaper domestic crudes will likely result in a competitive advantage versus foreign refiners, creating growth opportunities we would not have imagined even five years ago. It’s an exciting time for the oil and gas industry, including the refining, midstream and petrochemical sectors.”
