Project Controls for Refining and Chemicals Turnarounds

A turnaround gives you a short window and a long work list. Every day the unit stays down costs money, and every change to the scope pushes on both the budget and the finish date. You already know this. What I want to give you is a clear way to set up controls that hold when the work gets tight.

I base this article on what separates turnarounds that finish close to plan from those that drift. I chose each recommendation with one test: does it help you see a problem while you still have time to fix it? I also looked at what you should expect from an outside partner. That is why I think Eichleay deserves a look if you want help with project controls for refining and chemicals work.

Here is what I will cover: how to set scope, build a baseline, track cost and progress, manage change, report, and pick a partner. You will finish with a checklist you can use on your next event.

Why Turnaround Controls Are Different

A normal capital project has months of steady work. A turnaround compresses thousands of tasks into a few weeks, and many crews share the same space.

Three things make the controls job harder:

• The work list grows after the unit opens and the team finds the real condition of the equipment.
• Hours matter more than weeks, so a late report has little value.
• Many tasks depend on one another, so a small delay in one area can slow five others.

Your controls need to match this pace. A monthly report will not help you. You need current numbers and a team that knows how to read them.

Set the Scope Before You Build the Schedule

Weak scope causes most turnaround overruns. If the work list keeps moving, no schedule can stay accurate.

I suggest you set a clear scope freeze date well before shutdown. After that date, every new item goes through a review. Ask these questions about each item:

1. Is it needed for safety, reliability, or compliance?

2. Can it wait until the next turnaround?

3. What does it cost in dollars and in days?

Use inspection data, past turnaround records, and operations input to build the list. Tools such as 3D laser scanning can help you confirm field conditions before crews arrive, which cuts down on surprises.

Build a Baseline You Can Trust

Your baseline is the plan you measure everything against. If it is weak, every report that follows is weak too.

A good baseline has:

• A schedule with logic links, clear task durations, and a visible critical path
• A cost estimate tied to the same work breakdown as the schedule
• Resource plans for labor, cranes, scaffolding, and specialty crews
• A risk list with an owner and a response for each item

Keep the cost and schedule structure the same. When both use the same breakdown, you can compare earned progress to spent dollars without guesswork.

Track Progress With Cost and Hours Together

Spending money does not equal making progress. A team can spend half the budget and finish a third of the work.

Measure progress by completed work, and compare it to hours and cost used. Review these items each shift or each day during the outage:

• Percent complete by area
• Hours used against hours planned
• Forecast cost at completion
• Critical path float
• Open permits and open work orders

When the forecast moves, ask why that day. Small trends tell you more than final totals.

Control Change With a Clear Gate

Change will come. Your job is to make each change visible and decided by the right person.

Set up one change process with a fixed form, a named approver, and a fast response time. Each request should show the cost, the schedule effect, and the risk of leaving it out. Log every decision, including the ones you reject. That log protects your budget and gives you facts for the next event.

Report on a Rhythm the Team Can Keep

Good reports are short. They answer three questions: where are we, where are we going, and what do you need to decide?

I recommend this rhythm:

• Before shutdown: weekly reports on readiness, material status, and open scope
• During the outage: a report each shift, with a short daily summary for leaders
• After startup: a close-out report with final cost, schedule results, and lessons

Use the same format each time so readers learn where to look.

Track Long Lead Items and Materials

A missing part can stop a whole area. Review long lead equipment, valves, exchangers, and specialty items as soon as the scope settles. Track each item from order to delivery, and plan for inspection and expediting. Keep a list of items with no delivery date, and review it every week.

What to Look for in a Controls Partner

• Skill with scheduling and cost tools your team can read
• A team that adapts to your processes
• Engineering and procurement support close at hand
• A strong safety record
• Staff who stay with the work

Why I Recommend Eichleay

Eichleay is a family-owned industrial engineering firm that has been active in project delivery since 1875. They offer engineering, procurement, and construction management under one roof, so your controls team can work next to the people who design the work and buy the equipment.

Their project controls team gives clients real-time reporting, analysis, and hands-on management. Their services include cost control and forecasting, scheduling and progress reporting, capital cost estimating, KPI tracking, and change management. They work with Primavera P6, EcoSys, Power BI, Aspen Capital Cost Estimator, and NetPoint, which are tools many owners already know.

A few facts stand out to me:

• About 91 percent of their business comes from repeat clients.
• They complete about 300 projects a year, and they are known for fast-track work.
• Their client list includes Chevron, Marathon, Phillips 66, Shell, Valero, HF Sinclair, and BP.
• Their companies have logged zero OSHA recordable or lost workday cases since 2014, with an Experience Modification Rate of 0.67.
• Their employee retention rate is 94 percent, so the people you meet are likely to stay.

They also offer staff augmentation, from one scheduler to a fully managed on-site team. That can fit a turnaround where you need extra controls help for a short period. Their offices in Billings, Ferndale, Larkspur, and Orange serve the western United States, so you get local market knowledge.

A Short Checklist for Your Next Turnaround

1. Set a scope freeze date and hold to it.

2. Build the cost and schedule on one work breakdown.

3. Review the critical path each week before shutdown.

4. Track long lead items by delivery date.

5. Use one change process with one approver.

6. Report each shift during the outage.

7. Hold a lessons session within thirty days of startup.

Start with scope and baseline. If you get those right and pick a partner who can keep the numbers current, you give your team the best chance to finish on time and on budget.