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Job
overview
Total constantly aims for highest performance
in transforming crude oil into petroleum
products. Its success in this field requires
detailed analysis, product development or
the creation of new products in line with
market requirements, and continuous progress
in techniques and technology. This know-how
is provided by Downstream Research.
Downstream Research Engineers at Total have
two different action principles that always
go hand in hand:
. Participate in the industrial life of
the Group, which means active contact with
operational departments, customers, public
research organizations, professional federations,
the authorities, and bodies in charge of
standardization ;
. Anticipate future needs, which often evolve
out of technological progress and changes
in regulations.
This work demands researchers who combine
creativity and talent for innovation with
scientific precision. As an integral part
of the Group's strategy, the various projects
in Downstream Research are also driven by
ambitious criteria of profitability.
First steps
As members of a Downstream Research team,
junior Downstream Research Engineers acquire
first experience in the lab, where they
become familiar with the specific research
methods. After that, heading a team of technicians,
they take charge of different projects,
from start to finish.
Career options
Downstream Research Engineers who want to
develop their career in Research can become
head of a research group or specialize in
a particular area. There are also many options
in other fields, like Refinery Processes,
Production, Technical Sales, or Strategy.
Our recruitment
criteria
. Engineering degree plus a specialization,
or a PhD in Science. An inquisitive, creative
and vivacious mind, aptitudes for teamwork
and team management. English, fluent French.
. An inquisitive, creative and vivacious
mind, aptitudes for teamwork and team management
. English, fluent French.
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Testimonial
Emmanuelle R. - Age : 27
Downstream Research Engineer at the Harfleur
Research Center in Normandy (France).
Degree from ESPCI (Ecole Supérieure
de Physique et Chimie industrielles de Paris).
Joined the Group in May 1998.
What do you do
as a Downstream Research Engineer ?
I work in the Analyses Department, which
provides assistance to the Group's refineries
and other research departments. Our mission
breaks down into several parts :
we analyze products after pilot tests, especially
products that have to fulfil European specifications,
we assist the refineries in case of problems
that require analysis - deposits, different
products, traces or odors - and make sure
that the control labs send out the results
from quality tests,
We develop new methods for analyses when
that is requested.
But I also act as expert and consultant
in my work with the refineries, other Group
entities, and outside bodies.
In actual practice,
what does that involve ?
Our work with the research departments basically
involves support for the development of
new products and processes. We take part
in practically all their research projects.
With the refineries, it's different every
time. When a problem comes up, you have
to react fast and be able to characterize
a product or a deposit very rapidly.
For assistance to the control labs, we have
meetings with the Group's lab managers to
establish how we can best work with them
in developing new methods or in optimizing
the methods being used.
We also act as experts in matters that involve
standardization bodies, and in our field
of specialization, we participate in the
development of new French and European standards.
There are meetings for European experts
several times a year. Our aim is to make
sure that methods that are going to be standardized
don't impose unreasonable constraints on
us.
An important part of my work is also to
keep up to date on all new developments
in my area, notably by taking part in seminars
and conferences, through contacts with universities,
and so on.
What's a typical
day in your job ?
There are 30 of us in the Analyses Department
at Harfleur, and each one manages his or
her lab and several lab technicians. We
all have our respective workload. Part of
our time is spent on research to work out
new methods. The rest of the time is filled
with meetings for the launch of a new project
or reviews of studies under way, plus outside
assignments in France or Europe - generally
to visit a refinery, to attend a congress,
or to represent Total at a meeting organized
by official European bodies.
What are the upsides
of this profession - what do you like about
it ?
You have a lot of contact with people, both
inside and outside the Group. You also work
on a great variety of subjects. It's really
diverse and interesting work. For someone
just out of school, it's great to have a
team to manage right away, and to have the
status of Expert very quickly.
What are the downsides
- what don't you like about it ?
The people at the refineries sometimes treat
us like outside parties and not like partners.
They give us deadlines that are difficult
to meet, and now and then forget to give
us all the elements we need. Another thing
is that as a young engineer just starting
out, you're often managing a team of technicians
with long years of experience, so it's not
always easy to assert yourself.
What qualities
do you need for this job ?
