Independent Technical Advisor and Project Engineer Houston, TX September 2008-Current

Houston, Eagle Ford area, Texas; Poza Rica, Mexico City, Mexico; Caracas, Venezuela; Buenos Aires, Argentina

• Reviewed submittal technical requirements (English and Spanish) against specifications for oil & gas equipment to be used in drilling and production operations as part of EPC contracts.
• Assisted inventor on intellectual property licensing and royalty arrangement possibilities regarding technology related to articulated tug/barges (AT/Bs) for LNG transportation.
• Provided technical , health, and safety requirements for field personnel chillout units based on calculated cooling loads for use at drilling rig sites in the Eagle Ford Shale.
• Established project deliverables and project management scope, action items, lead and lag items, utilizing Gantt chart and Critical Path Method to reflect project requirements.
• Provided pipe design engineering according to standards such as ASME B31, HVAC design, P&ID, equipment selection, and layout in 2D and 3D, utilizing database enabled Plant Design software (Plant 4D, Smartplant, CADWorx) integrated with MS Office, AutoCAD, Microstation, Isogen (isometric generation), Caesar II and Autopipe (pipe stress/strain, nozzle loads, hangers and supports). 

Houston, TX September 2004 to July 2008

Mechanical Engineering Technical Advisor

• Evaluated oil & gas-related inventor disclosures dealing with completion methods and components and coordinated meetings and requests for information between inventors and attorneys.
• Developed extensive knowledge of each client’s product line, ranging from wellheads, Christmas trees, BOP, and submersible pumps.
• Participated in the drafting of utility and design patent applications of various oil field technologies for prosecution in the USPTO.
• Assisted attorneys in developing claim charts of patent claims that were utilized by courts during Markman hearings.
• Researched litigation issues as required, such as spoliation of evidence, invalidating prior art,  and inequitable conduct as related to patent litigation and reexamination in areas ranging from oil field technologies used in upstream sector to information systems in order to reach settlement protecting millions of dollars in product. 
• Investigated likelihood of patentability by researching patents and online/print sources resulting in client deciding to proceed.
• Performed document review, drafted interrogatories/requests for admissions for the pre-trial phase of patent litigation.

Houston, TX; July 2001 to August 2004

Project Engineer: 

• Directed and coordinated engineering and software project support in Mexico and Latin America. Implemented engineering design principles and tools, provided plant design software training, piping design, project management, implementation support and technical input to 17 sites of a Fortune 500 client. 
• Reported directly to President, Major Accounts Manager, and stakeholders with respect to engineering projects, project management, engineer training, technical issues, Latin-American economic and LNG markets, and offshore O&G/marine industries.
• Provided pipe design engineering according to standards such as ASME B31, HVAC design, P&ID, equipment selection, and layout in 2D and 3D, utilizing database enabled Plant Design software (Plant 4D, Smartplant) integrated with MS Office, AutoCAD, Microstation, Isogen (isometric generation), Caesar II and Autopipe (pipe stress/strain, nozzle loads, hangers and supports) for various types of plants. 
• Generated MTO from database for piping and equipment and provided cost estimating using sources such as Means, Primavera.
• Managed project controls such as planning, scheduling, reporting, cost engineering/estimating, and change order management and control.
• Selected piping materials and gauge based on fluid type and taking into account corrosion and other process variables.
• Carried out Project Management duties using MS Project and Primavera to implement engineering solutions.
• Provided engineering design software training in English and Spanish for offshore oil and gas, LNG, and marine industry clients in Latin America (Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina) while building client relations and leveraging language and cultural communication to ensure project commitment.

Houston, TX; July 1997 to July 2001

Consulting Engineer: 

• Provided contract administration and project controls management on all projects from design through construction phase of projects including evaluating submittals/cut-sheets and potential equivalents submitted by contractors, generating RFI’s, considering change orders, critical paths, long lead items, negotiating with contractors and other stakeholders, reviewing front-end documents, and evaluating deviation from design parameters.
• Designed research facilities for ExxonMobil to provide research facilities for use in upstream testing and R&D.
• Provided piping design, sizing, and layout based on process requirements and space restrictions such as pressure, temperature, type of fluid, and pipe material requirements while applying AutoCad and Microstation CAD packages as well as pipe stress analysis software.
• Utilized research, calculations, and software to design mechanical systems for facilities valued at multi-million dollars, used FEED principles to reduce risk and maximize potential for success.
• Applied mechanical and materials engineering principles to calculate thermal loads, select air handling units, chillers, cooling towers, pumps, piping, valves, boilers, and fire/smoke dampers.  Wrote specifications, observed applicable OSHA, fire, EPA, CSI, ADA, and Safety Codes, and coordinated with owners and other stakeholders to design facilities.
• Evaluated existing system conditions, designed optimal solutions, supervised team of CAD production and documentation professionals for multiple industrial and research projects.
• Provided design alternatives to oil testing facilities, including dynamometer and wind resistance.