Lora Apelepa

2023 - Current Senior Electrical/Instrument Engineer

I am the Senior Site Electrical/Instrument engineer with Santos PNG Oil & Gas Operations. I am responsible for technical engineering on all electrical and instrumentation equipment installations and maintenance in all of our five operating facilities. I oversee and ensure all work is executed safely and in accordance with engineering standards and regulations, especially following the Hazardous Area Management standards. My duties include:

• Technical engineering Management of Change for obsolescence, modifications and for installations of new electrical/instrumentation equipment.
• Preparation of minor project charters proposals for consideration during annual budget.
• Document technical engineering changes on electrical/instrumentation equipment and have them up-loaded into company intranet. Documents also for hazardous area dossier records.
• Demonstrate commitment to professional development through ongoing training in emerging technologies related to electrical/instrumentation engineering practices.
• Coordinate with vendors to identify and procure appropriate equipment necessary for installation in hazardous areas of the facilities.
• Champion workplace safety protocols through proactive measures such as routine inspections of installed electrical/instrument equipment and participation in safety training sessions.
• Communicate complex technical specifications to non-technical people in easily comprehensible formats.
• Facilitate knowledge transfer within the team by training junior engineers on best practices in electrical/instrumentation maintenance engineering.
• Ensure safety and compliance with industry standards during installation and maintenance of electrical/instrumentation equipment as well as environmental regulations during disposal of decommissioned equipment.
• Work closely with high voltage power applications by observing and ensuring compliance with all company safety procedures and statutory standards and regulations.

Jun 2016 - Sep 2023 Reliability Electrical/Instrument Engineer

Oil & Gas Operations - Oilsearch Ltd PNG

As a Reliability Electrical/Instrument Engineer I my duties and responsibilities included:

• Technical engineering condition monitoring on electrical equipment throughout the four PNG Operations facilities.
• Evaluate condition monitoring results and recommend corrective maintenance to improve performance of electrical systems.
• Successfully completed a project for the replacement of a 1MVA step down transformer after identifying the transformer to be defective through condition monitoring.
• Develop preventive maintenance and operational procedures for electrical/instrument equipment.
• Technical Engineering Management of Change for electrical/instrument equipment installation. This includes design, calculations, selection of appropriate equipment according to the facility Hazardous Area Classifications, complying with standards, etc.
• Technical engineering reviews for critical electrical/instrumentation equipment spares.
• Develop failure mode analysis on new electrical/instrumentation equipment.
• Perform engineering RCA on electrical/instrument equipment for chronic system failures.
• Work closely with high voltage power applications and produce procedures to ensure compliance of high voltage safety regulations.
• Facilitated knowledge transfer within the team by training junior engineers on best practices in electrical maintenance engineering.
• Communications with external electrical/instrumentation equipment suppliers to source and purchase appropriate hazardous area rated equipment.

As an Electrical/Instrument Maintenance Engineer for 5 operating Oil & Gas plants in PNG I was involved in but not limited to the following:

• Provided technical engineering support to maintenance electrical/instrument colleagues, enhancing overall team performance in addressing electrical/instrument maintenance challenges.
• Reviewed technical documentation to complete equipment maintenance and repair.
• Maintained strong vendor relationships to ensure timely delivery of appropriate replacement parts and support services when needed.
• Coordinated with external contractors during major overhaul projects or specialized maintenance activities, ensuring alignment with production plans and regulatory requirements.
• Conducted root cause analyses for recurring equipment failures and recommend implementation of corrective actions to prevent future occurrences.
• Conferred with other engineers of different disciplines to investigate and solve electrical/instrumentation failure issues.
• Developed detailed Work Instructions and Work Procedures to safely implement Preventive and break down maintenance on new and existing electrical and instrumentation equipment.
• Facilitated knowledge transfer within the team by training junior engineers on best practices in electrical maintenance engineering.

As an Electrical Engineer in PNGs only Sugar Mill, Sugar Packaging, Abattoir, Oil Palm Mill with many company housing estates I was involved in the following:

• Electrical design using AutoCAD for new office buildings, factory sheds and buildings and for employee housing in company estates.
• Calculation of maximum demand for buildings and the Bill of Materials required.
• Communications with external electrical/instrumentation equipment suppliers to source and purchase appropriate electrical equipment.
• Reviewed existing electrical engineering criteria for power reticulation in company estates to identify necessary revisions for increased number of housings.
• Used information in technical diagrams, schematics, and manuals to understand operations of steam turbine power generation in the sugar mill and accomplished successful repairs.
• Performed troubleshooting and repair for complex electrical equipment in sugar processing plant.
• Developed preventive maintenance schedules to minimize downtime and optimize performance in the sugar mill and sugar packaging area.

As an Electrical Engineer in PNGs only cigarette and tobacco manufacturing factories my responsibilities included and not limited to:

· Upgraded outdated electrical components with modern alternatives, prolonging equipment life and improving operational efficiency of factory.

· Provided technical support to colleagues on complex issues, assisting them in finding efficient solutions to problems.

· Developed maintenance procedures on new and existing electrical equipment.

· Coordinated with external contractors during major overhaul projects and new installation activities, ensuring alignment with production plans/targets.

· Participated in internal audits to assess compliance with established policies, procedures, and regulatory guidelines concerning operations of the factory.

· Successfully completed a project in designing and erection of a simple odour absorption pit. This was done to minimise odour as there was complaints from members of local community residing around the perimeter of the tobacco factory of odour.

· Maintained strong vendor relationships to ensure timely delivery of replacement parts and support services when needed.

· Successfully completed a project in designing, installation and commissioning of temperature controllers and control valves to control temperature in different zones of a can beer pasteuriser replacing a manual Operator dependant control system.

· Designed, sourcing/selection and installation of capacitor banks for Lae Brewery to improve power factor from below 0.8 to over 0.9. A cost reduction project as the brewery was heavily billed for both Real and Apparent power with low power factor.

· Upgraded all old ABB controllers and temperature chart recorders to Honeywell universal digital controllers and recorders throughout the entire Lae brewery.

· Coordinated with vendors to identify and procure appropriate equipment necessary for above projects.

· Developed and implemented preventive maintenance and operational procedures for electrical/instrumentation equipment.

As an Electrical/Instrument Supervisor I:

• Organized, led and trained crew members to complete electrical instrumentation projects within established guidelines and timeframes.
• Reduced downtime with proactive maintenance strategies for electrical instruments.
• Achieved timely project completion by effectively supervising a team of electricians and technicians.
• Monitored priorities and liaised between maintenance team and management, delegating tasks to complete on time.
• Liaised with Quality Control department in the brewery and ensured installed processes control instruments met desired product specifications.

During my Graduate Development I:

• Gained valuable exposure to different aspects of the brewery operations from Malt handling - Brewhouse - Cellars - Bottling/Canning - Filling - Pasteurizing - Labeling - Packaging - Palletizing - Logistics - Engineering Utilities during rotational assignments.
• Cultivated professional relationships with mentors and supervisors for ongoing career development guidance throughout the trainee program.
• Completed a comprehensive training program focusing on leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
• Exhibited strong time management skills by effectively balancing multiple tasks and responsibilities throughout the traineeship.
• Strengthened interpersonal skills through active participation in team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and problem-solving activities.
• Served as an effective liaison between various departments while working on collaborative projects during the graduate management trainee program.
• Gained knowledge of company policies, protocols and processes.