Along with the essential qualities you need
for analysis, like being strictly organized
and methodical, you need good communication
skills and diplomacy. Information exchange
- with both the customer and other labs
- is really indispensable. And managing
a lab demands discipline and excellent communication
with your team.
How do you see
your career developing in the future ?
I don't think I'll stay in the analysis
field. For me, the core of this profession
is on the technical side, and that's why
I'd like to learn more about processes,
first in the research context, and maybe
at a refinery after that. Eventually, I'd
like a job with stronger focus on strategy
and economics.
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Testimonial
Marc B. - Age : 28
Downstream Research Engineer at the Harfleur
Research Center in Normandy (France).
Degree in Chemical Engineering from ENSIGC
(Toulouse, France), Master Polytechnique
(Montreal, Canada).
Joined the Group in October 1999.
What do you do
as a Downstream Research Engineer ?
I work in the Chemical Engineering section
of the Processes and Refining Department
at the CERT, the Group's research center
in Normandy. I work on processes, and in
particular on heat exchanges. In the refinery
units, you have to heat and cool the fluids
to get the right chemical reactions and
proper separation. One aspect of my work
is to optimize these heat exchanges, and
one way to do that is to keep the units
unclogged. Clogging is a real problem for
refineries, because then the processing
capacity drops, especially in distillation,
and you have to shut the units down to clean
them out. That means high financial losses
that can add up to several million euros.
In actual practice,
what does your work involve ?
My work involves several activities focused
on heat exchange. At the moment, about 75%
of my time is spent on anti-clogging studies.
There are two ways of approaching research
in that area :
one is exploratory research, where you try
to understand the mechanisms and fundamental
factors leading to the clogging of the units.
the other is applied research, where you
often work hand-in-hand with people from
the refinery, and where the objective is
to identify different anti-clogging solutions
and to implement them in the units. For
example, you can use inserts inside the
tubes to take off deposits that form on
the walls, or you can use physical means
to improve heat transfer near the walls,
using special inserts, new exchanger technology,
etc.
These two fields are intimately related
- any anti-clogging solution is all the
more efficient if you know the conditions
and mechanisms that cause the clogging.
What's a typical
day in your job ?
At the day-to-day level, there's work in
the laboratory to identify and understand
these clogging mechanisms, which can be
very complex. But there are also investigations
"in the field", working very closely
with the refinery teams, to identify the
cause of the clogging and come up with rapid
solutions. This position was newly created,
so at first I had to learn and then conceive
and build lab resources to help reach these
two objectives. For these studies, I now
have assistance from a technician and from
interns.
What are the upsides
of this profession - what do you like about
it ?
It's what you call "multi-disciplinary"
work. The problems we tackle are very varied
and involve studies that get completed within
a more or less longer time. It's very motivating
- there's a stimulating mix of research
at a high technological level, assistance
to the refineries, and also communication,
to "sell" your proposals to the
decision-makers on the technical and the
financial side. The technical aspects of
the work are also very varied, because they
cover areas like heat transfer, petroleum
chemistry, thermodynamics etc., and soon
there'll be computer simulation.
What are the downsides
- what don't you like about it ?
I don't have a background in oil refining,
and at school, clogging was a subject covered
in a footnote somewhere. When I started
here, I had to learn about the fluids, the
terminology, abbreviations, etc. But with
in-house training, and by talking with my
boss, I filled in the gaps. Personally,
I think this job is perfect to start out
in the oil industry.
What qualities
do you need for this job ?
You have to have an inquisitive and open
mind, and you have to get out of your office
and go out there. Otherwise people forget
you're there. It's very important to be
in touch with researchers, with the refining
teams, to read up on new developments, to
stay informed and keep up with things. And
you mustn't be afraid to explore new tracks.
It may take a while to get anywhere, but
it pays off in the end.
To find innovative solutions for urgent
problems, you also have to react fast and
work well in a team. The pumping operation
for the tanker Erika was very important
for me, for example. I took part in setting
up that process and in the validation at
pilot scale. That was an extremely valuable
learning experience.
How do you see
your career developing in the future ?
I'm very attracted to the technical side
of production. As a first step, I'd like
to join a technical department at a refinery
to help operators get best performance from
their units. In our business, we call these
engineers in the technical department "refinery
doctors". Some time later, I'd like
to manage a production team, to grow my
know-how with experience in economics and
human resources.
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