The first oil sands refinery was built in Alberta by GCOS (Great Canadian Oil Sands), which is now Suncor, in the 1960s. It was designed by an American engineering firm as most countries in the world, including Canada, did not yet have the technical capabilities to build petrochemical complexes. It was not until the early 1970s that Canada started working on its own major Canadian petrochemical designs, Petrosar in Sarnia and Syncrude in Alberta.
Back then, Luke Chan, the current principal engineer at Brighton Engineering Solutions Ltd. (BESL), was working for the prime contractor for Petrosar whose head office was in Houston, Texas, before he was recruited to join the piping design team in the Canadian office in Toronto. At that time, it was not unusual for U.S.-based contractors to send design and construction staff north to apply U.S. reliability standards and safety systems to Canadian projects.
“I worked for 14 years in Toronto and Calgary, Vancouver, Houston and Los Angeles as part of the design staff for major U.S. contractors and I learned a lot,” says Luke Chan.
More than 30 years later, Alberta industries have caught up and have developed the design capabilities required to accommodate energy projects of any size. One of the greatest developments in Alberta since the introduction of Syncrude was the Shell Scotford Refinery in Fort Saskatchewan, which is still regarded as one of the most efficient and reliable facilities in Canada today. Chan was one of the original design engineers for Scotford with assignments beginning in the early 1980s and continuing to this day.
During the early years of his career, Chan gained experience in a variety of areas, from designing, analyzing and supporting high temperature equipment piping at large refineries to upgrading piping engineering specifications for major oil companies. By 1988, Chan was ready to quit his job and strike out with his own consulting company, and within a few years his firm was earning a reputation for quality work in plant design and stress analysis in refinery services.
“My clients know that if they give the job to me, I’ll get it done. I’m not going out there to bid a project that I can’t facilitate. I’ve learned that after people get to know me, if they have an interesting or a really tough problem, they know if they give it to me and my staff, we’ll solve their problem quickly and economically,” he says.
Brighton Engineering has a long history of excellence, and Chan and his team are considered by many operators/owners as the team to provide support in reliability and safety. After all, the foundation for reliability in engineering installations and design comes from knowledge and experience, which the Brighton team has in abundance, while safety is based on personal experience along with adherence to industry or regulatory agencies’ requirements.
With these strengths, the Brighton Engineering team has supported the industry throughout multiple facets of the energy business in Alberta. Along the way BESL has solved countless construction and operational challenges faced by SAGD (Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage) owners when it comes to PVP (Pressure Vessels and Piping). Chan and his team have solved many technical issues with reliability and safety top of mind and have also worked with its sister company, Zachry Integrity, on documenting technical advancements in the industry which are then presented at ASME PVP Conferences.
The company has been a pioneer since inception, leading the industry first in piping engineering and stress analysis in refineries, pipelines and SAGD projects and then expanding into gold and diamond mines, wastewater treatment facilities, pulp and paper plants and OSB chip board manufacturing facilities. The company continued to grow as it provided complete project management and engineering solutions for its worldwide client base. In 2003, Chan’s team entered the world of fabrication and installation, opening a branch in Beijing.
To Chan and his team, budget, schedule, work quality, operability and rapid response are paramount in any project. They enjoy focusing on innovation and being encouraged to think outside the box to bring unconventional solutions to its diverse projects. Chan’s team is lean and pride themselves on being problem solvers and trailblazers; they don’t need an abundance of supervisors to micromanage the talented team so everyone can focus on producing incredible solutions for their clients.
On the other side of the business, Brighton has tackled more conventional engineering work. When customers encounter an issue at their plant sites, the Brighton team is called in to diagnose the problem, formulate a solution and recommend a fix. That could be a simple repair to prolong the life of a piece of expensive equipment or it could involve putting together a set of fabrication drawings for a brand new design. The more complicated the problem the better for Chan’s team, as they love the opportunity to be their clients’ go-to partner.
“Reliability comes from experience, and I believe the Brighton team has the requisite experience, and I’ve learned that it is much preferred to have reliability baked into the design from the beginning rather than trying to add it in later,” he says.
Luke Chan has vast knowledge and experience in the business and is proud of the developments he’s helped achieve in the industry. He knows there is still work to do and he’s excited to still be part of doing it.
“I’d like to continue to contribute to the industry. I like to work with and support young people, sharing what I’ve learned and provide leadership and training. I don’t want to retire. If someday they say they don’t need leadership or my experience, then I’ll retire,” Luke Chan says. “But I’m not there yet.”
Suite 1208, 250 2nd St S.W.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2P 0C1
service@besl.ca
Tel: 403-705-6797
http://www.besl.ca
