But he’ll say that having a team you can rely on is the real key to improving production.
As the final product touch point, hydrotreaters are critical units in Syncrude’s upgrading process—and ensuring they continue to run optimally is of vital importance. That’s where Shane Bissonnette and the rest of the Hydroprocessing team come in.
A few years into his career as a Millwright with Syncrude, Shane’s keen eye for detail, love for collaborating with his teammates, and hands-on experience working the floor and fixing pump failures made him a natural choice for writing hydroprocessing maintenance procedures.
While Shane may spend long hours alone at his computer, he’s the first to admit that his writing process isn’t a solo mission. “I make a point to not sit in my cubicle all day. I go see my crew. They’re like my second family. I ask them questions. They ask me questions. I hear their frustrations and their excitement over discovering new ways of doing things. And I make sure all that information gets into the instructions and procedures.”
In 2019, Syncrude established the Pump Reliability Excellence Program (PREP). Not surprisingly, Shane was among those named to the PREP team. To say the program has been a success would be a serious understatement.
By consulting with the team on the floor to optimize maintenance procedures, the PREP team helped to more than double the average pump life in 2020. What’s more, pump reliability also dramatically improved last year; this enabled a more reliable hydroprocessing operation with the ability to throughput more product more responsibly.
It’s a team effort; many people contribute, and this makes the work easier.
– Shane Bissonnette
“The collaboration to make our maintenance procedures even better is very rewarding and it shows in the results,” remarks Shane with pride.
It’s true, the proof is in the production. Thanks to our workforce’s commitment to working collaboratively, seeking to understand and embracing a One Team mindset, we made real advancements in process reliability in 2019 and 2020, resulting in increased production of Syncrude Sweet Premium and overall improvement in environmental performance.
Kudos, Syncrude!
