Thirty-nine Years of Experience Offer Key Takeaways for New Industry Professionals

In an effort to benefit industry newcomers, VALVE Magazine and the VMA want to capture and share the knowledge and experience of those who are transitioning out of the industry. Steve McJones spent his career in the oil and gas industry and shares his insights with the editorial team. He was chairman of the American Petroleum Institute (API) Piping and Valve subcommittee  from 2014-2016 and 2018-2019 and otherwise active as a member of this API subcommittee from 2007-2020, when he retired from BP.

VALVE magazine: What led you to a valve-oriented career? What is your educational background? Tell us about some of the positions you've held over the years.

Steve McJones. All photos: Steve McJones

Steve McJones: My father was an engineer, and he often brought his work home — tinkering with devices and making modifications to equipment in our garage. The garage shop was fitted with a metal lathe, milling machine and welding equipment. I studied Mechanical Engineering at California Polytechnic State University. The curriculum was very hands-on and prepared me for my chosen career. I started out my career in the Project Engineering department of the ARCO Refinery located in the Los Angeles area.

I later transferred to the Anaheim Technical Center where I was a mechanical specialist focusing on static equipment. Following the BP acquisition of ARCO in 2000, I took a short-term assignment at the Amoco Heritage Yorktown Refinery. The location offered access to many historical locations and interesting sightseeing.

Later, when I returned to the West Coast, I joined the Central Engineering team with BP and my area of responsibility included Static Pressure Equipment and Piping and Valves for the entire refinery network.

VM: How has the industry fared in the last 20 or so years? What challenges have professionals in the industry faced most recently?

SM: Overall, the industry has grown and adapted to the challenges imposed on it. Environmental regulations, specifically fugitive emissions performance,

McJones at a refinery maintenance shutdown/turnaround in the pipe rack of a process unit.

has played a big role in shaping the changes to the valve industry in the last 20 years. I am interested to see further progress to reduce fugitive emissions from valves and other types of process industry equipment. The publication of API standards that outline testing and certification of low emission valves performance are examples of progress made in this area. Further reductions in fugitive emissions will improve the public’s opinion of the process industry as it continues to provide energy during the long transition to low-carbon forms of energy.

Professionals in the industry have been pressed to make the entire supply chain more efficient while still improving reliability and safety.

VM: How have valves, controls and related products evolved since you first entered the industry?

SM: Most control valves were air-actuated when I started to work in the early 1980s. Instrument air was a vital utility in the refinery or chemical plant. It was difficult to judge the condition of valve trim without valve removal and disassembly. End users are interested to see online valve condition monitoring developed and implemented for critical valve services.

VM: How would you describe the relationships between valve manufacturers, distributors and end users? Has it gotten better or worse?

SM: The manufacturing of valves illustrates the globalization of supply chains. Many commonly known valve brands have moved portions of their manufacturing processes to other regions of the world. These changes have resulted in end customers maintaining a closer relationship with the suppliers to understand these periodic changes in the supply chain.

VM: What trends have you observed in terms of customer needs?

SM: The pandemic and its impact on the delivery of global trade reminds us

McJones at a vendor’s exchanger shop.

of the downside of global manufacturing where process industry equipment is supplied from distant locations around the world. We may see an increase in domestic valve manufacturing. Casting processes will need to be automated and limit their air emissions if they are to be a sustainable part of the U.S. economy.

VM: Most valve makers and valve users have instituted ESG (environmental, social and governance) policies, which include the push toward decarbonization and a future that focuses on zero emissions. How is this movement affecting the industry?

SM: Increased focus on fugitive emissions performance of the finished product. Manufacturers should be reviewing the entire carbon footprint of their manufacturing supply chain as well. Improving efficiency of casting and forging operations will save money and reduce carbon emissions.

VM: What do you see as today’s “hot button” issues?

SM: As mentioned, environmental regulations and the focus on reducing fugitive emissions from process equipment are a top concern. Additionally, I see improvements in safety, reliability and performance as the prominent issues. In the area of reliability, casting quality is a frequently discussed topic. With the changes in supply chains, decreases in casting quality over the past 20 years have caused end users to step up the supplier qualification procedures.

VM: Could you comment on the future of the valve industry as a whole?

SM: There will always be a need for valves in our world, whether in some new type of low-carbon energy industry or in the current process industry. Jobs in design and manufacturing will continue to challenge engineers going forward.

VM: Over the course of your career, what is the most challenging situation you have faced? What would you consider to be one of the highlights of your career?

SM: Although not a technical challenge, company personnel reorganizations created some of the most challenging situations that I worked through in my career. These reorganizations impacted the morale of the workforce and led to the resignation of productive and valuable coworkers that chose to leave the company during times of uncertainty.

My career was filled with satisfying projects while working with interesting people. Completing a long and tiring FCC turnaround was always a highlight of my career. I was responsible for following the service and repair of the “big valves” at one such FCC turnaround. Finally, seeing the large slide valves and butterfly valves reinstalled in the process unit with refractory in place and all the details completed was a very satisfying completion.

VM: What advice would you give to industry newcomers to help guide them on their career path?

SM: I encourage younger engineers starting their careers to have patience

During a 2014 valve manufacturer evaluation trip, McJones enjoyed sightseeing and taking in the South Korean local scene and culinary delights.

and curiosity. Curiosity drives a person to research what they don’t already know or understand, and with patience, they can stay with an assignment long enough to gain an understanding of the details of the equipment and processes that they are working with.

VM: Anything personal you’d like to share about retirement activities (consulting jobs, more time golfing or other recreational interests, time with family, etc.)?

SM: I retired from BP in the Fall of 2020. In my retirement, I have been consulting with Becht in the area of static equipment. I enjoy the variety of projects that come my way, and it is satisfying to stay connected to the industry. My wife and I are longtime sailors. Throughout our relationship, we have always had a sailboat. We have owned our current sailboat, a 35-footer, since 2002. Early in 2021, we embarked on a restoration project of our boat. I completed much of the preparation work and then turned the job over to professionals to complete various fiberglass repairs and paint the boat. The amount of work done compares to a “frame-off” restoration of a vintage automobile. The project was completed in the spring of 2021, and we have been enjoying the finished product ever since.